Session Seventy-Eight: The Way of Wishes

Alaxander thought long and hard about the riddle. He figured out that the blue door and green key were the correct pair. He was correct. The door opened into a large, ten foot wide, hallway.
Shade lead the group and discovered that the hallway was trapped. He disarmed a couple of them and failed to find a couple as well. He fell into the ten foot deep spiked pits, but the group was easily able to pull him out. Where the hallway met a room, he discovered a teleporter trap, but instructed everyone to avoid it.
The room they found themselves in had two agafari doors. One was blank and the other had a stone plaque, of an ogre's face.
The group decided to inspect the blank door first. There was a short hallway, with a hexagonal room. In the center of the room was a stone well. The well had a bucket and rope attached to it. On the side of the well was a riddle. The group was very confused and talked for a long time about what the riddle meant. They largely solved the riddle and made wishes, although they did not fully comprehend what they were doing.
They received some silk, a couple of gold coins, and, to their dismay, a swarm of mosquitoes. Once they figured out the riddle completely, they were out of wishes. Each person only received one wish. So, they returned to the monastery and recruited some of the monks to come assist them.
The monks wished for very practical things, except for one. A female monk, named Lilith, became enamored with Alaxander. She quietly wished for Alaxander's affection. Alaxadner failed to resist the well's magic and he suddenly had feelings for the monk. The rest of the group knew exactly what had happened and they thought it was funny.

Secrets of the Dead Lands Review, Chapter 6

Athas.org recently released Secrets of the Dead Lands. The book is a D&D 3.5 version of an unfinished manuscript, originally for AD&D 2nd edition. Although, most of the information is system neutral and can be used for any rule system. The original draft was written by Timothy Brown, co-creator of the Dark Sun setting. 

I will not be comparing the Athas.org version with the original manuscript. I will give my opinions on the completed Secrets of the Dead Lands. I have decided that I will break down the review into separate parts, by reviewing it chapter by chapter. I will not criticize the artwork or maps, as this is a free book, that was put together by fans. Although the artwork has been surprisingly good.
The review of Chapter 1. 
The review of Chapter 2.
The review of Chapter 3.
The review of Chapter 4.
The review of Chapter 5.

Chapter 6 - The Kingdoms of Gretch
The chapter begins with a easy to read map of the region. I love maps, two thumbs up! This map shows that this area is south of The Naked Obsidian, the region discussed in chapter three.
The region is described as harsh and lifeless. The obsidian is thick and there are obsidian glaciers moving slowly over the stone underneath. It mentions the obsidian is particularly thick.
The region is named for a human defiler named, you guessed it, Gretch. The evil man used magic to create some monsters and ran away from his teachers. He sought undeath as a way of extending his existence, but something went wrong. His past is further deatiled and it is strongly hinted that he played a major part in the disaster that created the Dead Lands.

Secrets of the Dead Lands Review, Chapter 5

Athas.org recently released Secrets of the Dead Lands. The book is a D&D 3.5 version of an unfinished manuscript, originally for AD&D 2nd edition. The original draft was written by Timothy Brown, co-creator of the Dark Sun setting. 

I will not be comparing the Athas.org version with the original manuscript. I will give my opinions on the completed Secrets of the Dead Lands. I have decided that I will break down the review into separate parts, by reviewing it chapter by chapter. I will not criticize the artwork or maps, as this is a free book, that was put together by fans. Although the artwork has been surprisingly good.
The review of Chapter 1. 
The review of Chapter 2.
The review of Chapter 3.
The review of Chapter 4.

Chapter 5 - The City of a Thousand Dead
The previous chapters mentioned the City of a Thousand Dead multiple times, so I figured it was an important part of the Dead Lands. It's nice to get, not only a section, but an entire chapter dedicated to it.
The city is huge, five miles in diameter, and is roughly circular in shape. There is not a sole ruler of the city, but different factions, that are not always friendly with each other. The city contains the obsidian gate and the bugdead attack the city often.

Dark Sun Paper Miniatures 03

These Miniatures are rather simple and fold into a tent. You can add extra weight by taping a penny to the bottom. Let me know if more of these would be of interest to anyone.

Download the PDF

Here we have some elemental beasts, a fael, a dhaot, some lirrs, and some dagorran. They are sized to the correct scale for a 1" x 1" square battlemat. I hope you find them useful.

Fourth of July - The Birthday of The United States of America

Happy Independence Day, United States of America!

Here is a transcript of the Declaration of Independence. I believe these words were divinely inspired.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.