The Hand that Binds

5th day of the Tiger cy 2143

The confusion of the last few moments finds you slumped against one of the many columns that inhabit the chamber where your daughter was presently born. Loramas, the driving force behind all you have recently endured, kneels before you and her sorcery flows through her hands to heal the awesome wound of childbirth. Her eyes are alert and seem to see all things presently occurring.

A slow agonising horror comes across your dulled senses, snapping you back to the realisation that your child has been stolen. Stolen by Curevar !!

As if sensing your urgency Loramas speaks softly to you - her voice a mere whisper. "Be still, my child. Things are not what they seem...if you and your companions are to survive you must listen carefully to me. My time here draws to a close - the distorted Laws will soon drag me back to my own time - so you must hear my last words on Greyhawk and do exactly what I ask you to do. The safety of the child, and all of you, depends on it.

"Curevar has not stolen the child, he has merely removed it from the temptation of Maltorb. There is no possible way that he would relinquish control of your daughter and allow you your liberty. The King of Thieves has taken the child to the Tree of Desolation high above the city of Roland. He will await you there for no more than two days. If you do not reach him then I fear you will never see the child again before it speaks.

"Maltorb has this chamber surrounded. His idea was to take only the child out alive. The rest of you are surplus to his requirements. Now his plans have been thwarted he is highly unlikely to let any one of you live. Unfortunately, my dear, his life is precious above all others, save the child. Your initial reactions may be to slay him but you must resist them and concentrate upon your own survival. Maltorb is one of the few men I have seen capable of the barbarity of a demon. You must not invoke his anger for you all stand on the lip of a massive precipice.

"Direct your energies outwards. Remember: however tight the net is draw some comfort from the fact that nets are full of holes...and holes make perfect escape routes. The emperor's unpredictability makes him a dangerous opponent. You have all witnessed him disarm Hyuga - that should be warning enough. Maltorb is important here. Eventually there will come a time when he is not and I wish you all good fortune in that battle.

"The globes hovering around this chamber each represent one of the lost planes of Greyhawk - along with a few Greyhawk has never seen before. Your child will help to stabilise the chaos of this universe (I will refrain from calling it the final universe for there is a long way to go) but she has several important tasks to perform first. It is the perverse nature of the Maelstrom to throw up some rather unusual obstacles in her way before she can complete her allotted task. Do not fear about her, Dismet, she is more than ably equipped to deal with her task - it is those around her that can influence the outcome of her power. I only hope that you will be there to witness and guide her through it.

"Alas, I feel the terrible tugging of Temporal Waves that will soon sweep me back into the past. I will summarise: Escape from this chamber and reach the child. When you find her you must give her a name - only you and Maltorb are capable of naming her so be sure you reach her first. The name is critical - as all names are - for the Universe has to have things in order. Once named the child will then be able to speak. This sounds strange but the Universe requires a very specific set of circumstances to exist in order for your child to maximise it's potential. Although granted the ability to speak she will not use that gift until she reaches the highest peak on Greyhawk - Kai Mountain - where she will speak to the entire Universe. That will be a speech to behold ! My only regret is that I will almost certainly not be around to see it. Still, whatever happens know that my pride in you cannot be expressed with mere words. Though my life is full of torment and destruction there is a boundless capacity within me for love. That love for you, sweet one, will never diminish - even after I am gone. Without you there would be nothing. Remember that. You gave birth to the universe !!

"Alas it is goodbye, my sweet. Go with courage..."

Loramas shimmers and then vanishes...forever.

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