Chapter 17 - Back in Time

Days 36-38

The Great Highway stretched out in both directions, its flagstone surface polished to a shine by the constant passage of human and vehicle traffic. To either side, the vegetation was mown short for the distance of an arrow's flight by flocks of sheep. Even at this early hour, travellers could be seen making their way in either direction.

The party decided to continue their travel westward as they tried to figure out this strange situation that they found themselves in. They quickly surmised that they must somehow have been transported to another time, but the few travellers that they spoke with seemed to use a different dating system. What was clear was that they were in lands controlled by the Magocracy of Gena, the predecessors of the Genasi they had been fighting this past month. Things became a little clearer when Aldus stopped a traveling elf and asked for the date by the elven calendar. The answer informed him that they were 117 years in the past, in the days before the Gena Disaster forever changed these lands. A day's travel revealed that these lands were much more densely inhabited in this time. Villages dotted the landscape, fields carved from the surrounding forests. The keeps located at regular intervals along the highway, which were tumbled ruins in the present, in this time were well-maintained and garrisoned.

At the end of the day's travels, the party stopped at a small village, much like all of the others they had passed by during the day. Procuring a room at the local inn, they settled themselves in the common room to listen for rumours. While most of the conversation tended to be of peasant concerns such as their crops and livestock, Neela overheard some merchants discussing the possibility of an imminent war with House Telkar, whose forces were rumoured to be moving towards Genasi lands. Telkar overheard some other customers discussing the fearsome goblinoid mercenaries that were rumoured to be in the employ of the Telkars.

While the others enjoyed the warmth of the common room, Leandrie set out to explore the village, looking for the local temple. When he finally found it, it revealed itself to be a small building that was in poor repair, showing little evidence of recent use.

During the day's travels, Neela and Trykaar had been complaining of feeling ill. Despite a good night's rest in a clean bed, the condition of both seemed little improved the next morning. Choosing to err on the side of caution, the party decided to rest at the inn for half a day before resuming their travels, so that Leandrie could minister to them, focusing his attentions on Trykaar. When neither had improved by mid-day, they decided to continue their travels and search for healers as they went. That day went much as the previous, except that the lands they passed through seemed to be more densely-inhabited, and the highway seemed even busier. Once again, the party stopped in a village for the night.

From their inquiries, the party knew that their third day of travel in this past time would bring them to the city of Ralyahid, a city that was rumoured to be a lost ruin in their own time. As they approached, it revealed itself to be a city of mighty stone walls and soaring towers, larger than any settlement that the adventurers had experienced in their lives. On the opposite side of the city, a white stone bridge, seemingly supported by impossibly delicate stonework, stretched in a high arch across the Folyoba River.

Entering the city, the party first sought out affordable accommodations, then went their separate ways. Seeing a considerable number of elves in the city, Aldur sought out one of his kindred from House Taramandil. Finding a distant relative by the name of

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