Xarnagan Vrokk: The Time Between

The Expeditionary Journal of Xarnagan Vrokk

The Time Between and The Saw Bear of the Blue Spire

In no apparent order, this tale may include:
Corporal Radar O'Reiley - Naive Earth Boy Rocket Soldier
Dickie Dee - Bone Man Sorcerer Junkie
Kalervo - Folksy, Sand-Wise Cactoid

Jedediah - 1850s Hayseed Southerner Fightin' Man

Baron Rodan the Scrounger - Zermish Man Vassal of Darath Ymph

Fragrant after-waffs of a strange incense languidly approach my nose as I sit in the cozy resting nook I have created for myself within this blue spire of the rust desert. I do believe it is the very incense Rodan scrounged from the Temple of the Toad. His week-long love-making with is hyperborean slave has tinged the entire tower with its scent. Yes, much has happened since I last wrote of my journeys, jaunts, and wanders. I do believe I left off at some point, with myself firmly ensconced in an alcove within the Sage's Hive of Agog. There I was feverishly researching those infinitely interesting Radiation crystals. I had developed a device to read how many charges could be yet consumed from the crystal, and was now keenly interested in any way to recharge or revitalize these precious crystals, thus negating the need to find them anew! I know such technologies must have existed, or still exist in hiding, but my research into this query was quickly stymied by lack of funds.

The precocious scamp Dickie Dee the Bone Man Sorcerer had entrusted me with some valuable coin, and a precious pill of Sorcerer's Silver in order to assist my endeavors, yet these proved to be nearly not enough. I was tossed, politely, onto the bustling streets of Agog, my nerves jumping and jostling with the surge of the Sorcerer's Silver. Dusting myself off I made my way through the silver-suited bustling mobs and happened upon good old Kalervo, the kindly cactoid. He had been seeking sabots for his Arquebuse, a quite antique weapon for sure and it's ammunition hard to find. So, we traveled together to Jakay to stay with my good friend Tazar the Interlocutor. There Kalervo and I whiled away the days, sipping exotic teas, conversing on various subjects with Tazar. It was there that we had heard the whereabouts of the rest of our party. Oh, the flies on the walls are a'plenty in Jakay!

Kalervo and I saddled our ornith steeds, and with due haste headed toward the Rust Desert and that notorious outpost of Adomaz. It was there that we discovered our friends and heard strange, strange tales. They spoke of a radiation storm that they had encountered while staying in Kharem, far to the south. Apparently the storm came in a fierce torrential rage of corrosive rain and hard radiation. Quite unexpectedly, post-storm, the populace slowly became interested in consuming human flesh. Yes, somehow those caught in Kharhem had cannibalistic cravings. It seems Buzz Brazelhatch had died during this onslaught of staining rain, and the majority of his body was offered for quite a sizeable sum to an interested Kharem citizen turned cannibal. This allowed the party to feel they accomplished something, and encouraged them to quickly leave Kharem and make for the safety of Adomaz, quite known of late for it's cannibal-free population.

Here is where we met and joined once again, finding the party slightly distressed, and sipping gin at the Jagged Gut Slicer. Kalervo, quick to make conversation, chatted up the notoriously friendly Vexid to find out that there was something quite interesting going on just to the north of Adomaz. Apparently there were two jaunty gentlemen simply known as The Twin Sky Masters who owned a large blue spire and from there flew out on pterodactyls to routinely scour the sands for slaves. Not that the individuals they found were slaves at that time, they would claim these sorry souls for their own and sell them to known slavers, such as The Shark That Devours Human Lives, among others with less clever names that rove these rusty sands.

Both the Scrounger and the Bone Man found this to be an interesting piece of information. Let's say we all took it to heart. It was then decided to travel, under the light of the moons, toward the spire and scout out the situation. Kalervo took us to a known cactoid campsite, out of the way of town and Dickie Dee took his time making sure we each were made invisible in order to best approach the situation. We then made our way through the sands and in short time we were greeted by it's massive blue self, shining in the light of moons and stars. Seeing the Sky Masters gone, and taking advantage, we let ourselves in and moved up the spire and through the metal chambers, one after another. This led to a very strange door indeed. An ancient device was mounted near the door, with a large handle and crank. I approached and carefully inspected it for any sign of trickery or malfunction. Spying none, I began to crank...and crank. It seemed that nothing was going to avail of this incessant cranking, then with a strange noise, the door popped open.

We of course entered, and were greeted by a large, metal scaled bear with circular saws in place of fore-paws. Quite a mechanical marvel it was! Praise the ancients, it was very shiny, very dangerous, very much nearly in our way. As it was, we were invisible. So, we took our chances passing it by, one by one making ourselves to the stairs behind the metallic beast. As half of us ascended, the bear suddenly lurched and growled. It smelled us. With quick thinking some party members threw food at its metal maw, this very much satisfied the bear and most of the rest were able to pass, until the clank of armor was heard. The bear then began to become suspicious. It's whirring paw-blades sprang to life, as did the remaining party. The bear at this point began to snarl and attack the air viciously; desperately searching for the source of sound and smell that was us.

At this point Jedidiah, Rodan, and Kalervo had snuck past and had ascended the stairs to the upper realms of the tower. Thusly they passed through the pterodactyl nesting hangar, store rooms and the like, ultimately to find themselves in the uppermost chamber, the Lair of the Sky Twins! I did not see this chamber myself, I only heard the colorful description. Apparently, upon entering both Rodan and Jedidiah's senses were overwhelmed. A cheap and powerful essence filled their nostrils reminding them of overly sweet gin mixed with flowers and burning hair. The room, clad in bright and gaudy tapestries was dotted with strange and lewd statues of women and men in various states of erotic repose, odd scattered bits of clothing, wrappings of comestibles and rations that lay open with half eaten or half decomposed foodstuffs and sweet-meats. This was the chamber that Rodan and Jedidiah quickly ransacked, finding five bottles of Earth Man whiskey and a large and exceedingly heavy black metal chest.

In excited hurry they grabbed the case so suddenly that Rodan was put to the test. His muscles nearly ripped and he dropped the massive case. At the sound of this, the whirring, roaring bear quickly began to ascend the stairs. This very moment, in the Pterodactyl lair, I believe, Kalervo had been placing a packet of poisoned rations right in the raging bears path. .. a bit too late I'd say, as the bear steamed up into the lair, and headed straight for the stairs of the Twin Sky Masters suite, knocking the invisible cactoid on his haunches.

At the sight of this Rodan and Jedidiah quickly grabbed the case and ran past the bear and down the stairs, it turning into them as they ran by. They now had a saw-bear buzzing their invisible backsides while they ran. This proved too difficult, as much blood was lost, and the chest was abandoned for the freedom of the stairs. Rodan dashed down with the Saw Bear at his back. Jedidiah and Kalervo picked up the case and followed. I, myself, Dickie Dee and the rest of the party, seeing the saw-bear chasing invisible Rodan down the stairs, took the initiative to run down the spire and out of the building as well. At this point I began madly cranking the door mechanism.

We all entered as the door opened, and after rapidly cranking the other device, I managed to close the door seconds after the saw-bear made it inside with us, growling and buzzing the air about our faces. Without further convincing we continued to run down the stairs and to the rusty sands outside as rapidly as all space, time, and quickened spirit would allow. As we all ran down, Kalervo and Jedidiah were seen coming out the door above and onto the stairs. First we saw their heads peak over the stair ledge, then we saw the massive black metal chest being pushed over the edge, and fall-- rocketing down the shaft and whistling past us as we ran down the stairs to the door, nearly crushing Dickie Dee. In a deafening clang, the chest slammed into the ground split open to spill hundreds of gold credits all over the spire floor.

After this, I believe the saw-bear followed everyone outside, where it completely destroyed this wayward adventurer we had allowed to come with us. By Thoggyu, it was a grisly sight! The bear put its saw into a few others as well, but after sword, spear, and blaster wound, his saws ceased to whir, and his horrid metallic form slumped to the red sand.

We of course loaded the credits onto our orniths and took ourselves away to Adomaz. Half the party to squander their earnings on whorings and drink, myself retiring to the room to study, and Kalervo keeping a simple stool at the 'Slicer.

After such an adventure I must say I felt the need to retire myself even further. I had very much the idea and need for a lab and a library, so I decided to see for myself what I could learn from Tazar the Interlocuter and left the party at this point for his towering manse in Jakay. Upon my return to Adomaz, after a week or two, I came to find that the party had deeper thoughts regarding the spire. I come to find, that one day they simply decided to walk into the spire, tie up, torture, and slay the Twin Sky Masters. They released their pterodactyls as well. A waste. An honest, honest waste! We could have hired someone that could have possibly trained those flying beasts. How truly tremendous to use such a creature as your own flying vehicle. Tremendous it would be! Ah! A flying and fighting sage on pterodactyl back...Tremendous!

Well, I ramble. Now that the blood of the Sky-Masters has been washed out of the pterodactyls hangar, and the Baron Rodan (oh yes, I shall explain this as well....later on) has his headquarters set inside the Sky Masters suite, I have begun to settle in myself. I have received, an 8.8k laboratory straight from Agog city itself. A very fine collection of equipment, apparatus, devices and contrivances, I dare say!

I have also acquired a nice collection of lab instruments and contraptions from my good friend Tazar. The sweat of his endeavors still stains them!

As far as books go, I have found none, however there is talk of a guild of tome makers who hide themselves in Adomaz and maintain some of the only books in existence. I vow to find them, or as yet, collect as much material as my adventures allow.

My lab and libram sanctuary have begun! With this lab and accompanying equipments, I plan on learning as much about arms and munitions as possible; maintaining, transforming, and mobilizing! Those present projects that intrigue me foremost are learning how to transform plasma welders into energy blades (and other assorted phasic weaponry), as well as learning to make the chemical sabots for Kalervo's arquebus... there are other deadly things as well to do with this chemical solution!

I had planned on running several tests on this Trek bomb mechanism of Dickie Dee's....outside of course. Perhaps getting one of the skele-troopers to test it for me...hmm. But, Dickie has since passed on, and taken his things with him. I do believe our world has become, hmm, quite changed....


Next Entry: Baron Von Scrounger

By Fat Cotton