Tear of Lurue

[*Ravel's Heart]

An excerpt from Geologia Thaumaturgica et Alchemica Volume VI: Crystals and Curses


The secrets of the Tear of Lurue are known only to the Gerzak Giants of the Great Plane of Ice. Rarely do the frost giants sell these stones to outsiders, and few have had the opportunity to study these gems.

The stones themselves, a deep blue crystalline blue flecked with white inclusions as of motionless snow, are said to exude a deep and overpowering chill. Skilled alchemists covet these rare jewels for use in healing and runic magicks, arcane inks, and transformative spells...

[*Abby]

Tapping the page absently with a finger, the small healer looks up from her reading, a thoughtful expression painted on her face.

"This is c-curious.... h-healing... runes... inks... and even tr-ransfiguration magic from t-the same stone no less. And all f-from a book dealing in curses. What s-ser... are you after with this small tear?"

Ever the curse of the scholar, answers always seem to lead only to more questions. Setting the old codex aside, she leans back in the creaking high-backed chair to collect her thoughts.

"One common ingrediant in s-so many kinds of m-magics... certainly t-there must be a theme that conjoins each? Ill b-bet t-tis simple raw arcane energy that a-acts as a catalyst for other f-forms of magic... this little stone might b-be an a-arcane power s-source. Well... L-Let's start with ink... that s-seems easy enough."

With a sigh, Abby looks at the stack of musty books before her, none of which have anything to do with inks of any kind. Standing slowley to ease the stiffness in a back bent to the page for countless hours, the little woman rubs a hand through her short cropped brown mop, and then returns to the shelves.

[*Ravel's Heart]

The Handler of Records smiles apologetically and sighs. "I am sorry, Sister Abby, but I do not seem to be able to find any other information about The Tear of Lurue anywhere."

Moving with quiet efficiency, she begins stacking Abby's volumes onto a small, wheeled cart, neatly arranging them into categories so as to simplify re-shelving them.

As her hand closes on a thin pamphlet on frost giants, a thought seems to strike her. "You know, sister... Perhaps someone else in Sigil might know something of interest to you."

With a small, enigmatic smile, she pushes the cart away.

[*Swiftbow]

Tiela rubs her temples as the book cart is taken away.

"Good, I'd rather just talk to someone. Research does not top the list of my favorite activities."

[*Ravel's Heart]

Gundul-Zarag slammed the kitchen door behind him, violently enough to shake the entire Smoking Hammer. Muttering under his breath, he took up the cleaver and began viciously butchering venison.

[*Pashan01]

Piri had snuck into the kitchen behind him and was fluttering about and around the great giant as he hammered the venison harshly.

Cooing sweetly around his head she wonders at his less than pleasant demeanor today


"Gundul sweetie...ye aint yer usual self...no kisses fer Piri ?" she pouts

"Wanna tell Piri about it..?"

[*Ravel's Heart]

Brutally pounding the cleaver into the side of fresh Beastland deer, Gundul-Zarag rapidly creates rather uneven cuts of meat while expending somewhat more energy than strictly required.

"Do I look like I want t' pikin' talk about it?" he growls at the pixie. "Just leave me alone!" Muttering darkly, he throws a few of the cuts onto a tray, before continuing. "Coming in here and talking about my own tribe like that.

He whirls and brandishes the cleaver at Piri, "How would they like it? Eh? How would they?" With a small grunt, he resumes butchering. "They wouldn'. That's how!"

Driving the blade into the chopping block, he stacks the remaining cuts on the tray before removing a pestle the size of an orc's club from one of the cabinets. Throwing an apparently random assortment of herbs and spices into the mortar, he begins vigorously grinding.

"Think they can just walk out there and find the Gerzak, do they? Not bloody likely. They'll freeze..." The herbs' aroma slowly suffuses the room, and he begins dry-rubbing into onto the meat. "Even 'f they do find the Gerzak, th' bulls'll tear 'em apart." He nods to himself, looking grimly satisfied. "An' serve 'em right!"

[*Pashan01]

Piri whirls with a flutter of wing and a huff as the giant appears to take umbrage at her efforts to tease him back to more jovial spirits, flits out of the kitchen and in high tones she grumbles to Symon and the barmaid, Tylanee, about Gundul-the-great not being so 'great' at all, repeating in miffed tones all that Gundul said to her to any who might be present in the bar.

"..'pears like some party are off to the ice plane in search of something...." she shrugs and resumes her usual cheeky grin, tickling Symon under the chin with a giggle in the hope of making him blush.

[*Ravel's Heart]

As Piri exits the kitchen, she hears him muttering what sounds like a catchism again and again under his breath.

"Kindness is the milk of might; passion is the milk of life."

"Kindness is the milk of might; passion is the milk of life."

"Kindness is the milk of might; passion is the milk of life."

Gradually, his mutters trail off into a low musical hum that lasts until he slides the meat into the oven to roast. By the time he returns to his post at the bar, he is his usual irascible self.