Greetings!
     
        I am sending out two turns to each player in most cases.  One is 
     the public turn everyone gets, and the second is the private turn.
     
        Thank you for all of the input . . . the turn follows.  Next turn 
     submission for the players will be on 12 OCT 94 (Wednesday).  I will 
     send out the turn on 16 OCT 94, and I will be gone to Germany from 17 
     to 31 OCT 94 for an exercise.
     
        In service,
     
        Rich Staats
        Grossenspielmeister
     
     ===================================================================
     
        Each of the party members looks around cautiously.  Leoshi, Trahk 
     Chi and Guy fan out to protect the party.  Huvis, Miriya and Balinor 
     approach the bodies.  Huvis raises his arms to cast a spell and then 
     folds them again as he thinks the better of it.  
     
        Miriya looks up and remarks sharply.  The remainder of the party 
     glances skyward, and all note the blue moon is approaching the group.  
     Huvis and Miriya remark that although the moon is approaching, it does 
     not appear to be hurtling toward the party in freefall.  ``It's some 
     kind of trap!'' remarks Huvis.  Balinor adds ``it was probably brought 
     on by our presence here at the blue crater!''  Trahk Chi mentions 
     ``That would explain why we have not been attacked yet; this is 
     trollish holy ground!  Make the nails of Zorak Zoran shred his enemies 
     forever!''  
     
        Leoshi squints as she scans the horizon.  ``Looks like something 
     else is heading this way too!'' she notes.  Guy follows the direction 
     her finger is pointing and states ``that's a dragon, and a big one 
     too!''  Leoshi nods her agreement.
     
        Huvis, Balinor and Miriya reach much of the same conclusions 
     reference the bodies.  Huvis notes that there are small bits of wood 
     in and around the chest cavity on Styles.  Balinor identifies it as 
     being from a white oak.  Miriya discovers that the Tiens body has been 
     tampered with.  ``This body was deposited here, perhaps as a warning!  
     See how the ashes have been moved.  Anyone who was powerful enough to 
     kill these two must have been in a tremendous hurry to have jostled 
     the ashes like that.''  Huvis cautiously turns over the skull on the 
     Tien and indicates the mark at the base of the skull.  He appears to 
     have been struck down at a distance.  Balinor speculates that someone 
     might have been using a arrowhead constructed from anti-psionic 
     material.  Miriya is the first to point out the strange rectangular 
     hole in Styles chest.  Balinor mentions that it was probably the work 
     of the spike, a relic designed to destroy powerful undead during the 
     gods war.  Huvis, Balinor and Miriya are all attracted by the 
     potentially magical items left on the Tien and Styles, but as they 
     bend down to remove them, Balinor and Risk both state ``we are not 
     alone --- a powerful psionic creature is nearby.''  Balinor grabs his 
     temples, and Miriya and Huvis stop short.
     
        At this point, an ancient man seems to step from the shadows of the 
     crater; his hair has faded to a shock of white, and wrinkles cover 
     much of his face.  He is dressed in a black cloak over a scarlet red 
     shirt and grey slacks; around his head is a gold ringlet, the front of 
     which widens in the middle to display a single mastery rune.  The skin 
     around his left eye and his entire right arm are exceptions to his 
     aged appearance; these areas appear less wrinkled and stronger.  The 
     left eye is also different in another way from it's companion; while 
     Branahm's right eye is blue, his left is a bright purple.  He appears 
     very alert, and looks at each party member in turn with a penetrating 
     stare; almost as if he were inside their head.  "Well, well, " he 
     says, with an accent that no party member could place, "it seems as if 
     I'm not the only one who decided that the place to be at the end of 
     the world is the place where the disaster could be stopped.  Two of 
     you I recognize from the courts of Fineous the Black and Duke Tremir 
     the Just; the two of you hopefully remember me from these meetings.  
     Let me introduce myself to the rest of you; I am Branahm Stephenson, 
     traveller and explorer.  Who might you be?" 
     
        Suddenly Trahk Chi springs up and blurts out ``bowman on the cliffs 
     above!''  Branahm smiles and says ``it would appear we are not alone 
     here!''
     
        LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!