Early in the afternoon you come to a bridge over a medium-sized river that flows down out of the hills. At the south end of the bridge a lesser road heads inland, flanking the river. There is a signpost here -
The Elven Coast Road: Northeast: To Kolumbus Bridge, Demon's Neck and Portsmouth.
Southwest: To Frisco, Guardian Gates and Castle Tempesta.Southeast: To Milldown and the Secret Kingdom.
"We turn off the Coast Road after we cross Kolumbus Bridge," says Valdar. "If we were to keep going, we'd end up in the Northern Wilderness...The Land of The Giants, Valley of the Trolls, Ettin Hills...Dale's Bane, and so on. You know them well, don't you, Stiff?"
The ever-silent arch-mage throws the elf-lord a sour look.
"It has been some years since I accompanied Leslie and McTavish through those lands and into the North," says Vardui in his low voice. "While Stiff, Chicken, Watney and the others were exploring the drow mazes beneath King Snurre's stronghold. I was but an inexperienced adventurer, back then...recently resurrected by Rockchin, I think it was. I learned a lot in the North, though."
"I was in the party that went into the underdark as well," adds Valdar with a faraway look in his voice. "As were Yuri, Gimlet and Jo-Owrn."
You continue on your way, and do not stop until after nightfall.
That night, Occa says to Vardui, "Wasn't Rockchin a companion of Razmataz?"
Vardui nods, and says, "He was. Razamataz, Rockchin, Godfrey Goodbody and a paladin named the White Knight were all companions...and members of this party 25 years ago. Rockchin was a cleric, Razamataz was a magic user and Godfrey was a warrior. The White Knight was killed battling the giants...and Godfrey was recruited to replace him. They weren't bad...to begin with. But Rockchin became more domineering and oppressive as he gained in power. Raz and Godfrey stood by him."
Vardui chuckles.
"I remember one argument he had with McTavish, when McTavish jumped through a magical portal to another world...just to get away from Rockchin!"
"It makes Razamtaaz a more dangerous foe for us," adds Valdar. "He is familiar with the modus operandi of at least a few people in this group who were around in those days."
"I can take Raz with everyone's help. I learned something when we battled his illusion. I've gained sufficient skills to absorb magical energy with my psionics. Enough so that it'll take a large number of high level spells before I'll run out of energy. The only danger is that he'll bring along slaadi or mind flayers. Hopefully, he'll not figure out why I was able to take his word of power without flinching. But, if I can goad him into concentrating on me, maybe someone can stick a sword through him and we'll be rid of that slime."
"Yes, brother, I'm there!" Gilstrock says, holding his spear forth in a manly gesture.
"Pharian can you teleport behind him again?"
Valdar nods, and continues.
"I gather that Rockchin and Stiff finally had a big quarrel while the party was going after Eclavdra," Vardui continues, "And Rockchin was the loser."
Stiff smirks.
"He, Razamataz and Godfrey came out of the King Snurre's Halls - where Leslie, Laurie and I were camped - vowing to have his revenge on Stiff. Then, they stormed off...and I don't know what became of them after that."
"I have learned a little bit of their travels from different sources," says Valdar, taking up the tale. "They travelled into the eastern lands, and ended up in Nolthen. There, Rockchin began to turn to evil. He became known to the Black Wizards. Whether he met Imrimil himself, I do not know. After that, he continued on to Saltar. It was there that he reneged on his vows to Thor and became a servant of Set. He rose rapidly in the hierarchy of that foul religion, and finally Set favoured him by bringing him to the Hells and making a powerful henchman of him. Razamataz and Godfrey, it seems, tagged along as well.
"But his hatred of Stiff and the others who had kicked them out of this party ate at him. Over the years he formulated an elaborate plan for revenge. Somehow, he began stealing the souls and spirits of deceased party members from their resting places, and imprisoning them in his halls in the Hells. Then, he started stealing the souls of living party members...when the opportunities presented themselves. All of this was to lure Stiff into his stronghold in the Hells, where he could wreak his revenge.
"They went after Rockchin - that was your last adventure before you went mute, wasn't it, Stiff?" Valdar asks with a chuckle . "But Rockchin had not been aware that there were other Powers involved besides himself, and he was defeated."
Valdar pauses.
"Strange. All this time we always assumed that Rockchin was the brains of the operation...and that Razamataz and Godfrey were little more than henchmen. And yet, Rockchin is dead (I hope), and Razamataz survived...somehow. Perhaps we have been mistaken, all this time."
"Or he's still the lackey of someone even more powerful."
Then to Salaam and Orlon, Occa says, "Would one of you be willing to cast a commune? We have treasure to figure out and I would like to look more into Raz."
"Orlon, after you, you seem to be the master at figuring out treasure." Salaam bows slightly and grins.
"Let's get to where we are going and then we can check on what items we picked up from the hoard" Angst says, then falls asleep for two weeks.