My Official Imperial Dispatch

The following official Imperial Dispatch was originally published in The Imperial Military Journal, Vol. II, #5. I had submitted it based on an adventure I'd had while playing in an EPT game GMed by Craig Smith and Tim Cox at the Little Tin Soldier Shop in Minneapolis in the mid '70s.

Imperial Dispatch

Winter, 2360

To: Lord Cháimira hiSsánmirin, High Provost of the Chancery, Avanthár
From: Holmilan hiKetkolel, Dritlán of the Omnipotent Azure Legion, Jakálla

Know ye, O Illumined Progeny of the Gods, that a disturbance in the city of Tumíssa has occurred which mystified the commander of the city guard. A routine patrol in the city came upon a crowd of citizen's fleeing from some unknown terror. When questioned, they replied that demons had appeared several blocks away. After cautious investigation, three very confused men were found where the citizens had indicated. Upon interrogation, these three (a priest, a mage, and a warrior, all Tsolyáni citizens devoted to Lord Vimúhla) inquired as to what city they were in. When told that they were in Tumíssa, they fell silent. They then told a fantastic story about drowning in an underworld cavern beneath Tsámra; they were saved only by the grace of Lord Vimúhla and transported to Tumíssa.

Apparently, they were part of a sea expedition to Livyánu, which was blown off course by a storm. After the storm blew over, they came upon an island near Shényu, which contained a palace of the ancients. This palace was "populated" by an unknown type of Ru'ún, which were surprisingly not hostile and practically subservient.

Within this palace, strange occurrences led them to believe that a person had but to wish for something and it would appear. They found a storehouse of ancient devices more powerful than the Terrible Eye of Raging Power. The aforementioned Ru'ún were equipped with these devices in place of the bolt casters with which we are more familiar. These three persons acquired some smaller, more portable devices and the group fled through an underground maze to their ships.

Through a series of mishaps, all but one of the devices were lost. Upon arriving in Tsámra for reprovisioning, the party was imprisoned and the last device confiscated by the ruling clan of the city. The party was then forced to enter a very deep level of the underworld beneath Tsámra, apparently in hopes of being lost forever. These three were the only ones to escape with their lives. How much of this fantastic story is truth is only known to the gods. Please advise.

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This reply was not written by me, but pertains to the original. It appeared in IMJ, Vol. II, #6. I assume either Barker or Jeff Berry wrote it.

To: Holmilan hiKetkolel, Dritlán, OAL, Jakálla
From: the High Chancery, Avanthár

Know that we have received your Dispatch on the events in Tumíssa and Tsámra, and have read them with interest. We direct that you locate the three survivors of the ill-fated expedition, and have them sent to the Palace of Foreign Lands in Béy Sü. Further, we direct that you expel some minor Livyáni diplomat as a reprisal for this act against our people. Do nothing rash, however, as we simply wish to convey our displeasure to the haughty Livyáni.