Falcon Master

Reaping 20th, 580 CY
Upon reading the Diary agains with Talasek they have a lead as to where the Falcon's lair could be. They will find out for sure whether or not Nestor did indeed destroy her. Which they suspect he didn't.
After talking to Eritai they go to the Wizard's Guild Hall. Unfortunately they cannot gain entry as they are not guildmembers. But They know someone who IS! Worvin Teleports to Anjor of Oerth. After sometime, Anjor Teleports back with him, and gains them entry so that they may meet Connery, who knew Mizaab, the old mage they are looking for.   They decide to research incidents with Mizaab at the Great Library of Greyhawk. Worvin and Jaegus become contributing members.

• History Wing: Mizaab 's name is mentioned in several books discussing the history of magic in Greyhawk: Magic in the Flanaess, Mages of Greyhawk, and Greyhawk's Contributions to the World of Magic. The authors seem to agree that he was not regarded to be as powerful or famous as some of the better-known mages such as 'Tenser, Anjor of Oerth or Zagyg, but he is listed as an expert on magical flight. The books report him to be slightly reclusive and erratic, factors which may have impaired his credibility. The books agree that his theories and experiments with flight were remarkable and may have been better received among his peers had he been a more reliable individual. One of the books identifies him as a resident of the city, while the rest give no clues as to his residency.
• • Geography Wing: A few maps can be found in this wing that are credited to being drawn by Mizaab. The maps are completely ordinary and give no indication that they are maps to the lair. In a volume entitled Cartography in the Flanaess, Mizaab is credited as being extremely accurate because his maps were drawn based on air reconnaissance. Nothing in the geography wing offers any personal information about Mizaab. The maps are accompanied by notes praising his work for its accuracy and citing Mizaab's maps as valuable contributions to Greyhawk's body of knowledge.
• • Artistic Studies Wing:. No informalion Is found in this wing with regard to Mizaab.
• • Poetry Wing: No information about Mizaab can be found in this wing.
• • Science Wing: Mizaab's name can be found in several books dealing with flight, including Wonderful Flying Inventions, Wings for Mankind, and Greyhawk's Inventors. Listed are many of his inventions, both magical and non-magical. Some of the nonmagical items could be reproduced from the plans in the books. but nothing is said regarding the constru ction of the magical items. Mizaab's inventions included various sorts of wings, flying carpets, mechanical birds large enough to carry two men. rings. and potions. The scientific books scoff at many of these inventions as being simply absurd and add that "those who believe in magical properties will no doubt attempt to prove these things to be viable." Wonderful Flying Inventions is a chronological history of flying devices invented in and around Greyhawk. It lists the inventors and their gadgets without passing judgement as to the viabilility or practicality of the inventions. It is a somewhat whimsical look at the various methods employed by man to allow him to take to the sky. Mizaab's inventions occupy roughly one-quarter of the volume, and Mizaab is praised as being a most imaginative inventor. The books in the science section impart that Mizaab's ideas were "interesting notions," but ones that would never see daylight.
• • General Wing: This wing contains works of fiction, religion, heraldry, archaeology, foreign studies, biographies. and miscellaneous subjects that do not fall under the categories of the other wings. Information about Mizaab is scattered and skimpy. Most of what the PCs find here will appear in biographies about the important mages in Greyhawk. While not recognized as one of the city's major wizards, Mizaab was important enough to warrant a few paragraphs or as much as one page in some of the volumes. A volume entitled Luminary Wizards of Greyhawk , written about 10 years earlier by an apprentice of the Wizards' School, contains the most complete entry about Mizaab.

Mizaab Zalen was a reclusive mage of uncertain reputation who lived in or around Grey hawk for approximately 40 years. He made significant contributions to the study of magical flight. mapmaking, and the anatomy of dragons. At one time, he produced drawings of dragons based on what he had claimed were actual observations of live dragons. Although the drawings appeared to be authentic (no flaws. obvious or minute, were ever detected in the drawings). their authenticity has never been acknowledged due to Mizaab's eccentric habits and lifestyle which cast a shadow upon his reliability and dependability. Nevertheless. his sketches revealed previously unknown details of dragon anatomy, such as scale patterns. wing construction, and details about talons, horns, and spiny plates. Mizaab's origin is unknown, but those who knew him guessed that he was from somewhere near Greyhawk. based on his familiarity with both the city and the surrounding countryside. He was acquainted with every nook and cranny. a surprising ability for someone so eccentric. Mizaab's wizardly training Is also a mystery. since the Wizards School has no record of him studying there at any level. He frequented the Guildhall, however. and became a fixture in its library for days and weeks at a time. He was known to follow these extended studies with extended disappearances, lasting up to a month. He always vanished without warning or word to anyone. and more than once he was given up for dead. only to return to the Guildhall as sudden ly as he departed. His returns were always marked by good health, and he appeared as a man invigorated and rested. not the victim of foul play or illness as was sometimes speculated. His sudden. lengthy, and unexplained disappearances account for his unreliable reputation. When queried about such disappearances. his answer was always the same: magical research. He never provided details of his journeys to anyone. nor did he share details of his research until he was quite certain that his methods were on the right course. Among Mizaab's achievements are improvements to the various flying spells that are known around Greyhawk, enabling better stability and maneuverability. and enabling greater heights to be reached: various magical rings and potions that enabled flight: and various articles of clothing that also allowed either flight or levitation. He was also known as an expert mapper and made many excellent contributions to the available information about the countryside surrounding Greyhawk. He designed his maps from the air. allowing them to be rendered accurately and in great detail. Mizaab even devised his own extremely practical system for identifying the variations in slope on different types of terrain. Apparently Mizaab also had a great passion for the study of dragons. He was known to have lengthy discussions at the Guildhall with anyone who would discuss the great wyrms. He was as interested in legends and myths about dragons as he was in facts. He seemed to enjoy listening to old yarns about dragons. and encouraged the telling of even the crustiest ancient stories. His dream was to get close enough to a dragon In order to study it. and, toward the end of his last days in Greyhawk. Mlzaab claimed that he had done just that. He produced drawings and sketches of the wyrm he had observed. and although the sketches were never accepted as authentic renderings. as of the time of this writing. they have never been proven as counterfeit. The legends and rumors of Greyhawk dragons have long permeatt'd this community. and. while learned men believe in their existence. wise men discount claims of recognizing the dragons in their human forms as hysterical. Mizaab. on the other hand. professed to recognize these highly magical creatures of fantasy. Persons who claimed knowledge of Greyhawk dragons in the past had a strange tendency to disappear. Naturally, Mizaab had no proof of who these beasts were. He nonetheless claimed that he I could pick out the dragons who masqueraded as humans. lived in community with the commonfolk. and walked the streets of thls great city. For all Mizaab's talents. his unusual behavior and insistent beliefs about the Greyhawk dragons only harmed his credibility and reputation. He might have become one of the great mages of Greyhawk had it not been for his consplcuous eccentricities.
Mizaab's credibility was further harmed when he began speaking of a new magic that allowed a mage to permanently imprison another being in an invisible. dimensional void. He brought up this quesllon in a discussion at the Guildhall. but most mages agreed that the logistics of such a spell were simply too difficult. Many felt that such a spell would be impossible without some sort of device in which to trap a victim. Others felt that. even If such a spell were devised. the chances of failure would be simply too high to warrant Its casting If It meant the mage would be leaving himself open to attack. Mizaab. on the other hand. believed that such a spell was possible if two mages worked in conjunction. He felt that their combined powers would be capable of overpowering and trapping another being. Since combined spellcasting has rarely been attempted (and has never been successful). the idea was dismissed as folly by the mages of the Guild. Unfortunately for Mizaab. this "flight of fancy" only served to further damage his reputation. Mizaab's last appearance in Greyhawk. as of the time of this writing. was approximately 10 years ago. Those who knew him have speculated that he either suffered a fatal accident while flying. or fulfilled his lifelong dream of encountering a dragon. thus precipitating his demise. Despite his eccentricities. Mlzaab made significant contributions to the magical world. He Is presumed dead, but no one would be surprised if he were to one day appear in the streets of Greyhawk. none the worse for his lengthy absence.

  After the Library they retire for the night.   Reaping 21st, 580
The temple calls on them again this time they have a map to show them! After discussion they get provisions and head out. They fly with Hippogriffs which will take 2 days.   They see Stone Faces on the way and fly down to investigate. One of them animates and says:

"Mizaab sends you who have travelled long and hard a message. All the animals of the woods and streams. of the forests and hills know this advice: Never follow a snake into her lair, for only she knows the twists and turns that it takes; and only she knows where a trap may be laid and sprung. Travel safely and wisely, my friend, and heed this advice on your journey to conquer evil."

  They spot most of the landmarks from the air.
Reaping 23rd, 580 The last leg on the morning of the second day leads them over a beautiful valley

You enter a quiet, wooded valley tucked between a mountain and a high hill. It almost seems too peaceful and beautiful to be home to a vile creature like the Falcon. As you wind through the valley, you observe many birds and small mammals, as well as a few deer and elk. Wildflowers and blueberry bushes grow thickly at the base of the slopes and up the sides. The map indicates that the lair entrance is on the northwest side of the hill. As you round the hill, the scenery changes drastically. The fertile, colorful scenery gives way to a dreary. desolate landscape. The ground is damp and soggy. and the wildflowers are replaced by mosses and lichens. You realize that that the sun never touches this part of the hill, due to its own movement and the shadow cast by the neighboring mountain. At the top of the hill, trees and brush cover th e slope where the mountain's shadow cannot reach. But below this, all is a wasteland. Water trickles down the slope. forming ruts and gullies. Puddles and pools form under rocks and boulders and anywhere th e ground is level enough to catch moisture. Frogs, toads. and salamanders hop and slither from puddle to puddle. Clouds of gnats and mosquitos can be seek rising from some of the larger puddles.

  Carcharius finds the entrance very quickly.   They spend several hours in there. They get the feeling The Falcon returned for he spell books. Then they see a large Falcon grab a sack and escape when they reach the Nest Room. It is apparent they need to get back to Greyhawk. They must rest first.   Reaping 25th, 580
They return to Greyhawk in turmoil. They fight with the Temple against the cultists and the battle is an easy victory with the Saltmarsh Six on the Temple's size. They are some of the most powerful characters in the City of Greyhawk now. Carcharius almost had the falcon but she escaped when a cult leader sacrificed himself for her. Though the Temple won this battle, The Falcon escaped...Again.