A Road Well Travelled

Celebrations

Arbordene rejoices today. We have arrived in the town.

My first duty was to find Anleim and discuss the arrangements for moving Yermej to a safe holding area whilst we prepare his trial. He has been imprisoned in the castle, still surrounded by the restrictive pentagram. We are taking no chances with him after the trouble he has caused the land.

No one from the arriving armies wants to leave, as it seems everyone wants to view his forthcoming trial. There are constant arrivals of people from the other towns around the island, all trying to find somewhere to stay.

Arbordene is becoming a very crowded town.

The Trial Begins

After much deliberation, arguments and shouting, the trial of Yermej began today out in the open meadow outside of the town. With so many people wanting to see and hear the trial, there was no alternative than to move it to outside the town walls.

Yermej however, remains in his cell. He will watch the trial and speak his defense through a drout stracyl. It is too risky to move him into the open.

Initial evidence has been presented by Anleim and myself, representing the defense of Methtintdour. Yermej had his opportunity to speak to, but chose to remain silent.

In my opinion that has already influenced the 18 decision makers overseeing the trial.

Yermej stands accused

Today we present the evidence in detail about Yermej's activities. I have explained how the drying of the Merelee in order to raise the water crystal had left an entire town without a water supply, and also the crystal theft from Midmarch. I recounted my experinece of Elsile's mind control ability and how we believed that Yermej had spent many years working on the same technique in order to control the goblins. By mid afternoon I had completed my evidence, and Anleim took over.

He was very dramatic as he told of the effect of combining the four crystals. He told the decision makers of the effort Yermej had gone to in order to find the fire crystal - creating the immense goblin mines on the Islands, and digging shafts from those Islands to the mainland and below the great Mountains.

Finally Anleim ended by explaining the deception he had created for the final crystal, and how through greed, Yermej had been caught.

Combining the Crystals

Today Anleim demonstrated what could be achieved with the combining of the four crystals. The earth, water and fire crystals taken from Yermej were combined with the air crystal that Anleim had been guarding.

All four were placed in a circle, touching each other. Anleim recited the ancient chant and as he did so, a blinding light burst from the crystals and danced into the sky. It then fell back to the ground and jumped across to Anleim. As the light faded Anleim could be seen to have an aura around him.

With a quick wave of his hands he created a rainstorm, followed by wind, then lightning and finally snow. As he lowered his hands he looked across to me, and gave me the signal. I called out a second chant and as the words echoed around the watching crowd the aura around Anleim rose and returned to the crystals.

The watching crowds stood in stunned silence following the display of what could be achieved if a wizard was in control of the elements.

The Decision begins

The three dragons, three unicorns, three men, three dwarves, three elves and three wizards who had been selected as the decision makers spent today thinking about the outcome of the trial.

The town is abuzz with excitement that a decision will be forthcoming very soon. I spent the afternoon sat in The Mystic Icicles with Anleim and Rhonas, tasting the local ales and listening to the conversations.

If public opinion was to be believed, then Yermej would not be seeing many more sunrises on Methtintdour.

The Verdict is Announced

Yermej is guilty.

The decision makers agreed that his actions had broken the wizarding oath, and brought the land of Methtintdour close to chaos. His punishment was initially announced as a sudden death, but after pleas from Anleim and myself this was later reduced to life imprisonment being held in Arbordene prison.

The pentagram will remain around his cell, ensuring that he will no longer be able cause trouble throughout the land.

Scattered throughout the Lands

As a final task, the four elemental crystals are to be distributed by four representatives in secrecy around the lands.

I will be taking one of the crystals, but I do not know who is taking the others, as it has been agreed that these crystals will be moved and hidden in secrecy.

No record will be kept of their location, and no one will speak of where they hid them ever. There is to be no possibility of relocating and recombining them.

I must now choose my location and head off.