A lake and an axe

So, about a week ago I sat down with my gaming group and we played some Palladium Fantasy. My blog is named after my character in that campaign. Due to some unfortunate accidents and political maneuvering by his NPC rival and main antagonist of the story, he is infamous for the deaths of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of peasants and common folk.

Anyways, he's tried to put that behind him as there are more pressing concerns. Having found a strange magical door in an underground cavern, he's more concerned about confronting demon hordes or angelic beings.

So, with a wizard and thief by his side, Melkior the Palladin opens the door to the unknown. He sees the doorframe, and through the doorframe is blue sky. The wizard tries to walk through the doorway, but meets resistance. After looking around and seeing the edges of the doorframe surrounded completely by soil, Melkior lays on the ground and pulls himself through the doorway, suddenly confronting gravity perpendicually.

He pulls himself out and finds himself on a hill. He pulls the wizard and thief through after him, and they survey the surroundings. The wizard tries to idenfity the plants in the area to determine if the group is still on the same continent, or even on Palladia. Unable to confirm a specific area but recognizing the plants, it's assumed that the group isn't on another plane of existance.

There is a forest nearby, with a small sign in the ground near an narrow pathway leading into it. Melkior reads the sign, and it says "Pool this way." Not knowing if the doorway represents the only way back the way they came, they decide to test the doorway. The thief goes back through, and the door is closed. Melkior, in the new land, opens the door again easily and Jade the thief is still there. So, they close the door and memorize the surroundings to return if they need to.

They then follow the forest path for a short distance. Chamele tries to find some tracks, and goes up the path a ways. When she returns, she says that she can't identify the tracks, but senses that something is watching in the forest. The group continues on and don't encounter anything for a short while.

Finding some ripe raspberries growing out of season, they decide to survey their surroundings. Continuing on, they reach the edge of the forest, and find a large depression. Inside is a large body of water, several hundred yards in diamater. Surrounding the water closer to the forest are large slabs of stone arranged in concentric rings, with pathways leading directly toward the water. People are seated, but seem to unmoving. They are all facing the water.

Some of the people are wrapped in what appears to be strips of cloth, or burial shrouds. However, they are definately seated, and not laying down or propped up. Having fought hordes of undead, Melkior is at first worried and concered, but then gathers his courage and walks towards the body of water. When he is close to the water, he realizes that one person is actively following him by turning his head. Approaching him, while no walking in front of anybody, he introduces himself. "I am Melkior, of the Whiteblade Clan, and Paladin of Isis," while extending his guantlet clad hand.

"Hello Melkior. I am Atlas, a...warlock. At least, I think I still am a warlock."

After some discussion, Melkior finds out that Atlas thought he had died a year prior, and 'woke up' watching the pool. He finds watching the water to be pleasant, though he can't recall exactly why. He assumes this is the afterlife. The only thing he recalls between his death and the pool is a group of people carrying a large covered object toward a nearby cemetary.

Melkior, Jade, and Atlas decide to go look at the cemetary, while the wizard remains behind and inspects the water. The graveyard is small, but headstones of various quality and age. One of the more ancient looking and more ornate headstones has dwarven writing upon it, and scratched in elven on the top is "Belkram's Fall". Melkior recalls that Belkram was a dwarf from the times if the elf-dwarf who had reknowned skill with axes. Behind the headstone, they find the earth looks recently distrirbed, as if something had been recently intered there.

Melkior uses a dagger like a spade, and unearths a 3 foot long but shallow item. Too small to be a body, he leans in and grabs it out. He unwraps it, and inside is an ornate axe, with numerous runes upon it. It seems that the group has discovered an ancient rune weapon, possibly belonging to Belkram himself. Who put it here and for what purpose are yet to be discovered.