I am dead.

Words seem so difficult now. The role of chancellor is about as powerful as a man can achieve. In that role at the court of Garrison Bujak I was about as influential as I was going to get. It is much easier to run a kingdom as the chancellor than as an emperor. My life has been a success in many ways but in others I have been woefully inadequate. The King of Thieves was more of an extension of my intelligence network than an actual profession. It is, as you are aware, a primal ability. It gave me the freedom to plant my spies wherever I pleased. Indeed Yakan (Maltorb's chancellor) was my greatest achievement.

The world ran because I allowed it to. This is no idle boast or arrogant gesture. My humanity kept the world alive for many years when it should have crumbled. My network of spies was well established even in the days of Garrison Bujak. Right through the war of Keoland when I became the king of Celene I had the war so sewn up that I could not possibly lose. Still, my grudging respect for the crude barbarian and his Shield Land companion remain. The battle upon the walls of Shiboleth was a battle of such exemplary skill that I doubt Greyhawk has seen such a fight for centuries. Hyuga and Anstran carved their names in history and I knew then that these men were destined for great things.

If it were not for these two then I would have not met you, Dismet.

I have spent many sleepless nights wondering how different things would have been if I had been the mate that Loramas intended all those years ago. Do you remember the moment in my throneroom when you placed the crown of Loramas upon your head and realised that your mate was in the east. I sobbed for several days. The universe can be a cruel bastard sometimes.

Still, life went on.

Pity mine did not !!!

I thought that if I killed Maltorb then the problem would resolve itself and I would be free to pursue you. Unfortunately I am not that naive. Still, there was a burning desire within me - a desire so strong that it gnawed away at my soul. Whatever my thoughts they would invariably be diverted to you, Dismet. My soul was yours. I simply had to pursue you. It became an obsession.

I was at Rauxes when Maltorb took you to his bed. Now that was a hard night, I can tell you. I instructed Yakan to get you out as quickly as he could, for Maltorb wanted Hyuga and Anstran's heads on a pole adorning the gates of Rauxes. I remained to enjoy the rage of the emperor. It might surprise you to know that Maltorb holds you in the utmost respect. A man who is accustomed to getting his own way is often transfixed by a woman of substance.

The cloak you now wear is my life. The Celenian name for me was the man of a thousand pockets. This cloak comes close, I think. Still, in it is all of the relevant information you are ever going to need, including an extensive list of my contacts wherever you are in the world. The cloak is a laboratory all of it's own. Whilst my collection of poisons and drugs can in no way match your unique skill there are several very interesting things within that only a woman of your talents will appreciate. A multitude of secreted blades - both throwing daggers and hand held ones - can be brought into your hand at any time by the subtle manipulation of the various musculature of your upper arms and shoulders. Experiment - you will get the hang of it.

I designed this garment and it has been a working experiment for several years now. I doubt Greyhawk has ever seen anything like it. There are strange magic resistance properties within the weave and it has the ability to protect you from all but the most razor sharp blades. Somewhere within it is a blue print of exactly how it came about.

Sorry, incidentally, about the Ring of Gaxx. I realise now that you will have discovered my deception. This is not what it seems. True, the ring is a highly covetous item of phenomenal power but I was driven by different goals at the time - you and your friends are not the only ones invaded by curious dreams and unusual visions. Gaxx has a role to play in the final event. The chaotic potential of it cannot easily be measured, but remember this was the power that created Anstran's awesome void sword so be careful. The wielder will be virtually invulnerable from magical attacks and will be armed with a fair few physical defences that will make him or her quite a handful. Marry this with an arsenal of powerful sorcerous abilities and you have a potential for serious trouble. Should you be tempted to use it, forget it. It creates more problems than it solves.

Now, to the 'event' itself. Your knowledge may be sketchy so I'll fill in the gaps as best I can. You are aware of the main point to all of this - that is that you give birth to the child of Yal Hedana. At that moment the game begins in earnest. Should you fail to arrive at the summit then all is lost and the universe will collapse around your ears. I strongly suspect that Maltorb cannot handle the fact that it will not be his child that signifies the birth (or destruction) of this land. His imperious arrogance may actually be clouding his judgement and he may just want to kill you out of spite. This is conjecture. Maltorb is a highly complicated individual that must not be underestimated. He has many hidden talents. It is essential that he does not get hold of the Primal Katana. That union would be devastating.

Kai Mountain will be the scene of this final conflict but the universe has a unique array of defences to ensure that only the chosen few make it to the summit. There are rivers of lava spewing from every peak, creating a maze of lethal proportions that only those with special talents can navigate. The universe has also created monsters of savage power to guard against any 'undesirables' from gate crashing his unique party. The purple minstrel and I have had many long discussions about the final conflict. It became apparent to me that I would probably not survive the journey so you may benefit from my observations.

The skill of it lies in rooting out who is a pawn of the universe and who actually has a right to be upon the summit. The purple minstrel indicated that the very best of each species may be abroad at the end - sort of true creatures that represent the very best attributes of each particular race. Maltorb is one of these true beasts. He represents the pure power of mankind. As you close upon the summit you must try to identify those creatures as they may prove crucial in the final moments.

You know the fate of your child.

So does Yal Hedana. The difference is that he will attempt to name the child. If this occurs then your offspring will become the new dark god of Greyhawk. Now, my relationship with Yal Hedana goes way back. I know what you're thinking. He is unstoppable. The brother of Loramas has made a career out of killing and is probably as good as you're going to see anywhere. I employed him several times and I can tell you that he is all your nightmares rolled into one indomitable killing machine - but you need not fear him. Loramas has brain washed her younger sibling to such a degree that he is totally incapable of harming you - should Hyuga or Anstran attack him they are history but you cannot be harmed by him. That slender advantage may help you in the chaos of the final conflict. It may be an idea to brief the two warriors, for as sure as night follows day Yal Hedana will kill them both in seconds if he had to. This is not in anyone's interest, for the two warriors hold the key to this whole business.

Spiritually and physically they are the best Greyhawk has to offer. The tenth power word will ignite a chain reaction that will save the universe - indeed, if what I could fathom from our purple friend is correct then this word will stop the universe dead in it's tracks. Time will cease to exist. That alone will bring it's own unique problems but you must overcome them.

There are sinister undertones to all this. A growing, unsettling rapport is developing between Anstran, Hyuga and the Grim Reaper. This creature has spanned many universes - in fact the metal from the Primal Katana is a remnant of one such universe. His involvement in Greyhawk has been purely peripheral - or so it would seem. My problem with this is that no-one seems to be asking a fairly obvious question. Just what is the purpose of the Grim Reaper ? I know the mythological answer, of course, but I'm afraid I don't buy that. The classical explanation is that Death led the lost souls to Limbo. Limbo was severed from Greyhawk by the Black King two centuries ago. The Reaper should be out of work but he finds plenty to occupy him, I feel. It is in your interest to examine the relationship between him and your friends and to ask him about the other universes. He must have seen similar events before and his input might be crucial.

I am fairly certain that our scythe wielding friend is more than he appears.

There are a number of creatures that existed before Greyhawk. Promethius and The Unmaker are the obvious ones but the purple minstrel has indicated that there are - or have been - others. Perhaps Loramas herself was one of these ? I'm not sure as I'm only speculating but I'm sure you can see what I'm driving at. If you can interrogate any of these creatures you may just be able to gain an advantage.

The Laws of the universe are dying. That is the man-made laws of creation as written by Promethius. What will become apparent are the base, primal laws that run this, and all of the other universes. These are the building blocks with which Promethius lays out his creation. Soon the natural state will occur and all the broken laws and conditions will become irrelevant. Suddenly each living creature will have the potential to be the new Promethius. To ensure abject chaos the minstrel has - as I have discussed earlier - brought forth a few terrifying monsters from wherever. These will cut the wheat from the chaff but beware. It is not always possible to control beasts of such magnitude.

That is about all I'm prepared to say, Dismet. You know my feelings. Love is the forth primal power and mine for you eclipse everything. Go cautiously - go successfully - I hope there is always a small corner of your heart for me. I salute the Queen of Thieves...

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