Book Two, Chapter Two, �You son of a horse, die in the name of Lasagne.�

            (The Hermicon Chapter, November 1995)

Ladies and gentlemen I give you, the one and only Martyn Yanyez De Barbudo, with his apprentice Giles. Along with his good friend Zytsi the famed Khuzdul mason. Also staring Estalyn the Elf, Aruth of the War Wagon, and Daniel the Bard.

It�s the 14th of Agrazhar. A creature which looks like a wingless dragon, about 12 ft tall and it must weigh 2 tons. It came out of the swamp and said �Greetings Travellers�

Invite him in. We are expected by his people, the Ilme, the Chosen of Ilvir. Ilvir is the Master of Araka-Kalai, Brooder in the Blasted Plains, the Serpent that Dwells Below, Accursed Lord of the Barren Cycle, Prince of the Fatherless Multitude, Craven Lord of Sterile Lands.

�Our Wise Ones, having spoken to our Lord, told us of you arrival�. They need our aid. Now they are a race of Ilvir (a god) - they don�t breed as they are hand crafted by Ilvir. Murlag is this ones name.

His problem sounds like Caelyndd the Cursed, or rather his vengeful evil spirit. �Tale of Caelyndd� in Robin�s book. 1,600 odd years ago. Haunts the eastern coasts of Harn, now haunting here. Raids into marshes and kills anything living and leaves marsh. Attacks as soon as sun goes down. As the Ilme don�t breed this slaughter is a problem. The minions don�t always appear with him. 10th appearance on 11th. It�s only a small unkillable army.

It leaves as the sun goes down. Uneasy night. Tea at midnight. Thunder, lightning, rain.

15th The next day we look and find a dead Ilme, dead animals (including a frog). A nasty case of cuts and hacks. We back tracked and found a dead fox and another circle of dead animals.

Winds and clouds gather. The camp site is shitty. But nothing happens. Big bonfire to attract attacks - doesn�t work. Larani sends a vision to Martyn of a young woman praying in a tower, and then she throws herself on a sword. Big storm. Same woman and a man together. Woman kisses him and a ray of sunlight envelops him and they are raised to the sky.

16th The next day, dead Gargun, dead animals, dead peddler - sword, trinkets and carvings (400 - 500 d) of bone, of ships (20ish) dolphins, nautical stuff, cloths, leather armour.

That night. 5 skeletons attack when Zytsi and Aruth are on watch. Magic light, thanks Aruth. There was only one thing for a small brave hero to do. Straight to the end of the wagon. He swung a mighty blow and knocked a skeleton�s head off. Four left. Three swung at him and miss. Unfortunately one attacks and hits Aruth. The skeleton puts its skull back on. Oops.

Martyn killed one with his sword (Holy Sword). Its dying scream has a fear effect but nobody runs (steady lads, steady). Wagon +50 to DB.

A convenient water wall slows 2 down, Giles helmet saves his life again - but down outside the wagon. Martyn�s Holy Sword is the only thing that can kill them. They get better. Long slow and messy but Martyn wins and nobody ran away!

Martyn�s dream: Zytsi as Solomon (the whole baby bit). Ah, ha! The girlfriend of Caelyndd is in his sword. Find the Stone Circle. Find the Tomb. Find Caelyndd, get his sword and kill him with it. Easy, no problem ...... not!

17th head into foothills. Excellent campsite. No wild life, No attacks at night.

18th into foothills. Stop mid afternoon because we can�t take the wagon further. Uneventful night. Mediocre campsite.

19th Party splits. Martyn and Giles go north on horse back. Zytsi, Daniel and Estalyn go south on foot. And Aruth stays with the wagon. This was a bad move. The southern party was led back by a friendly fox, and still no circle.

20th Find vantage point. Aruth climbs a tree. Ties a rope seat with a rope to climb up. Zytsi climbs the rope to watch all night. Goes up at dusk. Wind, rain.

Blue mist to west. All swirl. Large solid shapes with a hillock in the middle - it wasn�t there before. Zytsi slipped in the rain on the rope and fell the last bit (nose job).

We close. Estalyn and Zytsi sneak up to look. Then we ride round. No sign of tomb, from outside. We approach. Martyn leads the party to the stone circle - fear radius and into the light. Stone slab in the centre. ((This makes more sense with the diagram))

At dawn as the first rays hit the circle we see ghostly figures 3 - 4 per stone we can see. Plus figures at the centre. It fades out ((that is the whole stone circle and all the figures standing in the circle)). The canteen Martyn dropped by a stone isn�t there anymore. Glad we weren�t in there.

(21st) so we dug a hole in the centre - didn�t find anything. Martyn has a disguised foxhole nearby.

Midnight it fades in, cue storm, lightning, lights, mist. Half dozen including one taller with a sword in the centre. Martyn fires arbalest - it hits solidly big guy ignores it as he shouts �Come forth by brothers� in Jarin and a group of skeletons appears by a stone. He continues until they all appear. Yells and they all go to Martyn�s foxhole. We run and leave them behind.

22nd. the new plan. Wait, the circle turns up, we charge and hit the big guy (Caelyndd) before he can summon any skeletons. �You son of a horse, die in the name of Lasagne� says Martyn in Jarin. A messy fight. Martyn kills one. 5 Skeletons appear. They close. Daniel and Estalyn run, ignoring the convenient (but unplanned) water wall, we wish Aruth had stuck to the plan. Giles� helmet saves his ears this time. Convenient air wall. Giles is swarmed.

Clouds party blinding light springs down. Martyn and Zytsi back to back and skeletons surround them. It�s messy and long and Zytsi was seriously damaged, as was Martyn. Serious healing needed for Martyn, no major wounds just attrition. Zytsi broken leg, nose, this, that, the other. A mess. Thigh wound, cracked ribs.

Sword in big guy lights spiral into the sunbeam (remember that) a happy ending.

Rest for one day (23rd), two days (24h), Martyn still in healing coma. By the 25th Martyn is fully healed - including the con. loss.

Back to marsh - a couple of days

27th Marsh. Martyn blows horn. None arrives. No gratitude. We disposed of a legendary rampaging ghost and no one says thank you. A part from the monsters ((skeletons)). They all said thank you as they died - forgot that bit.