CHAPTER ONE


*The Capture of Ariana
The Corrupter of Souls
and The Orb of Calenture

               ur interviewer hikes up the rocky trail to the Union of the Covenant, entering the House facade to find a handful of initiates on the look-out for FoulMoth, and Tux with his fiance, Shaolin. Shaolin makes our interviewer comfortable by warmly welcoming her. Breathless from her journey, Calysto asks Tux to share his stories, resting on the hard ground, and brushing sand from her legs, balancing this notepad on her knee.

"The first documented appearance of Tehthu within the Dream was when he attacked a Free Spirit by the name of Ariana in the Basin of Stars. He collapsed her, captured her soul and took it back to his lair. Tehthu attacked other dreamers as well . Some were damaged physically others mentally. However none of them were captured as Ariana had been. In time it was discovered that all of those attacked had come in contact with the Corrupter of Souls."

Ariana at the Rings of Passage, by Manido

Tux reminds them... an evil Artifact created by a mad Dreamsmith in the closing days of the Dreamer Wars.

After finding clues within the Dream it was determined that 3 Guardians of House Calenture and 3 Guardians of the Dreamers of Light would be needed to combine their powers with that of the ancient Dreamwright Aprilic."

Tux takes a breath and rattles on.

Tehthu, by Manido

"Upon joining their powers they could summon Tehthu and combat him in order to destroy him and release Ariana's soul. The Day of Summoning arrived, the 7 joined their powers and called forth the Demon Tehthu to the waiting crowd of Free Spirits and Initiates of House Calenture and the Dreamers of Light. Many were collapsed to soulspheres during the battle only to restore their Avatars and return to the combat.

"Finally with a skillful blow of her gatesmasher, Ghea of House Calenture defeated Tehthu. In the confusion after the battle an unknown dreamer picked up Tehthu's essence. The crowd went to Edgeward Burrows to celebrate the victory, the return of Ariana and to banish the Tehthu's essence and the Corrupter of Souls.

The dreamers gathered at the Rings of Ascension. (At this time Dragon of House Calenture is Knighted). When Ghea arrived from House Calenture she carried bad news. The Corrupter was missing!!! It was discovered that Draigon of HC had taken the Corrupter. With much argument he finally gave it to Kelrith, who then began the ceremony.

"He took Tehthu's essence from Smoke of HC (who had picked up the essence after the battle) and put it in the Corrupter. Then, with Aprilic's urging, Kelrith used the Dreamer's Stone to bind the essences of both Aprilic and Tehthu to the Corrupter of Souls and used the Orb of Calenture to banish it. Aprilic sacrificed himself to ensure that Tehthu would not break free from his imprisonment.

"Unfortunately, it was later discovered that Smoke had been corrupted by Tehthu's essence. He had given a false Tehthu essence to Kelrith."

Tux sighs as he remembers what happened next.

"Kelrith said nothing, since by this time he was enthralled by the evil of the Corrupter of Souls. Since it wasn't the real Tehthu essence the Corrupter still lay in Kelrith's hands. Kelrith was driven temporarily insane by the Corrupter."

Our Interviewer apologizes profusely for leaving you at such a climax. At this point, our poor Interviewer is beseiged by dark clouds which wash her out of the dream. Luckily, Tux gives her the key to the location of another tome which holds much of this story, and so our Interviewer passes this on to you:

key

*(This is Part Two of the Interview)