A summary of what happened during the game sessions:

January 19, 2001 - Session 1

The group started out all heading to Clearwater, as they were all individually summoned by a message from the man to whom they owed a debt. The group, at this point, consists of:

Winter Skye, a half-elf/half-dragon paladin of The High Lord's Right Arm;
Sana, a half-human/half-celestial fighter/bard;
Ezhno, a centaur ranger;
Jon Boden, a human fighter/monk;
Jack, a human fighter/rogue;
And Rylan, an elven wizard.

The message indicated it was an emergency, and they were needed. The message was on real paper, but delivered by magical means to everyone (save Sana. She got it from another adventurer). Of course, they all happened to arrive in Clearwater on the same day, at just about the same time.

Sana, with her white wings, grew a lot of stares as she walked through the town, but nowhere near as many as Ezhno did, not only for being a centaur, but for carrying around a literal arsenal on his back.

After being cleared by the gate guards at the walled area around the wizard's school, they were shown, as they arrived, into a sitting room. The group chatted a bit amongst themselves, introducing themselves, and telling a bit about themselves.

Finally, a woman arrived in the room. She had silver hair, with glittery silver skin that looked scaled, but somehow made her look all the more beautiful. She also had silver eyes, which looked tired as she gazed at the group.

She apologized for making them wait, and after introducing herself as Phaedra, apologized again for being the one who called them, instead of her father. Her father was the man they had known as Miles (to Jon and Jack), Isaac (to Ezhno), Devin (to Sana), and Alvar (to Rylan and Winter), and he ran the school. She was doing it now, in his absence. She noted that one of the ones she had sent the message to was missing, a woman named Margaret. She looked distressed, but continued anyway, saying she would try to find Margaret after the meeting was finished.

Then, she laid out what she knew. Her father had not returned from his latest self-imposed mission, this time of ferreting out the secrets of the dark cult that had sprung up across the land in the last few years. She feared for his safety, but did not, when Jon suggested it, want the group to try and find him.

Instead, she asked the group to find the next artifact that her father was going to go looking for. It was important that it be found, and fairly quickly. Phae hinted that the dark cult members were after it as well, and the sooner it was found, the better.

However, the person who was supposed to know about this artifact was the one person who was missing - Margaret. Phae had some notes, which Sana, Rylan, and Winter asked if they could see.

The group was given some time to think about the offer, while Phae went to try to locate Margaret. They indicated they would meet again at dinner. Rooms were provided for those who wished to have them.

Jack went to his room to rest, and Jon and Ezhno went outside and stared out across the sea from the high cliffs. Sana, Rylan, and Winter went back to Rylan's rooms at the school to pour over the notes.

Sana was able to piece out these bits of information:

   device, parts, when completed, destruction
    powered by Dark
     - the number three or thirteen
      - hidden spread locations
       - cities, rulers?
        - how they held rule?

   Margaret

Later, at dinner, Phae came in to see them, looking very weary and exhausted. She told them she could not see Margaret, but instead a "Margaret-shaped hole," to the south. She was last known to be near the town of Lentan, which Phae suggested they start looking for her in. Sana knew the location, for it was built on top of a ruined city.

As the group seemed to come to a decision to undertake this quest, Phae sent someone off to talk to the harbor master, inquiring as to a ship that could take them across the bay toward Lentan. It would be easier than trying to travel on foot/on horse all the way, and since time was of the essence, it was decided.

Winter spent some time that evening with Phae, and Sana came in and sang to them the Ballad of Aidan's Watch, the place where she was from.

They set sail the next morning, and two days later made it to land.

Quote of the evening - "So, you are a merchant?" Winter to Ezhno, commenting on the amount of gear he carried.