Wow, I found this old nugget that I wrote in the forums for an old RPG I used to play called Dragon's Gate. One of the first ever. Zook was a Secian Hand Cleric, even though this was written as another character.
by Zook Mooker
It began as a simple quest to visit the reknowned vendor of fine Arachnian wares in Fort Tarath. I wanted to add these rare and fascinating devices to my "Lexicon of Armor and Weapons of Aradath". It could have been something I had eaten that morning, but nonetheless I had been infected with the wandering fever. I started on the long, dusty road to Fort Tarath, passing verdant, green fields, rocky slopes and raging rivers.
From Fort Tarath, I climbed the precarious and beautiful slopes of the Demon Path to visit the Garden Gem of the Mountain - Rathan. It is an oasis of life and beauty amidst the stark, chill mountains that surround it. Along this path, I also stumbled (literally) upon a breathtaking, icy ravine with an enormous, glittering, frozen waterfall. The denizens of this area, including yeti and ice elementals, did not take kindly to my intrusions.
A friendly nobleman in Rathan also made me aware of a mysterious, shimmering tower to the west of Rathan. With directions in hand, I made my way back down the perilous slopes of the Demon Path and headed west towards Ilman's Tower. Quite a dangerous road to travel. I had to dodge many a troll, lizardmen and a few imps. Very rude creatures. However, upon reaching the tower, I found two marvels: one of awe and one of peril. One must face the peril before the awesome sights at the top of the tower. There are golems of stone, element and gemstone throughout the tower's passageways and they are very intent on keeping out intruders. However, I was able to dodge and fight them enough to get to the portal at the peak. Inside the penthouse is a vast, etherally beautiful study filled with rows of scrolls, treatises and books for all to view. There was a strange portal at the far end of the room that seemed to lead to a vast, sandy beach, but I was too distracted by the tomes of knowledge that I forgot about it completely and eventually made my way back down the tower and returned to Fort Tarath.
"Truly a wonderful journey," I said to myself excitedly, and you may be thinking the same... and yet the real journey had yet to begin. What lay of ahead of me I still shiver to remember. Dark, sinister, and malevolent evils; vast, towering peaks of stinging cold and majestic creatures; deep into the bowels of the earth; vast expanses of blizzards in an icy wasteland. All of these awesome and frightening sights lay ahead of me.
Alas, I have so many notes, maps, sketches and artifacts, that it will take some time before I am able to properly and adequately do this adventure justice. Please be patient brothers and sisters, for a most amazing adventure lies ahead.
- Anror Embershade, Usilan Scholar