[pnpgm] What happened when? [Spoilers]

pnpgm pnpgm at comcast.net
Wed Dec 19 21:30:26 CET 2012



   * Behind the Scenes Campaign Information

     Apris 12 - Augado 19, c. 1480 - [Location: Edge of Zen'da Plains]

       Through forces no one knows in recorded history or divined knowledge
     the first Vong war takes place.  Using a dimensional gate set in the
     mountains south of the Plains between Marentia and L'p'nth they set up
     camp.  A force of 2,000 Vong soon invade the Middle World through this
     portal.  They soon invade the mountains and venture onto the Zen'da
     plains.  Their unusual technology and fierce nature soon ravage the
     land.  Within a month they have 2/3rds of the plains crushed or
     destroyed.  Zen'da nomads have to move out of the plains for the first
     time in many cases just to survive.  Neighbors refuse to listen to pleas
     by the Zen'da for help.  It only takes a combined effort from the
     council of Ga'shas and a group of elite Shamans to balance the tide.

       By mid Julis the shamans use nature itself to thwart the living
     beasts and weapons of the Vong.  By sheer attrition the Vong begin to
     lose.  A month later the last of the Vong are destroyed.  Having chased
     the last of the Vong to the gate itself the Shamans bury the gate by
     sand in hopes no more Vong arrive.

       The First Vong War saw beasts as large as 2 elephants side by side
     and as tall as two of them.  They could be rode on and used as
     virtual tank and beasts of destruction.  There were many Flyers who
     poured out plasma fireball like balls from its top and could suck
     in entire clouds of arrows in its wake.  The Shamans learned the
     hard way magic would not work against them at all.  Only area effect
     or spells that affect things around them worked.  After the battle
     of the great Fel'ora Shaman Mi'tur Sheam did the Zen'da finally win
     a major battle against 300 Vong warriors.  This great Shaman was
     influenced by the great spirits.  He could control great many flocks
     of animals at will.  Using these great flocks of animals including
     hundreds of lions, thousands of rats or millions of insects he could
     devastate the warriors.

       Under Ga'sha Ga'bahum, great ancestor to Gib'borah - Caladan's father,
     took many Vong prisoner for interrogation.  He would soon learn many
     could take any amount of pain and torture.  In fact they seemed to
     thrive on the pain and enjoy it.  But soon he would over months learn
     some details a visiting Scholar from Marentia would scribe down for
     the King of Marentia that are now to this day still recorded and
     documented in the Royal private Archives. The Ga'sha would learn there
     are three castes of the Vong.  The Vong Warrior caste or military
     controlled all aspects of their life.  The Shapers were mostly a female
     dominated caste where they did all the technology and development of
     their science.  These techno-savvy Vong could use nature itself though
     their religion made them deny all mechanical devices.  The other
     caste was the Shamed Ones the outcasts.  These were the laborers and
     shamed ones who failed to take the love of their strange gods or not
     accept their coral-implants properly.  Many Vong would take torture
     as a rite of passage.  From the Shamed Ones the Zen'da learned they
     would cut off a limb and implant coral to "improve" their body.  Some
     warriors would take coral-implants to have rock hard hands or arms
     or beefy large legs or such.  It was a common practice in their lives.

       The Shamed Ones were the ones to interrogate.  They talked to the Zen'da
     through worms in their ears that translated everything they heard and
     somehow could affect their own brains and vocal patterns to talk back
     in their own language.  The Oglith Masker also allowed some to wear
     a creature on their nose to completely look human and be disguised
     from view not as an illusion but an actual person.

       Even though the Vong were crushed this time their technology left
    their impact.  Some of their wild beasts would escape their masters
    and travel the lands.  Some would eventually perish but others would
    breed with other animals like them.  The Vong armor and weapons would
    not last a week as they would decay too fast.  But some of their minor
    weapons like the Blast Bugs or Control Bugs would live on.  Many of
    their slave bugs would escape and live on for centuries.  Some of
    these bugs would continue to thrive on the plains like the Blue
    Control Bugs the Vampire Ezam would be tricked by the L'p'nth to use
    against the Zen'da.

       One such item the Claw which controlled other non-Vong animals would
     be later found or sought after by others centuries later.

       It was also learned the Vong did believe in gods of their own.  In
     their world or universe they had strange craft to leave their world
     and go to other worlds. Of course the shamans and elders thought the
     Shamed Ones were insane.  Their religion was a strict one where pain
     and suffering the norm.  Their religion taught them hatred of all non
     natural technology.  Those who used technology or in the case of the
     Middle World magic were despised the most.



     Apris 12, 1633 - [Location: Port Doman]

       The group of adventurers including Farseeker, Thig, Xian, Varange and
     others leave Port Doman.  Just days earlier having destroyed a super
     Kototh Temple deep in the jungle.  Upon destroying the Hydra, temple
     and other forces, Kototh was highly enraged.  The party heads back to
     Marentia.  Kototh sets in motion his long term plans of revenge.


     Apris 13, 1633 c. - [Location: Middle World]

       The God Kototh enraged by what the group of mortals did to one of his
     supreme Temples, sets things in motion.  Conspired with other gods,
     Middle World Avatars and other forces, Kototh causes rifts in space and
     time.  Kototh never directly caused these rifts but his allies did it
     for him.  These rifts spread from Port Doman to all continents of the
     Middle World.  Like a ripple in a pond the effects spread unknown to
     mortal men.


     Apris 28, 1633 - [Location: Lemasa/Katai]

       Climan teams have just obtained the last piece of the Elemental Staff
     from the secret society known as the Red Anchor on Lemasa.  Using magic
     and fast ships a relay system is sent to Climan forces deep in the south
     Katai mountains.  These forces in Katai were looking for the same piece
     based on wrong information.  Near a extinct volcano a Katai group known
     as the Ku Mi "Hand of God" found the Climans.  A battle took place
     between the group and Katai military of 115 Katai to 30 Climans.  The
     Climans had magic on their side and wiped the Katai army out.  But it
     came down to 1 Climan Priestess and 2 acolytes.  These three women fled
     the area and into a cave system which turned out to be a dead lava
     tube.  Being chased by 8 Katai the group emerged inside a large volcano
     cavern with a open top.  The long dead volcano was the last to serve for
     the final stand.  While the acolytes took on the Katai, the Priestess
     used the Staff piece to shatter the Katai.  In the process all were
     killed but the Priestess.  Limping back the Priestess fled Katai to
     head home for the Staff Ritual at Cloud Base.  This dead volcano is
     west of Pamau city in lower Katai, some natives call it Rising Mount
     as it rises high from the ground and few things grow on the sides.


     Julis 10, 1633 - [Location: Katai dead Volcano]

       A earthquake set in motion 3 months ago during the final battle of
     Climan and Katai goes off.  As the earth releases the energy, strong
     magnetics merge with a pocket of Kotothi rift inside the mountain.
     This collision of energy, magic residue and other factors leads to s
     tiny pocket of interdimensional window.  Such windows to the Upper or
     Lower worlds are common in the ancient past.  In the modern times
     though they are created only manually.  For this one to come about is
     rare.  This gate however doesn't go to the other two worlds but to
     another entirely different world.  Kototh has no clue what he has
     unleashed onto the Middle World.


     Julis 14, 1633 - [Location: Dead volcano, Rising Mount, Katai]

       A Shaper having found this rift gate in her world uses her own
     technology to open the rift bigger.  Using one of the Outcasts she
     orders him to enter the rift and to report back.  At 1:38pm local time
     the First Vong return to this world.  The Outcast reports back on the
     new world including the sky without the Rainbow Arch and the blue sky
     rather than the pink sky.  The Vong military soon take over and order
     the Shaper caste to open it further so they can invade with scouts
     first to establish growing grounds and local control Brains.  Little
     does the Shaper know in her world over 700 years have passed since the
     last Vong invasion.  The military under the direction of each generation
     of Supreme Commander keeps this knowledge a secret.  To the military
     it is a failure and thus to be ignored.



     Augado 21, 1633 - [Location: Jinquo, Katai]

       Another Dark Lands Chaos Master sends her apprentice down to Katai to
     retrieve a simple item, a book.  The book being held in a private
     library of a noble in Shantou has magical formulae in it.  The master
     has failed 3 times in this quest but this is another apprentice for
     her to test and use.  By now the apprentice has arrived in Katai by
     one of the ships that land at the Dark Lands but is not the party's
     ship.  Tung Lee, Tiehul's right hand man has felt betrayed by the
     wizards who come and flaunt their power.  He had asked several to help
     his mother in her illness.  But since these wizards were Chaos oriented
     ones they knew death not life.  They refused and this further made Tung
     angry.  With this new arrival Tung decides enough is enough.  He sells
     the local guards information on how to capture this apprentice.  As she
     meets Tiehul for normal meet and greet, Tung sets his plan in motion.
     The apprentice soon leaves a day later and travels west.  But the local
     guards capture and will later execute the young girl.  This betrayal is
     worth 12 gold for his information.  A handsome prize.


     Augado 10, 1633 - [Location: Dead volcano, Rising Mount, Katai]

       For almost a month the Vong have sent out infiltration teams into
     Katai to learn and scout.  Nom Amor is one of the first to gain the
     friendship of local Katai Nobles in Pamau.  In order to make their
     secret invasion work the Vong must grow their animals, weapons and
     armor.  So they send out teams across the Middle World disguised by
     their Maskers in human form. One such team arrives this day in the
     Lake Oca area and sets up a Orb and Staff farm in the mineral rich
     waters.  Weeks later this farm would poison the sacred forest bit
     by bit and cause trouble with the Forestal and Green Lady.  The Vong
     needed only a mineral rich area of land or water for their breeding
     grounds.  The fact that Lake Oca had some magical intricate value
     was besides the point.
       Nom Amor of Executor rank would learn of the vile world of magic and
     those who cast it.  Even thought of touching books with the info was
     abhorrent to him.  On learning this information and the lazy magic
     users who refused to use nature to serve them and relied on the unseen.
     The Shamans at least seemed to use nature but they still called it
     "magic" a term the Vong seem to hate by sheer instinct.  The true
     origin to this is not known but it must go back centuries upon centuries.
     Of course Executor Nom Amor is a smart one and knows that the military
     rule their people through fear.  Fear must be created and thus magic
     is the patsy as the humans say, in this strange world.
       Over the next few months Executor Amor would learn a great deal of
     many things.  His skills as a manipulator is masterful in its art form.
     He would even infiltrate several magic bounty hunter groups and use
     them against others and each other.


     Octaqi 1, 1633 - [Location: L'p'nth Mountains]

       Months earlier a few of the L'p'nth Priestess discovered the power of
     the Blue Bugs they found on the edge of their nation.  When the bugs
     entered innocent people they became highly suggestive.  The Priestess
     group then set into motion a plan to weaken the Zen'da.  This could
     lead to a possible invasion of their own.  They had heard of the
     mysterious Vampire Ezam reclaiming an ancient castle in their western
     mountains.  Using their influence and signs of alliance with him they
     twisted him into trying to recruit a Zen'da army by using the Blue
     Bugs.  Ezam would seek the Bova to help in this plot.  But a couple
     weeks later the party would raid his castle and stop this plan before
     it was completed.


     Marqi 24, 1634 - [Location: Katai]

       Nom Amor has been exploring the Katai Empire for months now.  He has
     gained military secrets and other vital information. Learning the size
     of this Empire he had to gain the aid of local Katai people.  He made
     many contacts and friends disguised in his human form without the use
     of the Blue Bugs.  He found one such local Noble in Pamau.  Baron Jin
     Ka who owns a vast merchant empire and would be tricked by Nom's
     influence by the desire for more power and money.  Greed would make
     Baron Ka start to buy other shipping companies to expand his empire.
     Nom simply explained he needed to ship large man sized items around
     without notice.  What better way than a common shipping company and
     one that can cater to coffins as an example.  While the Oglith Maskers
     could make Vong look like humans they were in short supply.  So it was
     good to ship Vong small groups place to place by these coffin style
     shipments. Baron Ka never suspected as he simply sought power and
     money.  He figured and hoped one day to have his House become very
     powerful.


     Apris 2, 1634 - [Location: Dark Lands]

       The High Elder has always been one to watch and observe.  Though
     his people are isolationist he is not stupid.  He knows soon one day
     the neighbors around him will want more land or power.  For years and
     decades he has sent out visitors to the various nations with items that
     allow him to spy on them and learn things.  Using his power on the
     astral planes to contact the item's spirit he learns the dreaded past
     will soon arrive back again.  The Gnarish staff he gave to Chion awhile
     back warns him that he is on the move and gives generic information on
     the details as best the spirit can.  The Elder has lived centuries and
     was around during the first Vong Invasion.  Though he did not
     participate he knew of their invasion through contacts but well after
     they were destroyed.  In his secret library he would take notes and
     study their orbs and staff weapons.  But even centuries later he still
     had no idea where they come from.  There were rumors he learned from
     a old Ticasi scholar on metaphysics that was radical.  The long dead
     scholar thought the universe was actually a multiverse.  One in which
     there might be an endless number of gods and middle worlds. But the
     High Elder gave little credence to this radical theory.


     Apris 15, 1634 - [Location: Dark Lands]

       Shu is recruited into the mission by her master.  Her Master was
     sought out specifically by the High Elder.  Even Ki'ama did not know
     the secret ritual the master and Shu knows.  The High Elder respected
     this as many secrets exist in the lands.  Shu was concerned as she was
     not one to ever desire to travel. But her master asked it and she
     agreed.  But Shu sought out the Master Diviner in Ki'ama's own domain.
     This old woman was a master in the forecast of people and rarely
     talked to outsiders.  She would warn Shu that she would die on this
     mission and not return.  But that what she did was a major help to the
     party and to the dark lands. The master even told her it was a major
     step to saving the world.  With that level of responsibility Shu
     decided to join the party knowing she would not return.  She would
     later confide in Zhou about this and her personal wishes on the ship
     when it was too late to turn back.  She made Zhou swear that he would
     not risk the mission to protect her and to tell anyone else.


     Ma 14, 1634 - [Location: Dark Lands]

       Days ago the Master Diviner had an audience with Ki'ama to divine
     the summer's weather for other domains as she normally does.  But
     the Elder would detect from her emotion that something was wrong.
     Soon he would learn of Shu's forecast.

       Together in the citadel Oby would drink with Ki'ama.  "You knew
     that Shu would die but didn't tell the others?" Oby would ask.

       "I saw worry in Shu's face more than simple mission and travel
     worries.  I suspected but didn't know.  Even if I had would it have
     helped?  Without her the mission would be very difficult to complete."
     The High Elder replied.

       "Yes.  But they could've protected her.  You could've tried to
     warn Chion with his staff or send a servant."  Oby glances at the
     corner where the mysterious being stands in the shadows that helps
     the High Elder.

       "Over protection can hinder just as much.  They are foolish
     enough to take magic items and put them in risk so they might
     not have heed my warning at any rate. "

       "Did you warn them about the Flyers and the other animals the Vong
     use and how to defeat them?" Oby asks as he shifts in his chair.

       The High Elder gives a light laugh.  "Did they want to hear?  They
     didn't even ask much questions.  I suspect they gleam some of the info
     on their own.  They encounters the Orbs which are used for far
     reaching communication and the animal staves.  The others I think it
     only requires experience."

       "If they fail?  Are the others ready?" Oby sips his wine slowly.

       "If they fail only one other could stop the invasion point.  Master
     Tuma is prepared but he knows it will be a suicide mission."


     Junaqa 7, 1634 - [Location: Dark Lands]

       Oby learns from Ki'ama of the Blue Moon sailing into a hurricane
     this day from the Gnarish staff  Oby stands and shakes his head.
     "Will they make it?"

       "With this party?  Likely." The High Elder replies.

       "What about the Vong?  Will they complete the quest?"

       "That I don't know.  Even this powerful group may not be able to
     stop them.  They will need to discover things on their own."

       "But you didn't warn them about the Brain?  Why."

       "It is unreliable information from a long dead Shaman.  If these
     Brains can really use telepathic powers to control then the party
     will discover it and deal with it.  Likely it is just a story
     told by the Zen'da Shamans in exaggeration.  There is indication the
     Brain at Lake Oca was destroyed.  These brains seem to coordinate and
     control the Vong and the various animal technology as one central source.
     If the invasion point, somewhere in Katai, is found it is likely to have
     a World Brain.  This is theorized to control other brains world wide
     and coordinate massive troop and resources.  If this World Brain grows
     to full maturity then the Vong have won.  The party will have to kill
     the World Brain to win.  How I just don't know."



     Julis  7, 1634 - [Location: Jinquo, Katai]

       The party meets with Tiehul.  Tung Lee sees a massive group of
     wizards and a king's ransom in reward.  Still upset Tung Lee feels this
     reward can allow him to retire for good and not work for his old friend
     Tiehul.  Maybe Tung could even set his own black market operations.
     Tung Lee heads this night to meet with his old guard contacts.  He
     gives full details on the wizards in the group including descriptions
     and other facts.

       The guards who work as mercenary warriors on the side get their
     friends to help.  They form a plan to act like Monks to hit the party
     on the road.  They prepare by stealing monk clothing and even shaving
     their heads.  Late that night they ride out way ahead of the party once
     they learn which way they will be going.


     Julis  8, 1634 - [Location: Jinquo, Katai]

       After the party leaves Tung Lee meets with his contact once again.
     He gets paid several bags of gold coins up front.  But this morning
     he was followed by one of Tiehul's own men.  The man suspected that
     Tung was working a side business and was going to get evidence to
     report to Tiehul.  But he soon discovers the plot and quickly returns
     to Tiehul to report it.  Soon after the party has left Tiehul
     confronts Tung.

       "Why would you sell them out?" Tiehul asks.

       Tung lee goes into a full explanation with little emotion. He ends
     it with, "You wouldn't help when I asked.  So I was lead this way."

       Hurt more than angry Tiehul stares at Tung.  "Our friendship ruined
     over a stack of coins?"

       Tung simply looks away sad to end the friendship this way.

       "We must warn them of the attack.  You will come with me and
     they will deal with you."

       Tiehul and Tung leave the city and ride faster to catch up with
     the party to warn them.  Slightly beat up and wounded Tung Lee knows
     he could try to escape or simply fight but he knows he has been caught.
     It is one thing to betray for gold but another to kill a old friend.
     honor and respect still is in his heart even if the emotion of his
     friendship has waned.


     Julis  18, 1634 - [Location: Katai Plains near Katai City, Katai]

       A day after the Earth Eater attacks Raban some locals are in the
     area and come across the great swarm of birds and scavengers who
     begin to devour the dead Earth Eater.  The locals clearly find signs
     of a camp and struggle.  A somewhat myth and legend begins to grow
     in the local villages about a group who defeats a giant worm.

       Among these locals who find the area is a middle level bounty hunter
     from Katai city.  His superiors send him out to investigate the surge
     of magic in this general area.  Using a hand held detection talisman
     he finds traces of magic that is very faint.  But not enough to become
     concerned about.  When a bird brings up a large pair of leather pants
     that must have been worn by a giant he inspects the soiled pants.  He
     finds evidence of a giant must've fought this thing.  The myth grows
     and so the bounty hunter figures it wasn't wizards.  Yet giants on
     their own don't use magic.  He takes traces of blood to use as a tracking
     device and leaves.


     Julis  19, 1634 - [Location: Shantou Province]

       A Vong scouting group has arrived in the province secreted at night
     by a Vong Flyer.  Led by a Shaper they land at an abandoned carnival
     grounds and find a family to take prisoner.  Initially they only hold
     the prisoners tied up as they go about their duties.  But eventually
     the torture begins of the family.  The Vong see torture as a rite of
     passage and as normal as human puberty.  it is a thing to be accepted
     and with pride.  But the things they do to the family including the
     poor kids are shameless and inhuman to human standards.  Yet to the Vong
     it is their duty to appease their gods.
       Today the Vong warriors arrive after capturing a Baroness from west
     of Shantou city.  They had heard from their human infiltrator and
     Nom Amor that this noble woman knows of great natural caves.   Caves
     were the perfect place for Vong to hide in the open.  But when the
     Vong learn, after ample torture that wasn't needed to gain the
     information, the mine she owned near Pamau was worthless.  The mine
     was too small and not of value for Vong needs.  A brain couldn't even
     live inside the largest portion.  The Shaper decides to learn of other
     caves the baroness house held in hopes of other resources to obtain.

     Julis  21, 1634 - [Location: Katai city, Katai]

       The bounty hunter reports on the earth eater incident to his superiors.
     The group, Xin Tsu - The Circle, is one of the most powerful groups in
     the empire.  They have connections all the way up to the top in the
     very Iron City itself.  News of such magic happenings is common place
     so the superiors take it with little concern.  But they do send out
     squads to track using the blood found.
       Quickly however the trail becomes lost due to limits of the spell
     and possible weather effects of the natural trail.  Where this person
     who killed the Eater is never known.  But rumors come later of a group
     from the nearby Shantou city.


     Julis  24, 1634 - [Location: Shantou City, Katai]

       Today the Old Witch of Shantou finds herself walking the streets.
     She isn't called that just because of her witch-hag like gray hair,
     rotten teeth and looks.  But in fact this old woman has a natural
     innate talent that her family has shared for generations.  Every
     3 or 4 generations their family line will create a diviner who can
     see the future in her dreams. These witches have let her family and
     their allies to grow in some station but weave their hand through
     local power.
       This old woman has been a part of the local Shantou Mynock group
     which hunts down magic users.  It is ironic since if they knew the
     facts of the old woman she'd be a target though her skills aren't
     magic directly but some divine gift.  For the last week she has been
     having dreams of a group of powerful wizards coming to town.  She
     dreams of a group that will visit briefly then move on.  She dreams
     of several images of these people but doesn't know their power.  She
     dreams that an incident with a smoke monster will occur in some place
     likely a hotel.  She realizes this information will be of great
     coin to her and the family.  She tells her allies who in turns spreads
     the news.  Soon Nom Amor through his own methods, K'vok birds which
     are special Vong messenger birds that fly very fast, of this news.
     Nom Amor finds this distressing news since he has learned a prophecy
     from Ci'jian that tells of a foreign group of wizards will help to
     prevent a massive internal conflict to the Empire.  The prophecy
     details of strange creatures fighting the Empire's backbone.  Nom
     interprets this to be the Vong taking over the empire.  If this
     large group is the threat he has to take care of them.
       The Old Witch happens this day to bump right into Ben'dar.  She
     says, "You are one of them, the ally of the wizards!"  But Ben'dar
     hasn't learned Katai and has no clue what the old woman says as she
     moves on.  If only he had learned the language he might have prevented
     things to come.
       The Old Woman reports quickly to her own allies of the presence of
     these people in the city.


     Julis  25, 1634 - [Location: Shantou City, Katai]

       The next day the group of bounty hunters send out people to find
     the group.  Today Kiet and a few others are shopping.  Kiet notices
     a old man with a cane walk by.  Kiet's suspicions are true as this
     man is in disguise and the cane is a magic detection device.  It
     doesn't glow or beep or hum.  The device simply warms up when it
     nears magic and those who can cast it.  As the man walks by Kiet
     the old man grimaces in pain but Kiet thinks this of old age bones
     but it is pain from the warmth of the cane.  As the old man is allowed
     to move on he alerts more subtle shadowers and they follow the group
     back to the tavern.  There they setup spies to watch the group until
     they can assemble a large force to deal with them.

       Nom Amor has arranged through channels for a local middle man
     to contract with the Night Demons.  He contracts for the group to
     kill one particular person.  This person the old witch says in her
     report is the key to finding something - the Vong but she doesn't
     know this.  The contract is to kill Shu and is quickly finalized.


     Julis  26, 1634 - [Location: Shantou City, Katai]

       Just after midnight a sentry takes over for the bounty hunters and
     takes up position watching the tavern for the party.  He reports to
     those who have been on site for hours the attack will occur in just
     a few hours right before sunrise.  But this attack never comes as
     the party leaves.  But as the trio of bounty hunters begin to disperse
     a black form swallows the area and suddenly and quickly with silence
     the three men are slaughtered.  It would seem the party has a person
     or thing who wishes to keep them safe?

       A couple hours after the bounty hunters are slaughtered an assassin
     skilled in the shadow magic arts slinks through the back area of the
     tavern grounds.  But this person is also watched by another set of
     people who are observing the tavern.  For some reason this group
     recognizes the assassin but do not interfere.  The shadow assassin
     gets to Shu's balcony and unleashes death into her room.  The man
     flees all the while watched by others, as if they are unsure what
     to do or care less?

       Around 45 minutes after the party leaves the tavern the bounty
     hunter force some 15 in number with local guards hired of 8 more
     approach the tavern.  But they find no party.  When they investigate
     no trace of even Shu's attack is found for tracking purposes.  The
     leader of the group finds the corpses and becomes enraged at the
     escape of the party.

       Hours later word is sent out to local folks about the escape and
     to engage even street detectors even if it means being caught by
     local guards.  But by now the party has left the city.  By now the
     party has arrived at the river and crossed the bridge.  But unknown
     to them a bounty hunter sentry is here.

       Though river traffic is heavy leaving such a magic detection device
     around the bridge would be dangerous as it would be caught and found.
     So the sentry in the disguise of a fisherman who sits on the bank near
     the river has his device in his fish bucket.  Who would inspect a
     bucket with foul smells and eyeballs?  When the party ride over the
     device goes crazy with its red glow.  The Fisherman who has never seen
     such a big response from the talisman goes into action and alerts his
     allies.  But these allies is yet another group from the ones who
     missed out capturing the party at the tavern hours later.  This small
     group works the bridge, river and some of the highway only and doesn't
     work in the city.  This group captures 1-2 wizards every 2 months and
     is good profit but not as much as those in the city.  today to see
     a possible dozen or so is a miracle!  The bounty hunters mass and
     mount up to follow the party.  Using a longer range device they
     track the party for some time.  When the bounty hunters see them
     head to the carnival grounds they plan to ambush them there.  They
     know coming from the north and using the cover of the sun will allow
     them to get some advantage.  They plan their move and act on it.

       But as the party approach the Barn the Vong sentry sees the party
     and alerts others.  The Vong pilot enters the Flyer and prepares to
     ambush the party as well.  Inside the other buildings the Shaper
     orders to watch only for now and to secure the prisoners.

     Julis  27, 1634 - [Location: Shantou Province, Katai]

       A day after the party left the carnival grounds the secret group which
     had license 5 miles north and 5 miles south of the river is in
     desperate need to contact their men.  When none return the leadership,
     a man who sells gems and jewelry, starts an investigation.

       A report eventually surfaces that the group went to chase after
     the party that was detected at the bridge.  The group had left in
     such haste that they had no idea where they were going.  They only
     tracked what was reported as a noble wagon on the highway for some
     distance south.

       After hours of asking the network of underground contacts and
     locals the group learns the party may have gone to the fair grounds.

       Just before sunset a group of 3 bounty hunters arrive at the
     fair grounds to find the father alone.  The bounty hunter demand
     to search the place but the farmer refuses.  In fact the bounty
     hunters have no direct authority.  They threatened to call the local
     military but that would cause more problems than good.  After riding
     around the bounty hunters do find soaked blood in the grass and dirt
     but no other signs of trouble.  the three are forced to leave the
     area and return to their local base of operations - a converted
     barn meeting house south of the river.

       The leadership is highly concerned about the loss of a great many
     of their men.  It is four days later when rumors come about that
     a group of horses were found in the western hills with the brand
     the hunters use.  It is another week after this that the leadership
     hires a specialized Tracker bounty hunter who has a reputation to
     even work for the Master General.  but by the time the Tracker
     gets on the trail of the party it is too late.

       It is 3.5 weeks later when the teleported group reaches a
     town that is willing to send word back to their headquarters.
     It is another two months before the teleported bounty hunters
     return to their homes with a story so absurd that even the hunter
     leadership fails to believe it.  By this time the party is long
     gone from Katai.


     Julis  28, 1634 - [Location: Shantou Province, Katai]

       Qui Nim, Champion of House Jian from Li'jian arrives in Shantou
     province a day before.  He learns of the search for her and sees
     to its operations for several hours.  But it soon becomes clear
     the Lady has slipped through the searches that started almost a
     week earlier.  It is Qui's duty to protect the House and as such
     serves to track her down.  He follows up on all leads and so called
     rumors he can find.

       It is determined that the Lady must've went south rather than
     east if captured.  If captured it would've been too dangerous
     to take her near the capital.  So Qui sets off south to track
     her and use the towns for more rumors.

       For the next three days there is not one rumor he doesn't know
     about already other than she had been captured.  The trail
     goes cold.  When Qui finally becomes depressed and desperate he
     arrives in Crossroads at his wit's end.  This is when he learns
     that a Lady was recently found in a nearby village a day behind
     him on the road.  He rushes to this village and learns it was indeed
     the noble but she hired a caravan to transport her back to her
     home city.  Quit sets out as fast as he can to catch up in hopes
     to reach her.

       It is another week before Baroness May Win gets home to her estate.
     Now cured of the Vong Coral she begins a secret investigation into
     these creatures.   It is another week after that when she learns
     of Baron's Ka fall in Pamau.  Rumors abound of him being a traitor
     in some fashion.  She hires many people to investigate and she learns
     Baron Ka's allies must be traitors.  She begins her secret war to
     rid the Empire of these Vong loving traitors.  It is a month after
     the party leave when she finds a large group of this group called
     the Peace Brigade and they are caught, arrested and slaughtered.

     Julis  29, 1634 - [Location: Highway to Crossroads]

     [Time: 12:49pm]

       The Wizard captive is sorely upset.  He can't believe he was
     captured by a merchant and a simple coffin.  Just two days earlier
     a merchant was selling him a enhanced Ruby ring from the black
     market.  A market he has trusted for some time.  The wizard
     named Lin Tu is a major leader in the Katai resistance.  Just a
     year ago he setup the local cell in Crossroads to help wizards
     escape and move through Katai safely.  He just setup three new
     safehouses a week prior.

       But then Lin found himself knocked out by some thug carrying a
     strange spear like staff.  He was shoved into a coffin which
     smelled of a strange odor and further subdued.  Tied and gagged
     he was then sent to the local military.  He was unsure how he even
     was found out as there was no sign of detection.

       When he woke he could hear two men talking nearby.

       "..will use Ka's caravan to ship the next four coffins.  We
     need to move a couple more to the north.  To some lake up there
     which has some fertile ground."  A pause as the other man speaks
     softly. "No.  I have no clue what is in the coffins.  I just
     know we ship them from place to place.  The money his good and
     we can hunt down these scum...."

       Then the wizard falls back unconscious to find himself now tied
     and gagged surrounded by six guards on the road to Shantou.
     The guards admit they will serve him to Katai for a quick trail
     and immediate execution when he is found guilty for sure.

       But then Lin passes this odd group of tall and obvious non-Katai
     people and their wagon.  Several eye him for some strange reason
     and seem to ask the guards a question or two.  As the group of
     patrol guards move past the wagon he suddenly feels a lump in his
     left boot.  With his hands bound he can't feel down but he knows
     it is something there.  He can only assume it to be a rock or bug
     from previous time walking around.

     [Time: 7:13pm]

       Lin is thrown into a small storage shed that serves as the town's
     central storage.  The town of 250 is so small it can't afford a
     jail so uses this area for one.  Outside one guard stands at the
     door and one circles the building.  The other head to a local tavern
     for drinks and food.

       Still bound and gagged like an animal Lin finally finds the chance
     to feel in the boot.  There he finds the hilt of a dagger and takes
     a good 5 min to get it out without dropping it.  Another 2 minutes to
     deftly position it between his knees so it doesn't drop. Cutting the
     ropes he quickly removes his gag.  Standing up he quickly casts a
     teleport spell and teleports away to safety.


     [Time: 11:46pm]

       Hours later Lin stands together with two others near Crossroads
     in a small town of 50.

       "...I suspect this group were wizards.  How else did they get
     a dagger to me.  But how they knew who or what I was is not
     known to me."  Lin speaks.

       "You are correct.  We had hoped to rescue you but only had 2
     following you due to the wide open road.  I thought it was odd
     that you kept trying to glance back at them but the guards kept
     you from doing so.  We thought it a signal to us.  I sent the
     other to follow the wagon and I followed you to the town where
     I learned you had escaped and rode back here fast.  When they
     entered crossroads our man on the inside detected the presence
     of strange magic within them.  Lucky he works for us for now
     as long as the bribes are good.  If the guards had detected it
     they'd be a King's ransom now.  We sent a few of us to follow
     them.  We noticed two strangers shopping.  We used the portable
     Yin device to find that both had strong presence's in magic.  That
     is when you came and watched them for awhile."

       That is indeed when Lin approached Arawn and Will in the alley.
     Warning them and then throwing the Contact Coin to them.


     Augado  1, 1634 - [Location: Pamau City, Pamau Province, Katai]

       Sitting inside Baron Ka's estate the Vong in his oglith masker
     disguise sits and pretends to enjoy his tea.  Nom Amor hates
     this human drinks but finds it required to be friendly.  The
     vile humans stink and serve their use for now.  But soon his
     people will take over and the magic users will be all destroyed.

       "I have learned this shadow group in Shantou has started to
     investigate you.  I have taken steps to deal with it.  But we
     can't have these open problems.  It has to be dealt with quietly."

       Baron Ka sneers at the Vong disguised as a Human.  "Your allies
     seem powerful.  After they demonstrated their power by sinking
     the merchant fleet I joined you.  I have no idea how you sunk
     12 ships full of cargo.  But it was a huge profit for me to
     get the contract they failed to finish.  But if the other
     Houses or even Katai learns of our dealings we will be in
     serous trouble.  Even the Duke here doesn't know what is going
     on and likely will not for some time."

       "We have things under control.  There is a silly rumor of
     a group asking about us.  But they are stupid merchants and
     traders it seems.  They can't be of any possible threat to us."
     Nom Amor smiles as his right eye bulges in anticipation of
     wanting to spray Baron Ka with acid.  One day he will have no
     use for this human.  Some day but not now.  Now the least he
     knows about the Shaper group sent to capture Baroness May Win
     which have gone missing is not good news to report.

       Nom Amor just doesn't have the people, in this case Vong, to
     send to find the Shaper and the noble lady.  The mine he needs
     from her for his people to hide in may not be so worth it if
     the core base is ready in weeks.  He sips his tea and smiles at
     the thought that the army will be ready in just a couple weeks.


     Augado  2, 1634 - [Location: Crossroads City, Katai]

       When the party groomed the horses, Whitney saw his chance to leave.
     This Vong mess is clearly out of his league.  He decides to leave
     and not help the group after all.  Some will consider him a coward
     but he only sees a chance to save himself.  He sneaks away and
     heads deeper into the city.

     [Time: 11:52pm]

       A tired group of three bounty hunters who have license to hunt
     on the road south of Crossroads and all the way to Pamau, arrive
     in Crossroads.  But they arrive with a captive.  This young girl
     was detected by a simple sensor when she foolishly cast a fire
     spell to start her camp fire.  The three men sought her out and
     was able to track her down when they detected the common wizard
     mistake of casting magic.

       After a bit of lewd fun showing their dominant and superior
     male bodies they bound her.  Now tired the four arrive in
     Crossroads and turn them into the local military commander.
     The commander finds a death warrant on her.  Seems some group
     locally let her escape but not this time.  Since the 19 year
     old girl already had one death mark she is immediately executed
     by the commander with a dagger to her stomach.  Giving her a
     very painful and slow death he believes she deserves.


     Augado  4, 1634 - [Location: Pamau City, Katai]

       The Ch'tain Amoza group in Pamau has license to hunt for wizards
     by the local Duke.  Recently the group has been given more control
     through contact with Baron Ka and his middle men.  This day the
     group believes a squat house in the north district holds up to a
     total of 5 wizards or family members.

       there have been rumors that the mother had a sick child and
     was about to die when suddenly the child lived without seeing
     a Healer. The neighbors found this odd and told the local
     guards.  After watching the group for 3 days now the bounty
     hunters make visual proof of the claim.  The father who was
     in the small field tending to his garden found it full of birds.
     After speaking a few odd words quietly and waving a hand they
     flew away.  the bounty hunters knew this to be magic while
     some farmers do the same thing.

       With this scant evidence the bounty hunters raid the house and
     capture the family easy.  They don't even try to fight back.
     The father, mother and 3 children are captured.  Bound and
     gagged to prevent spell casting they are sent to the local base
     for interrogation and plans are made for a open execution.

       The group is paid well for their initial find and will be
     paid more when the vile wizards admit to their heretica arcane
     ways.  Plans are made for a public execution.  The city has
     not put up a group execution of wizards in 2 years.  This
     should be quite the fun time  for the city!


     Augado  5, 1634 - [Location: Pamau City, Katai]

       Some time before the team arrives at the town square for the execution
     several of the magic underground resistance group meets in secret.  By
     now three members are in the apartment building lobby left of the
     square.

       The green eyed woman paces back and forth. "I don't think this is
     a wise plan.  First we bump into that stranger and you teleport
     away right in front of him.  Then this reckless plan-"

       The tall man the leader of the local resistance cell for the
     entire city frowns. "I sensed the stranger was different.  We
     saw what we saw of them.  We knew they were of our kind. But
     they were clearly not from this land.  They may need our help
     and we need help from them someday.  As to this plan if they
     get away with this it will only fuel more executions.  The Purge
     recently was political and didn't involve us.  But this would
     give them the right and will to do more.  We must show that
     we can fight back."

       The other man who has been quiet leans against a wall and
     watches the square fill up.  He finally glances at the woman
     who has those vivid green eyes which is rare for women in this
     land. "The executioner has arrived with the children."

       "But why couldn't we just get the kids from the jail or en
     route like we've done before?  We are now out to kill innocents
     including other kids to prove something?" The woman asks.

       "These strangers with the coffin we hear about...they seem
     to be planning something major.  We don't know what yet or
     where.  But if the military suddenly find themselves fighting
     this other group they'll ignore us." The leader adds.

       The quiet man goes outside to lure the executioner inside
     on the whim that he will be bribed if he can furnish the head
     of the children to some local noble as a prize.

       "This is still foolish.  We bring heat down on us and it will
     be too hot for us to survive." The woman crosses her arms.

       "We suspect the creatures attacked and sacked the town out
     east..burning it to the ground.  Who knows the local nobles
     may even be required to call upon us like the collaborators
     who use treason against us to line their coin bags."  The
     leader says and draws his dagger.

       Soon the executioner still in his hood as is customary enters
     the building.  Outside the group from the party notice this but
     doesn't react to it.  Soon the quiet man pulls out silver coins
     and starts to parlay the bribe.  The executioner doesn't hear the
     leader draw up lifting the hood and slicing the man's neck open.
     Soon the leader dons the executioner hood already dressed like
     a executioner.

       "Why would Sunail decide to kill herself in this foolish plan?"

       "She knows it will allow us to draw her kids to freedom by
     drawing more guards here.  She may kill herself for her kids
     today but she realizes by doing this it will lead to better
     and bigger things."

       The woman shakes her head and goes to the window to watch
     the activity.  The quiet man comes up to the leader and whispers.
     "You didn't tell her about Nom's new alliance with us?"

       "They can work both ways for us.  These people Vong or Peace fools
     whatever they call themselves will help us to crush the Empire.
     A new day is dawning and it begins today."  With that he closes
     the hood around his face.

       "Once she finds out you'll be sleeping in the barn again."
     The quiet man shakes his head.

       "We do what we must.  Oddly Baron Ka said the same thing before
     the Purge began and now we do our own purge."  With that the leader
     walks outside to start the execution dressed in the uniform of the
     executioner.

       Across the square another member observes from the south east end
     of the square.  He notices the odd giant with the small girl looking
     at him.  He becomes nervous and when he sees the leader of the
     group take the stand he knows things are in motion.  Best not to
     be around when the fire starts.  He rounds the corner and leaves.

       Meanwhile across the city in the eastern warehouse district the
     party lurk outside the Brigade warehouse.  Inside the Peace Brigade
     men talk and prepare.

       "I don't understand.  We set up these warehouses and collect
     coffins.  We ship them inside...even if we aren't allowed to
     look inside...and their gear around the Empire.  we are paid well
     and now they just want to burn it down?"

       "We only follow orders.  That Nom fella said the coffins aren't
     needed.  That they will work in the open soon.  He said we
     complete this and get a huge bonus."

       A third man walks into the area. "The oil is set upstairs.  The
     papers and everything will burn out of control.  What was that?"

       A noise is heard from the rear warehouse office where the party
     has attempted to infiltrate.

       Meanwhile roughly at the same time to the south Unali and
     others are entering Baron Ka's house.  They are directed to
     a waiting room.  But inside the Baron's office a heated
     conversation continues.

       Baron Ka slams his fist down on the desk. "You refuse to help
     me now because we can't agree on how to handle the noble houses?"

       Nom Amor in human disguise snarls back, "we no longer need your
     help at all.  Our business deal is at an end."

       "We had a deal to ban the other noble houses and with your
     vast resources march to Katai!  With our four armies and your
     vast resources we could-"

       "Fail.  The military would crush you easy enough.  Maybe
     someday we will help you again.  But you failed to find the
     ones searching for us.  You failed to keep the attention away
     from us by those Osik D'yaum you called Heretics.  You
     failed to protect our simple activities.  Why should we need
     you if you can't do these simple tasks?"

       "The fairgrounds?  I have no control there.  You know that.
     I sent out all the bribes I could do to ensure the investigation
     would end at a simple brigand attack.  It worked.  I personally
     sent a man to hire the assassin to kill that witch in Shantou."

       "The Witch you call her? Your poor excuse for a intelligence
     network couldn't even have known about her.  I only learned of
     her from the other witch who foresaw her arrival in Shantou.
     When I was there and my other contacts heard this I made her
     a rich woman before I split her into three pieces.  The gods
     will love the pain she suffered as a sacrifice to our quest."

       Nom can hear a bit of noise outside.  AS he recalls the wizard
     old woman in Shantou who had those dreams.  Those dreams of
     seeing the party arrive in the city.  Before her limbs were
     sliced off in dire pain she told of even bumping into the smelly
     one named Ben'dar on the street.  Her odd magick allowed her to
     see what Shu would do and that was enough for Nom to act on.  He
     didn't understand the magick used.  The hoomans call it magic but
     the vile word is even disgusting to think about.  Until the Vong
     came here in this foul world they didn't even have a word for it
     in their language.  Now it rolls off the tongue like some insidious
     insult to his brain.

       "You mustn't do this.  Together we can be a force to be
     reckoned with.  Just today we are going to execute some of these
     Heretics.  It will be a distraction to the slack military.  We
     can then move our plans further along. "

       Nom glances at the fireplace and the device on the ledge above
     it some strange device he has heard the word before, a sextant.
     He frowns at the awful technology.  These creatures can't even
     use the stars they must use mechanical evil things to help them.
     "You use the Heretics both ways.  You use them as tools to help
     you hunt the others down or various tasks and yet you kill them
     as well.  This sort of double dealing is something we do not
     appreciate.  The Supreme Commander feels if you can prove yourself
     we might be able to help in the future.  But for now-"

       Nom hears the floor creak and whirls around in time to see the
     Baron lunging with a dagger in his hand.  The foul hooman is
     attacking him? He almost cackles at this.  The Oglith Masker
     is working well in his disguise.  But now he telepathically
     orders his small amphistaff to unfurl from his arm and come
     out of his sleeve.  It does this in lightning speed.  But
     at the same time from his eye boils the fake eye, a Vong Mulo
     boil that juts out of his eye socket a few inches.  This startles
     the baron and he stalls in mid stride.  The boil a animal of course
     not some foul mechanical device opens up in two hemispheres and spits
     out a acid into the face of the baron. The Baron goes flying back
     into the chair to the left.

       Nom waits for the eye to resettle in and adjusts his disguise
     again as the Baron screams in pain.  Of course the pain is music
     to the Executor's ear holes.  Now the baron must die as another
     gift to the gods.  But he'll not be able to just walk out so he'll
     have to use his Flo'ayum flying creature to escape.  Glad he
     hid it a few days ago in the garden just in case.  After all he
     hasn't survived in this world for this long without forethought.

       Nom lowers his now stiff amphistaff toward the screaming man
     just as the party enters the room.

       Hours later the Katai military officer lurks in the shadows near
     the Peace Brigade tavern.  He is alone tonight since he can't call
     on the military yet.  His orders are solid.  His group which is
     a subset of the main military intelligence group acts in secret
     and only for the Master General.  Only in dire situations should
     they get local help.  Having his party captured by the gang is
     not a dire emergency.  But he plans to go and break him out. If
     it means his death he will do it.

       For a week now he has heard rumors of this group.  Something
     about expanding their territory and there has even been some
     unconfirmed rumors that Baron Ka is allied with them.  Why such
     a respected Baron would do such is beyond his imagination.  But
     he has heard street gossip that this group has moved resources
     of all things including wagons and coffins around the empire.  This
     is a common trick for smugglers so it could be that.  But the
     amount and speed seems odd for smuggling.  No this tavern seems
     to be a headquarters for a group that is planning something big.
     Now after a full day of interrogating street contacts he has
     learned the password to enter.

       Suddenly a odd thing happens.  From his seat he notices a man
     being accosted by the bouncer and the security it seems for this
     place.  Who is the strange man in the hat and why does he keep
     glancing all over the place?

       Eventually this strange man gives him the excuse to find the Drug
     Room.  He tries to elude the man later but the long haired stranger
     finds him just as he frees his friend.  The fight comes about and
     all chaos happens.  Then the crazy escape with the help of the
     woman in the black.  She almost looks familiar.  Has she been seen
     by him before or in some ledger of people of interest and their
     possible pictures?  No surely not.  Her face was covered.  But
     her frame clearly showed it was a female.  Yet there is still something
     odd about her.

       As the man helps his friend down the alley to freedom the
     others who help him run away.  He fights the urge to capture
     them.  He has the strange feeling they could be Heretics but
     his mandate tonight is freedom and healing for his friend.  The
     man in the hat is the strangest one.  At one point the ears
     of that man were seen.  Why was his left ear rather pointed?
     Could it have been some farming machine accident?  He'll have
     to research that.  How many pointy eared people could there be
     in this city?


     Augado  8, 1634 - [Location: Katai Mountains west of Pamau]

       The last village in the area is attacked by 8 Vong Flyers.  They
     begin to bomb the hooman structures.  This allows their ground
     forces to get the people outside.  The village is quickly sacked
     by the sheer force of Vong warriors who find nothing but weak
     resistance to their attack.

       The Vong commander in this group orders the weak ones killed but
     not before a bit of fun.  To those who put up a fight they have
     some respect for and therefore owe them a quick death.  This is
     done but for the kids, the old ones, the women who will not be
     of use for them they are sliced, diced, kicked, beaten or otherwise
     given gifts of painful pleasure as they enter the next world.

       Then there was that sudden attack by the hooman animal they called
     the dog?  The warriors who saw it report the dog was helping the
     hooman man by defending it.  The dog ripped open the Vong's throat
     ripping the crab armor with scary ease.  The Shaper, why must one
     always come on these fun trips the commander wondered, investigated
     the scene.

       The Shaper was quiet as she studied the dog and the dead Vong.
     In the attack on the other local villages and the one far to the
     east they never had such a incident.  Yet up north her caste has
     heard of stories like this.  There is something odd with these
     creatures.  They are like Voxxen but a lot weaker.  They can't
     sense magic like their pets.  No there seems something different
     in their saliva.  She takes more samples to study.  Shimara will
     be upset at this new development.  She boards the lead Flyer without
     saying anything to the ground commander.

       The ground commander snarls at the Shaper who is smug.  He
     knows someday their power will wane.  How they control the warrior
     caste is a long lost thing.  But the commander knows they must
     have secrets to leverage their power.  For now they will be
     of use but someday they will be crushed like the Shamed Ones.

       One final blow is struck when the flyer fires a single fireball
     plasma ball to down the tree over the dead dog's body.  The
     hoomans must've link this secret.  Hopefully if they find the
     sight they won't put it together.


     Augado  9, 1634 - [Location: Rising Mount base]

       The Supreme Commander marches down the wet corridor to his
     thrown room.  Shimara is in no mood to hear the whines of the
     Shapers as they plead for more time to prepare.  Given their
     way the Shapers would spend months more in this world working
     to prepare.  No.  Shimara has sent word home that the final
     stage is coming up.

       The almost eight foot tall Vong marches into his throne room.
     Omini the shamed one, his pet, crawls toward the bone throne.
     Omini curls up into a ball and Shimara steps on the pitiful
     excuse for a Vong.  Omini dares not yell out in pain.  No he
     must accept pain.  After all Omini knows his implant rejections
     and cries during the pain rituals insult him.  He must strive
     to be a better Vong.  Yet the Supreme Commander is heavy and
     he can't help but whimper as the Vong leader steps on him and
     sits on the thrown.  Omini's back is now made to be a stool
     for Shimara's spiked boots.

       An Attendant one who could not earn his Executor status enters
     the room.  The Vong had wanted to be out like Nom Amor to study
     these strange people.  "Report!" Shimara bellows in the chamber.

       "Still no word on Nom Amor's whereabouts.  He has been overdue
     to report in for four days now.  The other Executors have reported
     in around the strange world.  We now have 87 Growing Places setup.
     The last one in a land they called Fomoria is in their sacred waters
     in the inland lake.  The orb farm there has resulted in orbs that
     can communicate faster.  We have now 14 strongholds in various
     lands with the most recent inside a land they called Gom."

       Shimara raises his left hand and looks at it.  His great
     implant was done many years ago.  He willingly cut off his left
     hand after he won the Battle of Cestus in glory to the gods.
     Then the shapers outfitted him with this new implant that has
     become quite pleasing.  He flexes his new coral hand and knows
     he could crush a skull with a simple flick of his implant. "Nom
     Amor is our best Executor.  He must be in trouble.  The group
     we sent to find him at the shack couldn't?"

       "No.   They burnt the shack down so not to get any of our
     items in the wrong hands.  Using maskers they scoured the
     city.  We are waiting for them to report on what they have
     found but are overdue to report as well."

       "Failures!" Shimara slams his fist-implant down on the throne
     side.  The human skull used to decorate that side obliterates to
     a fine dust.  The attendant will have to repair that later.
     Omini doesn't jump knowing the temper of his master.  "Our past
     victories have made my warriors lax!  I will not tolerate it.
     If we are to take over this world we must be loyal to our ways
     and the gods.  See to it personally they report in the next
     few hours or you'll find the Embrace of Pain bedtime ritual to
     be administered by me personally!"

       "Yes Supreme Commander!"  The Attendent bows and begins to
     walk out as Omini hisses in glee seeing another Vong over his
     station abused.

       "Omini prepare my blood bath and you will have to clean my pelvis
     lice off again.  But this time if you bite I'll rip your throat
     out!"

       Omini stops hisses and gulps in regret.  Someday his people will
     uprise and overthrow the other castes.  He can dream.


     Augado  10, 1634 - [Location: Rising Mount base]

       The Shaper leader ends the meeting of her underling Shapers.  She
     frowns at the reports of this "dog" venom.  Now the World Brain
     reports 8 full such incidents.  She will have to order all dogs
     killed on sight and immediately.  She dares not report this to
     Shimmra yet.  Today he makes his big speech to the troops and
     he would be most upset.

       She turns to her trusted friend another Shaper. "The World Brain
     has reconnected to the Brain in Teos?"

       "Yes.  it is setup and ready for production.  But I still can't
     explain the odd thoughts the World Brain has been giving us.  It
     reports connections with the one with the pointed ear.  Ever since
     the creature put on the Thought Hood it made some connection.  Then
     we lost connection with the Vassa brain at that lake.  We don't
     know if this creature is an enemy but the World Brain seems more
     confused by the connection.  It fights us more and more."

       "This must not be known by Shimara ever.  We know the results
     when the other World Brain was tricked.  it caused our race
     devastation.  Ensure all connections are made.  If we are to
     attack our forces will need to be controlled from here.  if this
     World Brain fails our effort here in this world will be destroyed."

       Elsewhere in the mountain the World Brain wriggles its tentacles
     this way and that way.  Its connections to the flyers, orbs,
     growing places and other bases around this world are simple to it.
     The children Brains are easy to control.  It is confused by this
     world as there seems to be a ease to the effort.  The shapers claim
     some force called magic allows great things here.  The World Brain
     continues to rip human brains and their memories apart as it tries
     to understand this concept of magic.  Over the last few weeks it has
     learned a great thing.  Recently when the one man called Quim who
     claimed to be a Wizard of Ice was absorbed he learned that magic
     can be useful.  Maybe even it can control the Shapers who control
     it.  Maybe he can be the one to control rather than be controlled.

       The Shapers continue to work on the World Brain to get it to
     remain loyal but these strange human thoughts distract it.  Could
     there be another way?

       Suddenly the World Brain senses the one called Arawn nearby.  Should
     he report this or let him come closer.  Could he get Arawn under his
     control to help it in the future? Thousands of thoughts pass through
     the large brain as it considers the options.

     The Future - ???

       The Shaper Mother which escaped from the Brain Cave during the
     final battle gets back to the homeworld.  But she has to deal with
     a disaster first.  The thing that is a living rock which
     was thrown through the portal by the Brain is creating great havoc.
     It has already killed over 80 warriors before she even arrived.
     A dozen shapers use their weapons to no avail.  Buzz Bombs explode
     and do nothing to the creature.  Entire sections of the base is
     destroyed by the insane berserk creature.  At least 3 dozen homes.
     The shapers in a desperate bid to take the creature order over
     a 100 outcasts to charge and do whatever they can do.  But it is
     like flies on a giant.  They are simply batted away and crushed.
     Soon the Coralskippers arrive and fire their plasma balls at the
     creature.  This does seem to affect it taking bits and pieces away
     from the creature.  Two days later after hundreds are killed by
     the creature the Shapers come up with a new plan.  They use a giant
     dovin from a World Ship to capture the thing.  The controlled black
     hole generator sucks the creature inside toward the singularity.

       But by then the damage was to great.  The warriors lose over 175
     warriors.  Two coralskippers are destroyed in collisions.  At least
     2 dozen Shapers estimated dead.  The outcasts they do not care who
     died but the outcasts believe it was in the hundreds.

       The Shaper Mother is excuted for her failure to capture this
     new strange world as well to stop the creature from its rampage.
     But before she is tortured and killed she warns the new Supreme
     Commander of the danger the hoomans face.  Of course the new
     young Commander scoffs and ignores that.  The gods will see to it
     that they will defeat them some day.

       While the portal to the Middle World was not used often to go
     back and forth, it was used on special occasions.  By corssing
     the portal weakened it.  One such time a Shaper tried to report
     the location of the planet to the Shaper group who were in charge
     of stellar travel.  But the details were confusing and no definite
     locations were determined.

       Kolir was one of Shimara's personal food tasters.  Omini spoke to
     the Outcast often in quiet alcoves.  When Nom Amor was reporting the
     humans, Kolir thought it was a chance to revolt.  The Outcasts had
     tried it on many worlds over the centuries but all failed.  But
     these humans seem to have a spirit of a open nature.  They do not
     simply fall to the ground surrendering like the Ithorians.  These
     creatures fight back and to the last man or woman.  When Kolir was
     sent back to the homeworld to get his favorite sea lobsters the outcast
     decided to report this info to a local resistance group.  He would later
     be found and excuted by Shimara himself.  Skinned alive and one eye
     eaten while awake by a Voxyen.  But the news spread from world to world.
     But after 300 years the rebelion was aided by a group of humanoids who
     were tired of being slaves.  It may have taken 300 years but the uprising
     was quick and fast.  With the Shapers slaughtered the warriors lost
     their ability to think.  The outcasts then slaughtered Brains on
     worlds and World Ships.  This created havoc on Vong controlled things
     like fleets of Coralskippers and World Ships.  The final stage was
     a direct assault on the warrior leadership.  Though millions of outcasts
     were killed including slave races the rebels finally won.  By now the
     Vong had conquered three galaxies.  Countless worlds were in their
     control.  With two galaxies going into chaos slave races revolted and
     overthrew the enemy.  The Vong were driven back by the sheer
     overwhelming numbers of rebels.  It takes another 125 years before
     most of the conquered areas are finally free.  Historians would later
     comment that trillions of outcasts died in past revolts.  At least
     52 worlds were destroyed by the Vong as a show of force against these
     rebels.  Countless untold slave races were killed.  But due to one
     simple food taster.  One simple thread of hope created by a long dead
     group of adventurers in a place called the Middle World, they finally
     won the final victory.







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