A Time of Learning

Cy 717

Mar 22^nd

Kiruk and Torren travel to the Darklands to look for a sorcerer called Tul Bellek.

Mar 27^th

The two companions find Tul Bellek and his sorcerous disciples: Tul Makor, Tul Tyemek and Yal Arissa. Kiruk persuades them to return to Grayhawk and train them.

Jun 11^th

Tul Bellek starts to teach Kiruk and Torren the Fluid Hand – a devastating casting technique he developed in the Darklands. It is demanding and difficult and could take up to two years to complete.

Cy 718

Nov 28^th

Both Kiruk and Torren fail to learn the Fluid Hand.

Nov 30^th

Torren starts to teach Kiruk Distortion.

Cy 719

Jan 11^th

Torren Whitearrow teaches Kiruk Distortion – the ability to augment and increase the ability of spells cast. Kiruk and Torren teleport to Zelradton where they meet and talk to Narril, the Great Sage. They teleport to Niole Dra where they meet and befriend Curukawa II, the son of Curukawa and Arch Priestess Isula of Quizet Daesil (see Bloodlines). Curukawa II is supposedly one of the greatest exponents of the sword from the Darklands…his father (Curukawa) was recognised as one of the finest bladesman ever to have walked upon Grayhawk.

Feb 15^th

Zoltan Scarface, a swordsman, O’lan Dex, a warrior mage and Smex Mar, a sorcerer, meet Kiruk, Torren and Curukawa II on the road to Niole Dra. The three travellers greet the legendary travellers with suspicion and follow them closely.

Mar 6^th

Smex Mar, Zoltan Scarface and O’Lan Dex enter the Rihaj (the greatest fighting school on Grayhawk) and speak to Cedron. The sorcerer is interested that his brother enters Niole Dra and bids the three travellers to closely watch his progress. Cedron is already preparing an ambush.

Mar 7^th

Cedron enlists the help of the Master of the Rihaj, Ixarrin, a Darklander whose skill has maintained the school as the finest in the world. He relishes the chance to test himself against his brother and realises that Ixarrin will be a formidable test for Kiruk and his companions.

Mar 9^th

With the help of Smex Mar, Zoltan Scarface and O’Lan Dex Cedron ambushes his brother in a lonely street in the poor quarter of Niole Dra. Ixarrin, the Master of the Rihaj, comes upon Kiruk with a duel katanas. Kiruk fends off the master’s assault with the consummate ease of a true warrior. The Rihaj master extends himself too much in one of many attacks and Kiruk cleaves him in two with a powerful stroke.

Torren Whitearrow takes on Smex Mar and O’Lan Dex together. The two men try to outflank the assassin but Torren is too good for them…their final act is to clutch their ruined entrails as they spill out before them. Curukawa II launches a venomous attack upon Zoltan Scarface. The Darkland protégé makes light work of the swordsman and – for a brief moment – Cedron is outnumbered three to one.

Kiruk’s brother launches an astonishing attack with the glowing green longsword. Torren collapses under the swift and deadly assault, his hands struggle to staunch the blood from a terrible wound in his abdomen. Curukawa II is like a storm against Cedron, but his blows are methodically and mechanically turned aside by the sorcerer. Soon Curukawa II – like Torren – is on the defensive. A cut to the Darklander’s thigh fells him and he collapses next to the injured Torren.

Cedron and Kiruk face each other.

"We can end it here," Cedron taunts his brother.

Kiruk sneers. "Take your dead and leave brother…I have no desire to take your soul at this time…"

Apr 19^th

Kiruk casts a Gate spell and summons Relleko (Demoness of Insanity). He binds her to him and forces her to serve him. With the demon bound Kiruk, Torren and Curakawa II head for Schwartzenbruin, the capital of the Perrenlands.

May 28^th

Kiruk, Curukawa II and Torren reach Schwartzenbruin.

Jun 10^th

Cedron arrives at Schwartzenbruin and reaches the Rikkagin – a fighting school – to enlist the help of one of its masters, lady Amarel. Curukawa II discovers the sorcerer is in the citadel and visits the Rikkagin later that night. A madness takes the son of Curukawa and he stands in the centre of the training area and invites the students to face him. He keenly senses Cedron’s involvement and wants to rid Schwartenbruin – and the school – of his influence.

A night of death follows. One by one the students come against Curukawa II, and one by one they die. Not one blade touches the young swordsman as single-handedly he takes apart the Rikkagin.

It’s only surviving scholar, the lady Amarel, goes to meet Kiruk in a nearby tavern. "That madman is killing us all!" she says desperately.

Kiruk does not raise his gaze from the tankard. "One should choose ones friends wisely my lady. Your dedication to my brother was a mistake…Curukawa II will finish the Rikkagin this night. Your next move could be your last…"

"I will follow you, my lord," she says morbidly, "though I think it will ultimately lead to my death."

"Everyone dies," Kiruk states.

Lady Amarel wonders whether the tall warrior is – like the legends say – invincible. She calls the barman to fill her glass with wine as an overwhelming desire to get drunk takes her…

Jun 15^th

Kiruk greets Grand Duke Barruk – a fellow Master of the Sword – a grossly fat man to join him. With Torren Whitearrow and Curukawa II they head for Rauxes, capital of the Great Kingdom.

Sep 25^th

Sirath leaves Grayhwk for the plane of Elysium. As a gesture of balance Quizet Daesil leaves Grayhawk and settles in the Abyss.

Nov 19^th

Kiruk, Torren, Lady Amarel, Curukawa II and the fat duke Barruk reach Rauxes.

Dec 17^th

The Mind Monk Arraegal leads a large army into Radigast City. The citadel falls in hours after a token resistance and a new threat emerges on Grayhawk. All the kings and queens of the realms see the Mind Monk as a great threat. Some of them send correspondence to Kiruk and his companions…to seek his help.

Cy 720

May 17^th

Kiruk, Torren Whitearrow and Curukawa II head for the Vesve Forest. Lady Amarel sets up the new Rikkagin school in Rauxes.

Aug 7^th

Kiruk and his two friends enter the Vesve Forest via the Deepstill River and head south.

Oct 10^th

Under the guidance of Mormegon (the mad Lord of Chaos) Ikioki – a renegade Seven Valleys ninja – turns against his master and ensnares Kiruk, Torren and Curukawa II. Mormegon gloats over the prisoners and begins a long and arduous regime of pain and torture.

Oct 28^th

Aran Avan, one of the Seven Valley’s most gifted ninja, tracks down his master (Torren Whitearrow) and sneaks into their cell. He frees them and under the instruction of his master disappears.

Kiruk, Curukawa II and Torren Whitearrow emerge from their eighteen-day ordeal and find any weapons they can. Exhausted, wounded and half-naked, the three men smash down the doors of the hall where their captors dine. Mormegon, Ikioki and fifty Seven Valley ninjas stare in amazement at the three men.

"I want them dead!" shouts Mormegon. The hall explodes into violence as the three men rush towards certain death.

Kiruk and Curukawa II slash and hack at their foes. When a ninja dies they take their weapons, gradually each man has a katana in each hand and deals death with impunity. Even half-dead the two men are untouchable. The assassins collapse against the sheer force of their determination. Torren takes no weapons from the dead. In a statement of contempt for his traitorous students he takes them apart unarmed, crushing spines, necks and skulls with deadly blows.

But Kiruk and Curukawa II fight on the very edge of exhaustion. More than two weeks of torture slow them to a crawl. The ninja soon overwhelm them. As consciousness drifts from them the ninja have them unconscious, the merest punch would kill them, but the Master – Torren Whitearrow – draws strength from deep within.

He despatches the ninja around his companions and slowly, inexorably, slays the remainder of the men he helped to train. Before long Ikioki and Mormegon are the only ones left. The mad god screams to the ninja to attack his master.

Ikioki screams and launches himself at the man he once called master. Torren is like a statue. Ikioki exalts as his opponent does not move, does not react to the deadly knife-hand strike to the throat. But Torren is a blur; a dodge becomes an attack as he taps the renegade gently on the shoulder. The paralysis spreads rapidly…Ikioki knows it is only a matter of time before his heart stops. His eyes plead with his former master…but no words will come…no more will his heart beat.

"Begone!" Mormegon says, a vicious word laden with sorcerous malice.

"It is your time," Torren hisses. He picks up a katana and tests its balance.

Mormegon runs at the assassin, eyes red and insane, mouth dribbling with foul-smelling spittle. Torren waits patiently…no need to rush he thinks as the god comes for him.

Torren slashes obliquely down from right shoulder to left hip…the shadow strike Mormegon’s body is torn apart and the god flails for several minutes as he tries to staunch the terrible flow of his life blood.

"No!" he yells.

Torren tends to the exhausted, unconscious figures of Kiruk and Curukawa II. "Time to leave this place my friends," he says. With inhuman strength he places Kiruk across his right shoulder and picks up the Darklander with the other hand as if he weighed no more than a small sack of turnips.

In the distance Torren can sense the storm as Grayhawk mourns the passing of another deity…but he knows that to slay Mormegon it must be accomplished on his own plane…

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