Rising Sun: Issue 5

The Memory of Haakon

50

Your vision is drawn to a small recess in the wall on the other side of the exit, opposite of where the hand carving sits. Focusing your sight you notice a dark gleam inside. Putting your hands into this small holding spot you draw out a dark gem (Record this as the Haakon's Stone on your Action Chart. It is a special item and has no known powers or bonuses).

Haakon, in his attempt to destroy the powers guarding the Book of the Magnakai must have used this stone in an effort to nullify the protections warding him away from it. Magnifying his own strength with that of the stone, he was preparing to throw a great battle of will against the protecting force when he was so abruptly disturbed, or so you have been led to believe before coming here.

On closer inspection your breath is taken away as you look in astonished horror. The stone you hold has several cracks running through it, as if something had broken its power. Its star like shape is marred in many places as if the attempt against the chamber not only failed but also destroyed the stone itself. Even worse, to all your senses you cannot even discern a trace of power. It seems that this may not have ever even been a Doomstone. It certainly was not the weapon Haakon used to battle Lone Wolf, and it doesn't seem to be any sort of item created by Agarash.

It seems that this entire portion of your quest has been to seek a useless item in the middle of nowhere. If ever your faith has been challenged, this is it, for this stone will be of no aid to you in your quest to retrieve Helshezag in the midst of your enemy in Sommerlund. Captain Mosk's words of Naar's test come back to you, haunting you as you can almost hear his mocking laughter in you mind.

Dismayed and devastated, you wonder if there is any hope of your success now. Here in the darkest hour in the darkest crypt of one of darkness's greatest defeats, you face your own indecision, for now how will you succeed in this, your greatest crisis. To continue despite the overwhelming odds against you, you must confront your enemy in the heart of their homeland in the next adventure of the Dark One:

Scions of Destruction

Contact: TheRisingSun@bigfoot.com http://www.crosswinds.net/~therisingsun/August2000/Haakon/50.htm