Editing Master of the Elements

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{{TErow| 1 |Day 1|The purity of the Elemental Planes is a sharp contrast to home.  For the first time, I realized there were no smells in the Elemental Planes.  Here, the air carries a scent with it - flowers, rain, rotting leaves, mud.  Still, it's good to be home.<p>Unfortunately, something happened as we passed through the portal to our own world.  There is a great distance between my three Captains and me.  Reamus thinks the contrast between the two realms caused the accident.  For now, we keep in contact thanks to owl messengers such as the one Barsolar uses, and we hope to rejoin our forces soon.}}

{{TErow| 4 |Day 4|It didn't take long for one of the Mages to figure out how long we have been gone from this world.  Thirty years!  Much can change in thirty years even if my mission has not.  I must still stop the Elemental Lords.  Men such as Barsolar feel the same way - that if we don't defeat the Elemental Lords then all that we have lost will be for naught.<p>Realizing that King Magnus might have perished while we were gone, I order Ponific to set out for Bracada immediately.  With a sizable force of his own to protect him, Ponific shouldn't have any trouble getting through enemy lines.  Hemoross is leaving as well, still caged and in the capable hands of my Golem Master.}}

{{TErow| 8 |Day 8|The day I arrived, I sent Magic Elementals our to explore the land and locate my enemy.  Today, one of them returned from the northeast with news about the Fire Lord's position.<p>"The Fire Lord has raised huge volcanoes and flooded the land to the northeast with lava.  His Fiery Fields spread daily, consuming everything in its path," the Elemental explains.}}

{{TErow| 9 |Day 9|Another Magic Elemental returned today, also from the north.  The Lord of Air has a Conflux to the northeast and is busy spreading his Magic Clouds throughout the land.  Although you can still walk on them, the Magic Elemental claims that the ground is slowly losing its form and will soon disappear for good.}}

{{TErow| 10 |Day 10|"In the humid lands to the southwest," explained a third Magic Elemental scout, "is the Lord of Water.  The ground is swampy there.  Rivers and lakes overflow and become Lucid Pools.  Before long, he will have full command of his region."}}

{{TErow| 12 |Day 12|Finally, the last Magic Elemental scout returns from the southeast where he has found the Lord of Earth.<p>"Like the others, Lord Tarnum, the land under Earth's control is crumbling and drying up.  The rivers have run dry - only a few lakes remain as a sign that the Lord of Earth hasn't completely gained control of the land.  But earthquakes shake the ground daily.  Of course, this is not unexpected news."<p>"Yes," I say.<p>"I have bad news," says the Magic Elemental.<p>"What?"<p>"The Elemental Lords have indeed become allies.  They share resources and information and even troops.  Each Elemental Lord can summon all four types of Elementals, so you can expect them to have massive armies!"<p>"And all of them will be concentrating their attacks on me alone.  Great!"}}

{{TErow| 19 |Day 19|A letter arrived from King Magnus today.  It reads:<p>"Tarnum,<p>Amazing!  After all these years, for you to return alive is simply amazing.  I have heard some of what you have experienced while in the Elemental Planes from the man you sent to me, but I hunger for more information.  I know your hands are still busy with the Elemental Lords, but maybe I can help you some time soon.  Unfortunately, we've had some trouble in the decades since your absence and don't have much to offer right now.  Good luck, and looking forward to hearing from you again.<p>Gavin Magnus<br>King of Bracada"}}

{{TErow| 20 |Day 20|Today, some of my Fire Elementals managed to slip into the land of the Fire Lord and destroy some of his supplies.  Outnumbered as I am, I must strike back at my enemy, weaken him and get him thinking about protecting his own lands before he can attack me.}}

{{TErow| 27 |Day 27|Using the same tactic used against the Fire Lord, I sent some Ice Elementals to steal some resources from the Lord of Water.  Unfortunately, they were spotted soon after they stole the goods.  Before they were caught, however, my Elementals destroyed their booty.  Too bad they didn't return.}}

{{TErow| 31 |Day 31|Since some of my raids have been getting repelled lately, I sent a combined force of Water and Earth Elementals to attack one of the Earth Lord's supply lines.  They were successful and returned with only a few injuries.}}

{{TErow| 35 |Day 35|The Elemental Lords have become suspicious of their own troops - an unexpected result of my raids.  They've been treating their own troops so poorly lately that when I sent some Storm Elementals for a raid they were able to join up with some deserting Elementals.  The Elementals returned to join my forces while the Storm Elementals destroyed of the Air Lord's goods.}}

{{TErow| 37 |Day 37|Another letter from King Magnus arrived this morning.<p>"Tarnum,<p>I understand that you are unable to explain the mysteries of the Elemental Planes to me now in the middle of war, so I am coming for a visit.  If I could sit down with you and talk for just a couple hours each night, I think I could learn much.  Just so I'm not a complete hindrance, I will also bring along some reinforcements.  Good Day.<p>Gavin Magnus<br>King of Bracada"}}

{{TErow| 67 |Day 67|King Gavin Magnus arrived this morning on a black charger, his robes billowing behind him.  With him came almost a hundred people - his entourage.  Not a single fighter in the bunch.  Now I have to support these people and fight the war at the same time.<p>But I noticed immediately that Gavin Magnus hadn't changed at all since I first saw him. I had been expecting an old man.  Thirty years had passed, and this man didn't appear a day older!  Could there be some truth in the rumors that Gavin Magnus was immortal too?}}

{{TErow| 69 |Day 69|I quickly learned that another member of King Magnus's entourage was the leering Hemoross, except now he walked around a free man.<p>This morning, Magnus called an audience - all were to attend.  As soon as I arrived, however, I knew something was wrong because Hemoross was standing next to the King.<p>"I am told," Magnus began, "that there was some trouble while you were in the Elemental Planes - a disagreement, shall we say?"<p>Several people nodded, but I stepped forward.<p>"Nothing that hasn't already been settled, King Magnus.  In my letter to you, I explained this and what I thought should be done with my prisoner," I said.<p>"Yes, well, when he became my prisoner I decided to let Hemoross free, as long as he would return here and make a statement to you all."<p>Magnus looked at Hemoross, who nervously stepped forward.<p>"I, uh, I've had the opportunity to do some research into the history of our people, and of the Barbarian people.  Sadly, I have learned that our ancestors wronged the Barbarians. We enslaved them all.  Furthermore, I am here to denounce my earlier accusation that Lord Tarnum here is no true Wizard.  He is obviously the best of us all, and no Barbarian."<p>Hemoross backed away as I tried to close my mouth.  Kings could be quite convincing when they wanted to be.}}

{{TErow| 71 |Day 71|King Magnus accepted my invitation to a private dinner, but neither of us enjoyed ourselves much.<p>The moment we sat down, Magnus said, "I first saw you long ago, shortly before you conquered Castle Steelhorn."<p>Somehow, Magnus knew what my question was going to be.  This man was immortal, and I wanted to know why.<p>"You're immortal," I said.<p>"Of course, but not in the same way as you," Magnus said.  "I first found out I was immortal when one of your Behemoths killed me.  Imagine my surprise when I came back to life.  I have spent much of my time ever since researching magic and the world around me - which is why I came here to learn about the Elemental Planes."<p>"You said that was the first time you saw me," I mentioned.<p>"Well, yes, I saw your rise as well as your death.  Since then, I have heard stories about you but nothing very substantial.  I knew some day our paths would cross again, especially when I became King of Bracada.  I used to hate you, Tarnum, the Barbarian King, but time has a way of making you forget.  Now, if you can manage to defeat these Elemental Lords, I will consider us even - perhaps even brothers," Magnus said with a wide smile.<p>Unfortunately, I had no interest in being this man's friend.  He had a cold arrogance that was worse than anything Barsolar had ever been.  He seemed inhuman.  I wondered if his mysterious immortality (rumored to be caused by a spell) made him this way.<p>Did others perceive me that way?  Have I, too, become less than human?}}

{{TErow| 74 |Day 74|Today, King Magnus is returning home.  Unfortunately, Barsolar has been ordered to go with him.  Thankfully, Hemoross is leaving as well.<p>Last night, Barsolar drank well into the night and laughed at the silly way we treated each other.  We would depart friends and promised to see each other again - although I knew I would not be able to keep that promise.<p>Before the King left, however, I pulled Magnus aside into my tent.<p>"First, I want to recommend you give Barsolar the highest honors you can.  He's a courageous man, one of the bravest you've got, and he deserves it.  He and all the others deserve it for traipsing off to the Elemental Planes, forever leaving their loved ones behind."<p>"They will," Magnus promised.<p>"Second, when I have defeated the Elemental Lords, I'm going turn over those troops that belong to you to Reamus.  As for the Elementals, I'll be giving them their freedom and sending them back home to their realms."<p>Magnus didn't seem pleased with this.  I could tell he had been looking forward to gaining control over the Elementals and becoming a master of the Elements himself.<p>"I see," Magnus said.<p>"And if you think Reamus or Barsolar can tell you how to get to the Elemental Planes, I've already talked with the Psychic Elementals.  Once this is over, they are going to remove that information from the minds of those who've learned it," I said firmly.<p>The power of the Elements was too great a temptation for the people of this world.  I had already made a deal with the Magic Elementals to make the secrets of the Conflux disappear as well - forever.  Once the Elemental Lords were defeated, they would never be heard from again.  Nor would there ever be another master of the Elements.}}