Flights of Fantasy Books, Games, & Accessories
488 Albany-Shaker Road, Loudonville NY 12211
(518)435-9337

There are places that mere man dreads. Areas so barren that life hangs by a thread every day. Where every hour you exist marks a victory and the beginning of a new battle. Places that even the reach of the Star Walkers wanes and mages fear to tread. What do you do with such places? You turn them into the ideal prison.

Orbiting the dead 8th planet of Terra 16 are 6 moons so devoid of life, that they could only be used as prisons for the worst that mortals could produce. The planet itself is lifeless, but its surface can at least support an atmosphere. Acting as a transit point for the mysts, the planet found its use. But nothing could be done with the moons. The lack of a "life giver" on the planet makes magic nearly impossible and the moons provide less than the hope of mystical help. Even the gods tend to ignore the pleas of fools who tread where warned not to pass.

The core of each moon was turned into a prison. Tunnels carved into the dead rock form a maze that has no need of bars. Without an atmosphere on the moons, escape is pointless. Now how do the prisoners get there you ask? A special transport system is set up. A one way trip of terror that prepares the prisoner for the life ahead.

6 hours ago word reached Dragons Den that the transport system had been overcome. Minions of a prisoner by the name of Hrino Czar captured the sheriff that arrested him and sent him to the Beta 4 prison along with the transport guards. Known as the Rock of Death, this prison holds some of the worst criminals ever captured.

Your assistance has been urgently requested. Reinforcements have been sent to retake the transit station, but it will not be enough. Unless someone goes to the prison on a rescue mission, the sheriff and the guards will be lost. They are not weak chumps, but even they cannot evade the other prisoners for long. You have 3 hours to track down the officers and bring them home.

Remember, the transport system is one way. You must find a way back from a place designed to prevent just that. Which begs another question, exactly what did Hrino expect to gain? He can't leave the moon. Simple revenge? It seems like a bit too much work for that.

Who will answer the call for heros? Especially when they might not return.

Without preamble, 19 new champions answered the call for help. Flashing through the city of Dragons Den with barely enough time to grab their gear, these courageous, and some would say ill-prepared, heroes raced toward their fate. Not knowing if they would even return from their mission, not a one of them appeared discouraged as they endeavored on their 3 hour journey.

Upon arriving at the launch device, the champions found a group of engineers working on its repair. The new arrivals assessed the situation and aided in any way they could find. To wait for the new bracing and crystal key would take another 6 hours to a day and they only had 3 hours left to find the captives. After some creative use of their talents, the work was reduced to about an hour.

With two hours to go, the psion powered their makeshift keys and the journey to the prison moon began. A ride that would shake the foundations of the bravest warrior, many a champion found themselves subject to a torrent of vertigo, pain, or just passed out.

The arrival chamber was completely empty. This was unexpected given the noise created by the travel spheres. Platinum coated and hardened steel does not land quietly. A ladder provided access to the dark main chamber below.

A short excursion found the darkness to be local and the rest of the room was lit by torches. Six passage ways led out from this chamber. One champion would not return from her ordeal. Investigating a lone tunnel on her own, she would never again return to the group. The reason still a mystery.

The champions found thousands of prisoners huddled in a large chamber. A halfling, wearing the tunic of one of the captured guards, provided the location of the guards. His gratitude apparent, well mostly, after the champions saved him from some Duergar bullies. When the champions moved toward the engineer's office indicated by the halfling, they found that two of their comrades from Managerie, had already rescued them. A brief exploration of the two remaining tunnels showed the remains of the criminal Hrino Czar. He was identified by his jewelry as none of his body remained. The natural denizens of the moon had seen to that. With a repugnant gray appearance and an almost liquid body, they seemed to quickly digest anything in their path.

The rescued guards and sheriff in tow, the champions set about solving their final diemma: No one was being rescued if they couldn't get back to the planet! A stray thought led them to the water and air source for the moon based prison. A signal crystal powered the fountain. It was quickly converted into a power source they could use. Using this source, and the bard's talent, they sent back an advance team that would return ith the materials they needed to send everyone home. But the team did not return after even a day. Frustrated, they hewned a shuttle bus out of the very rock of the moon and sent all of the remaining through at once.

The Astral plane is a nice place to visit, but it's kind of boring to live there. The launch portals were never designed for a return trip. As a result, the aim was just slightly off. Both groups found themselves bounced to the Astral plane. The champions and their companions all regrouped. Exploring the plane and dragging the 5 spheres from the advance team, they met up with an apprentice wayfarer who led them home. 11 days after they set out on a rescue mission, the champions returned to Dragons Den with the captives and more than one story to tell. All were secure in the knowledge that Hrino was no longer an issue.

Meanwhile: In the late evening hours and the darker corners of Dragons Den, whispers have started of the Slavers return and a new base from which they will rule. Dark forces are taking sides and rumors of a new student of Kanda float on the foul evening wind___.

1. Managery (Beginner)
   Player: Mark Jerard
   

   Gerlma Elkid (Goblin Female Wizard 7), Rayné Bosinque (Weretiger Female Fighter 1 ECL 7), Fauné (Chamelian Female Druid 5 / Shifter 2), and Violet Raner ( Female Rogue 4 ECL 7) made a certainly interesting addition to the rescue team. There strength and skill were willingly offerred in the repair of the catapult. On arrival, half of the team went to investigate the large chamber with the main group. Presenting an imposing force during the encounter with Duergar, their strange appearance helped insure a safe retriet from the hall. Meanwhile, the second half of the group founf the captives guarded by two of the strongest Duergar in the prison. This isn't apparently saying much since, even though invisible and with surprise, they only managed two weak-handed attacks before being immolated on the spot. Point blank fireballs don't scare this group. Volunteering as part of the advance group to return to the planet, they were the first to arrive on the Astral plane, lost as all the others.

   Managery survives to adventure again.

2. WHEE (Beginner)
   Player: Alain Ackerman
   

   Rakina (Elf Female Rogue ? / Assassin ? [Total = 7]) gave a cautious showing in the beginning. Standing back and evaluating the repairs to the catapult, she lent her knowledge of devices to the endeavor. Too bad she didn't hold onto that caution. Breaking off onto her own, she explored a tunnel on her own. Three oozes and their friends saw that she never returned. Even now, Deven (Human Male Psychic Warrior 7) is unsure of her fate. Deven, on the other hand, could react more quickly to danger. Moving from one end of the cave to another in the blink of an eye, he quickly surveyed the remaining tunnels. One contained some silvery lifeform on the wall. He wisely chose to evacuate the area immediately. The other contained the remains of Hrino. Having found these, he notified the others and they returned knowing their quarry met a fate he probably deserved.

   WHEE solemnly survives to adventure again unsure of the fate of one of its own.

3. Blackiron Strike Team (Beginner)
   Player: Jonathan Sternfeld
   

   Maur (Dwarf Male Fighter 4), Rurik (Dwarf Male Fighter 4), Glisil (Dwarf Male Fighter 4), and Borin (Dwarf Male Fighter 4) set to work carrying, lifting, dragging, and pulling. With their help, the work on the catapult proceeded at an unexpected pace. In the large hall, their presence against the Duergar tempered the response by the other prisoners. And in assisting to destroy the water fountain, they helped to identify the one way home available to the rescue team.

   Blackiron Strike Team survives to adventure again.

4. Cheerful Initiates (Beginner)
   Player: Jennifer Sternfeld
   

   Calladra (Human Female Psion Savant 4 / Pyro 1) sacrificed a great deal of her own soul to see this rescue happen. Lending her energy to the activation of the crystal, she found the draining effect of the moon to snip at the edges of her remaining power. Without her help, no one would have been able to rescue the captives or get home again. Ceri (Human Female Paladin 4) stepped forward in the main hall as any Paladin would have. Her shining armor a symbol to all those gathered that, even in the pits of the universe, the law was always present.

   Cheerful Initiates survives to adventure again.

5. Hopeless (Beginner)
   Player: Julia McGinnis
   

   Spot (Human Male Barbarian 5) may have proven that a barbarian best spend his time on simpler matters. Coming up with the most illuminating and able plans, they quickly left his mind as he tried repeatedly to catch on to them again. His trapmaking abilities were an asset though as his evaluation, and partial thoughts, guided the group as a whole to a solution.

   Hopeless survives to adventure again.

6. Otherworldly (Beginner)
   Player: Wayne Edie
   

   Sergiah (Human Female Fighter 1 / Rogue 4 / Gatecrasher 2) studied the air above the catapult with great intensity in the early review of the situation. Combining his knowledge of planar gates and his ability to read the schematics of the catapult, he worked with Bezyip (Human Male Fighter 6 / Planar Champion 1), Tervi (Human Female Wizard 7), and Sima (Human Male Rogue 7) to resolve the questions regarding how the travel gates worked and how to activate them. It was with this knowledge that the teams were able to employ Calladra's power to activate the portal. It was also this team's knowledge that helped identify the location of the return gate.

   Otherworldly survives to adventure again.

7. Sprout (Beginner)
   Player: Vanessa Wilcox-Suarez
   

   With a skill in mystical crafting, Samia Krue (Elf Female Druid 7) and Kamile Krue (Elf Male Druid 7) set about aiding in the repairs of the catapult. Auger Trex (Half-Elf Male Fighter 7) lent a hand as he hauled this and that. His strength and prowess would be recognized by the prisoners, allowing the rescue team to leave without harassment. But it was Taya Trex (Elf Female Bard 7) that amazed everyone with her knowledge and skill using sound. Her historical knowledge as a bard assisted many times during the adventure. And her ability to reproduce the perfect tone of the key to the gate, made the use of the spheres possible before the deadline.

   Sprout survives to adventure again.