In a world where magic is used irresponsibly, things go wrong. Many of those things get dumped into whatever is nearby-- streams, ponds, lakes, and even oceans. In those places where the discarded magics mix, things happen, things that SHOULDN'T happen. In one of these cesspools something stirs, something that didn't exist before...

* * *


Kelen Daris woke along with the sun. He rose from his bedroll and basked in Elamonel's(1) beauty. The sun shone through the forest canopy of Ganlay(2) . Without donning his robes, he performed his morning meditations. He gathered his energy within himself to make himself ready for the day. He was outside of any large city, and did not see any opportunity to give Earthgift tests on this day, but he readied himself for the defense of Elamonel, even though it was unlikely she would need any protection on this day (3) . Having reaffirmed his ties to her and to the earth beneath him, he was ready for the day.

* * *


A dragonet(4) landed near the pool of water and dipped its head down to glean some water. Something grabbed at its vulnerable neck and pulled it down. The small flying lizard quickly drowned, and the pool grew stronger.

* * *


Kelen listened to the birds chirp and sing. The spring air always carried the sound further than the winter's wind. The songs put a spring in Kelen's step. Traveling was another thing that made the days pass quicker. Those blessed with Elamonel's favor are not limited to what sights are seen on the roads, and can freely travel in even the most hostile and intimidating of the wilds(5) . These are where Kelen strove to, where Elamonel's beauty was unsurpassed by anything that humans, orcs, or even dwarves have ever built. The aging oak trees and slow streams that formed over time, where an esper could get lost in reverie to Elamonel.

* * *


Willis stopped by the pool to get a drink before heading on, for he had an important task. He had finally gotten the blessing of his love’s uncle to marry her, and was off to tell the good news to the family, and begin his Love's Quest(6) . Kerrin was in love with him, and gave him a simple Love's Quest. He was to gather the leaves of a hundred flowers and the rack of a deer to prove his love. It was no great Quest, but then, the hard quests are never given to those that are truly loved.

Willis dismounted his horse, took his waterskin out, and dipped it into the pool. While it filled, he took a sip. Abruptly, he stood up and spit out the dirty water. Grabbing his waterskin to pour out the bad water, he turned back to his horse.

He never got the chance to finish his Love's Quest, simple though it was.

* * *


Walking along, Kelen heard the cry of a young bear. It was hurt, and the mother was in a tizzy of a mood. He felt outwards to Elamonel's creatures(7) . The Matron Bear and her cub were but a mile off. Kelen picked up his stride to better help the poor creatures. Within minutes he was near. The Matron Bear was dark and in a foul mood when Kelen approached. He reached out to her and soothed her anger. The trap that was clamped about the cub’s foot was set for rabbits, not bear, but caught the cub unawares. Kelen stepped toward the cub to help it, and the Matron Bear growled. He took a step back and appraised the situation. An easy remedy soon presented itself.

He called upon the power of the earth and felt the iron of the trap. He reached across with his mind, and opened it without ever stepping a foot closer(8) . The trap reset itself, and the cub stepped out and hobbled over to its mother's side. Kelen picked up a length of branch that was sitting nearby and retripped the iron trap. With it no longer any threat to the natural life of the area, he looked toward the Matron Bear and her cub. Soothing her with his mind(9) , he looked at the young bear's paw, and wrapped it in cloth from his own cloak to prevent infection. He bowed to the Bears and continued onwards to the next village(10) .

* * *


The pool, at last, had enough energy. The manling’s and dragonet’s deaths brought the pool to life. Still, it was not enough. The creature that was the pool saw the horse that was still looking into the water for its master. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. However, if you wait long enough, it will. The creature had all the time in the world for the horse to drink its last.

* * *


As Kelen broke bread at the sun's peak, he spoke to a codgering old badger without ever opening his mouth(11) . Apparently a stream had gone bad, and the badger was looking for a new source of water close to its burrow. The last of Kelen's salted meat was shared with this badger, who did not thank him for it, but what do you expect of a thirsty badger? Kelen Daris knew better than to demand or expect thanks from such a battle-hardened animal.

* * *


Eant threw up his hands in consternation. Whatever those clerics did to make thier healing potions, it was beyond him. With yet another batch of colorful, tasteless water, he did what he did to all of it. He threw it down into the stream. The creature felt the magic flow downwards and relished in the power it gave.

* * *


Kelen Daris had a short talk with a brownie(12) that was on its way down from where he had just come from. Knowing the faerie folks' tendency to help people, he told the brownie about an old couple who found themselves raising thier granddaughter after her parents’ death. With the added responsibilites of parenthood thrust upon them at such an age, Kelen suggested that the brownie may be able to get a good meal and a cup of ale from them if he would help out around the house(13) . The Brownie thanked him and headed off, giving him a warning about an evil stream. When Kelen pressed the wee one for more information, it just disappeared. Such is the way of the fae.

* * *


Leaves slowly fell into the water. The swirled downwards and alighted on the bottom, and got stuck into the mud that was there. The creature slumbered under the leaves, waiting. The horse had made it stronger, and the magics where still around. There was soon little that would stop the creature.

* * *


As the sun set, Kelen ceased hearing the birds, or any other natural sound. In the distance, though, he could hear the odd strains of a fiddle being played, badly. Knowing it would soon be too dark to travel, Kelen began to look for a place to bed down for the evening, preferably away from the fiddle player.

* * *


The creature was now more powerful than it had been the day before. Its senses were growing, and it knew that something was coming closer that would allow it to gain even more power. It waited.

* * *


There was a clearing up ahead, with a lovely pond nearby. Kelen saw the perfect place to bed down for an evening. Not wanting to disturb any of Elamonel's creatures, he looked for burrows and nests. Not finding anything besides a waterskin that had been lift behind, Kelen made camp.

* * *


It was another manling. Unlike the last, who had been young and foolish, the new one was older and more powerful. It tatsed his powers in the air. Powers that the creature wanted to make its own.

* * *


Noting that his own water skin was nearly empty, Kelen bent down and begin to fill it.

* * *


NOW.

* * *


Mud began to fill up Kelen's waterskin instead of water. He looked at it oddly. He picked up the now useless waterskin. He turned to the place where he had laid his bedroll and looked around. There were signs of creatures coming to the pool, but not leaving.

* * *


The manling had turning to study his surroundings. The creature knew that this would be the manling’s last night. It gathered itself together and motioned with its hand. A piece of it came off and slammed into the manling’s back.

* * *


Kelen felt something hit him in the back and he rolled with the strike. He turned to see a roughly man-shaped creature rising out of the water. Looking over to where his staff was, it leapt to his hands(14) . The creature was a horrible parody of everything that Kelen held sacred. The Earth itself was corrupted to bring this abomination to life. He would not suffer it to continue. The creature slugged forward on small misshappen legs. It threw another piece of itself at him, pinning him to the ground. He raised his staff and smashed it into the mudman's face. The fine ash staff sunk deep into its head, only to be encased inside of the creature's muddy visage. The creature clamped its hand over Kelen's face, blocking out sight, sound, and even breath. Kelen was not prepared for this. Weaponless and suffocating, he called upon the least used of his Earthgifts.

Flame errupted around the creature, setting the brush, and Kelen, on fire(15) . The mudman backed up, moving slower, pieces of it cracking off with each step, reducing it from what it was. Not knowing what was going on, Kelen increased the heat. The mudman dipped back into its pool. The mud on Kelen's face became brittle and fell away. Seeing what could turn into a raging conflagration, he doused the flames. He felt the earth beneath him. It was poisoned by magic. Sensing where it was most corrupted, he Lifted(16).

* * *


It was safe, the fire was gone. Healing itself in the pool, the creature felt itself begin to rise.

* * *


Kelen saw the mudman reform above what was left of the pool. Knowing that the creature did not have a mind to speak of, he began ripping pieces of it away. No sooner did a piece rip away, then another piece was reforming. Seeing that he was getting nowhere, Kelen brought out his secret weapon. He knelt down and reached deep into the earth with his mind. Bringing out the last of his reserves, he called forth the purifying energy of Elamonel herself(17) . Silver light flashed from his eyes, travleed from his fingers and spread across the ground, leaping up to strike at the monster. The mudman(18) ceased to be a man, and fell to back to the muck from whence it came.

The flow of Earthpower ceased, and the esper sat back and took a deep breath. Kelen looked around. The damage to the area was considerable. The fire damage would heal itself, given time, but it could take months to return the pool to its pristine state. Kelen would have to do this; after all, it was his duty to watch over the earth. First there was a matter of a reckless wizard to take care of, but it would have to wait until morning. Kelen feel into a deep, deep sleep. The sleep of the combat weary.

* * *


The pool realized that its most powerful tool had been defeated, and the manling would try to destroy what it was. He would not get that far. It had more at its disposal than mere clay. He might have patience, but the pool was used to waiting. It was all just a matter of waiting...


Footnotes:
  1. Elamonel is the Melurbian goddess of the the earth, nature, and the dead. She is a mother goddess, seen as the creator of humanity and mother of the other gods, and thought to be the living earth itself. Elamonel granted her children the power of the Earthgift, the psychic and mystical energy which allows humans trained in its use to utilize a wide vareity of powers. Alone among the gods, Elamonel has no clergy; her representatives on Kaerith are the espers, mystics who have devoted their lives to development of the Earthgift and pursuit of enlightenment. Espers are chosen by the goddess herself, mainfesting their powers from childhood on with no need for training; those who offer prayers to Elamonel and steal her power ae known as druids, and are reviled by all followers of the Melurbian gods.
  2. Ganlay, the largest of the Seven Baronies, is a large, landlocked nation located in the south central portion of the former Melurbian Empire. It borders on Ghantra, New Braghney, Irelia, Tedrox, Estivinia, and the Unorganized Territories, and is widely regarded as the most stable and militarily powerful of the Baronies; fortunately for its neighbors, Ganlay is neutral. The richest forests in the nation are found along the border with Ghantra; the vast Club Forest, which exists partially in both nations and in New Braghney and Irelia as well, is nearly the size of a small barony itself.
  3. The cheif duties of an esper are fourfold. First and foremeost, the esper is the pledged protector of humanity form all inhuman forces which threaten it, be those other races, forces of nature or magic, or monsters; their greatest enemies are elves, in particular the mystic warriors known as Rho Lhar. Secondly, the esper is the defender of nature and its sacred balance; espers revere the earth in the form of Elamonel, and defend her and her creatures from unjust harm and corruption, and also seek to destroy abominations against nature such as druids (thieves of Elamonel's life force), mutant monsters and the undead. Thirdly, the esper is responsbile for teaching those not born with their great powers the use of their own share of the Earthgift. Nearly all humans have an Earthgift, but only those who have been trained by an esper can use it effectively; those with inborn (untrained) Earthgifts are destined to become espers themselves. Finally, the esper must seek enlightenemnt: the understanding of the cosmos and the universe which enables them to shed their mortal bodies and dwell among the gods themsevles. To this end, they meditate frequently, and seek spiritual understanding in a vareity of ways. Beyond these four duties, espers are free to pursue their own agendas, so long as such do not conflict with those duties; their personal goals may be good, evil or neutral, and need not have anything to do with their esper responsibilities.
  4. A dragonet is a tiny, dragon-shaped creature about the size of a small dog. Only mildly intelligent, dragonets are shy, reclusive, and have no firebreathing, spellcasting, or other traditonal draconic powers, although they are somewhat resistant to magic. This form of dragonet is not to be confused with the dragonets listed in the Monstrous Manual , which ar enot found on Kaerith.
  5. A common power among espers is the ability to survive comfortably in a wide variety of hostile natural environments, resisting extremes of weather, cold, and heat. Many espers are also trained in wilderness survival, tracking, and other woodland skills. Kelen is a type of esper called a Greenseeker, solitary mystics who focus their efforts more on custodianship of nature and meditation upon its mysteries in the search for enlightenment than other espers do. Like all Greeseekers, he can pass through forests, thorns, and other plant terrain as though they were bare ground, without leaving a trail or making a sound.
  6. A common folk tradition throughout the Seven Baronies, particularly among the followers of the agrarian god Hippus and the travel deity Nitsol, is the Love's Quest. This is a mission assigned to a young man by his sweetheart when he wishes to marry her, to prove his love and devotion. Kaerithian folklore and mythology abound with tales of grand and epic Love's Quests, but generally the missions assigned are much more mundane and attainable, and seldom is a failed Love's Quest the cause of a broken engagement.
  7. This is the clairsentient esper/psionic devotion (minor power) Life Sense, which allows the user to feel the presence and nature of living things nearby. It is one of the most common powers among espers of all types, and is universal among Greenseekers.
  8. Kelen is using the psychokinetic science (major power) Telekinesis, which allows the esper to manipulate objects froma distance.
  9. This is the telepathic devotion Soothe the Savage Beast, which allows the esper to calm angry or frightened animals.
  10. Espers universally show respect to nature's creatures, but Greenseekers are obliged to treat them as equals to humans in all respects. A mother bear, in the Greenseeker's mind, is the head of a clan, and therefore outranks him; hence, the show of deference.
  11. Simply the telepathic devotion Contact and the science Mindlink, which allow the esper to communicate mentally with virtually any creature; powerful enough espers can use the power to speak with any living thing, even plants.
  12. Brownies are tiny fearie folk, no more than a foot and a half tall, appearing as tiny men with large pointed ears and bright clothing. They are among the most common faerie folk, and have a wide variety of minor magical powers, including invisibility, the power to create illusions, and effectively infinite cantrips. Brownies are as mischievious as the rest of their faerie kin, but universally noble and good-hearted, and have often been known to help good mortals in need. They are on good terms with espers, rangers, druids, and other nature-dwelling characters, but seldom appear directly to anyone else.
  13. Some brownies will "adopt" a good family in need, moving into their home as "house brownies." House brownies hide from the residents, who they do not interact directly with, and come out at night to do chores and protect the residents while they sleep. All the brownie wants in return is a discreet bowl of milk and a piece of bread or fruit from time to time, and to be allowed to do his work with peace and humility. If anyone in the household ever takes overt notice of the brownie, offers him gifts beyond simple food, becomes evil or ignoble, or boasts of his presence to others, the brownie will be insulted and leave the house, never to return.
  14. Telekinesis again.
  15. This is the psychokinetic devotion Molecular Agitation. Often called "Calling the Fire" by espers, this power excites the molecules of any object affected, causing combustibles to ignite and other substances to heat, dry, melt, and/or crack as appropriate.
  16. The common term for levitation (a psycholinetic devotion) among espers.
  17. This power, the science Esper Light, combines the powers of a dispel magic spell with a clerical purify effect. It is a rare and difficult power to master, requiring the utmost discipline, and is commonly used by espers to purge the land of corrupt influences.
  18. The creature sent forth by the pool was a mudman, a mindless construct which forms when magical energy collects in the sediment of a pool of still water of the course of time, usually as runoff from dumped potions or alchemical waste, erosion of magical stone, or frequent spellcasting by wizards in a natural surrounding. Mudmen attack by hurling pieces of themselves at anyone approaching their pools, immobilizing and eventually suffocating them. The intelligent, life-draining pool is not a normal effect associated with mudmen, and hopefully is a unique entity.