Gawyn is quickly bored with the hyguier of his party. They are talking with the woodworker of Moondive. Loxly and Bosque with Frederick pull their fascination and knowledge of fire together with interruptions of light negotiation. It seems that the weight of coin in the matter is surprising not an issue. Gawyn notes this unusual behavior from his party members.
Shrugging his shoulder, Gawyn reaches in to his pack for the tome found in the Burning Cloaks hideout. Gawyn remembers the angular lettering and simple symbols on the sturdy iron binding stood out among the books in the laboratory of the Burning Staff. The cover had an imposing suit of armor standing on an alter. The back a tower that resembles a sword immerging from a forest.
The tome was written by a dwarf named Urmon in Dwarvish of his adventures. The first page of the tome plainly states a summary:
My journey through the Cross, Parapado, and Tetromin Continents. The second adventure and only search for the Indigo Eye, an elixir giving the power of foresight or deathsight and possibly both. A failure in goal and a success in other treasures.
Gawyn begins to read, a fresh red ribbon marks an entry. The page describes a great stone longhouse of Lunascent, surrounding stone housed of the Fiveship lords and surrounding work-halls and farms supporting the large township. Urmon's adventuring company named the Blackhill's Bearhorns struck a contract with Lord Tresendar the Third-Lord, the Lord of Arms, to defend Lunascent from a coming evil.
Urmon describes their arrival in late Halwinter and wanting to leave mid-Halspring, a spand of 18 months. The Bearhorns fought a handful of skirmishs with Boltian marauder in that time period. Urmon beinging to doubt the prophet, Lord Hexham the First-lord, and wants to leave the service of Lord Tresendar the Third-Lord. Lord Tresendar entices Urmon with access to Echo Wave Cave and seeing the splendor of the Forge of Spells.
A number of pages of the tote are damaged by water.
The next full story remarks Urmon drinking with Fortuna Tyke, the living goddess and savior of Mida, in the Wizard's Mess in Echo Wave Cave. Fortuna talked of her magic warhammers named Lucky Strike and Windfall. She says the mages working with the gnomes and dwarves of the Lunascent Pact labored for 777 hours to make the hammers .
As payment, Fortuna promised she and her line would sware to protect the Lunascent mine when called upon. The Fivelords asked her to give 13 drips of her spirit upon 13 acorns. The acorns would transport her in a blink to the summoner holding the acorn and the acorn disintegrates thereafter. Ten acorns were split between the Fivelords.
She tells the dwarf three acorns were given to her to disperse at her choosing. Urmon feeling lucky asks Fortuna for a acorn. As for his request, he won a kiss on his forehead instead. He felt that was a greater gift.
Urmon continues with Lord Tresendar through the long corridor leading from Wizard's Mess to the Forge of Spells. Tresendar speaks of more than five hundred years ago, clans of dwarves and gnomes made an agreement known as the Lunascent Pact, by which they would share a rich mine in a wondrous cavern known as Wave Echo Cave. In addition to its mineral wealth, the mine contained great magical power. Human spellcasters allied themselves with the dwarves and gnomes to channel and bind that energy into a great forge, where magic items could be crafted.
Tresendar stops Urmon near the end of the corridor. Explains to give great respect to the spirit that guides the Forge of Spells power. The spirit was a great explorer in her right much like Urmon and she gave her life to focus energy of Echo Wave Cave into what is known as the Forge of Spells. Tresendar tells the dwarf to address the spirit as Lady Isadora.
Urmon tries to explain expansiveness of the chamber containing the Forge. The brightest of the Forge. The hundreds of step-like ledges making up the boundary walls of the Forge. The thousands bulky armored suits standing at attention on each ledge. The armored suits bigger than any human or elf could wear, some larger that a war-ogre could bear.
Tresendar notices the awe of Urmon. Tresendar place a finger against his lips, jokingly and whispers, "They are sleeping."
Unfortunately, tome after this point has been great water damage for scores of pages. Another ribbon marks the beginning of more legible entries.
At midmorning, the battle was won.
Urmon describes the horde of boltian and corrupted human and elf sorcerer they had slain just outside the township of Lunascent. His Bearhorns had famously lived up to there reputation. Urmon brags of killing three sorcerers himself. The other companies called to protect Lunascent and the Echo Wave Cave had done their jobs to a minimum. Overall, Lord Tresendar was relieved in their victory.
He mentions power and gracefulness of Fortuna Tyke on the battlefield through the night. Seemingly being on multiple fronts at the same time.
Then the landslide fell, Urmon describes how the entire Moonspire Range crumbled in front of him and all the victors. Urmon feels doom as the rocks, dust, and mud cascade toward himself and the Bearhorns. Urmon is frozen and accepting death.
A flash of hope in the form of Fortuna saves Urmon. Fortuna calls forth all the lightning and wind to part the sea of rocks and debris. Dust over takes everything and Urmon can no longer see anything.
When Urmon woke, it was early evening. Sun still shining at the late hour and the dwarf buried to his chest in dust and mud. Many of the human and elves were helping the surviving shortfolk from the aftermath.
Urmon found Tresendar in a small village of tents and tarpaulin not far from were he awoke. Tresendar, now known as the Lonely Lord, oversees the disaster. Urmon asks if he has seen any other Bearhorns. Tresendar informs him that he is the last of his company. Few were spared even at the brave sacrifice of Fortuna at the end. Tresendar calls himself and Urmon the lucky few to be saved from the landslide by her actions.
Over the next season, Tresendar rebuilds a new settlement over the remains of Lunascent. He sents for all fortune hunters and prospector to dive into the deep into the rock to search any ruins created by the Moonspires. In time, Fortuna's body was recovered along with her hammers. Tresendar killed the men that found the godness and hammers after they did not take his reward. Tresendar held onto the hammers, feeling that someone worthy was seeking them.
Over the day, resting places were made for the dead in the hill next to the encampment. Urmon is deeply saddened to find less than a quarter of his fellow Bearhorns in the aftermath. Depression set in once he was sure to be sole survivor of his company.
Over the nights, Urmon listen to Tresendar lamented the power trapped in mountains, trapped in the Echo Wave Cave, trapped in the Forge of Spells. The laments turned to curses as the nights pasted. He speculated that a forces of boltian and evil sorcerers had entered into Wave Echo Cave to seize its riches and magic treasures. The other lords, mages, dwarves and gnomes must had abandon the fight to defend the forge. They decided to save the forge and bring down the mountains to keep the power to themselves. Uncaring of their victory outside. Anger set in repeatedly and Urmon could not help Tresendar see pass his pain and fear
Urmon concludes Wave Echo Cave is lost and so are his friends including Lord Tresendar. Urmon was still deeply connected to the cave and Lady Isadora, spirit that runs the forge. The spirit's voice echoed in his minds and he describes his on going obsession with the elixir she asked him to seek; the Indigo Eye.
When Urmon slept, his mind's eye was obsessed, dreaming of Tresendar ruling over an army of living armor suits armed with glowing blade halberds and magic that bores holes in men from many feet away. The armor flowing like lava down the peaks of Moonspire, south into the Greengrave and north to the independent city states of humankind. All was Tresendar's kingdom and every person his subject. Death was a release and punishment. A red sun kills Lady Dorra and Tresendar madness ends.
Gawyn notices Noname leading Biscuit to pick up a barrel. Bosque looking similar to an alchemist, seals pots fill with an incendiary mixture. Loxly shaking hands with Frederick. Austri inspect instruments and tools of the woodworker.
The book is safe and soon they are on their way to the Green Spinster. The orb begins to call, burn in Gawyn's mind and tugging on his soul.
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