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Skyfall Lake - Extra Material

Irripi Ontor #90.45.7.8929/34

An Analysis of Aquatic Fauna Encounters, Skyfall Lake, Dragon Pass

By Greg Stafford and Sandy Peterson. Thanks to Stephen Martin and Bruce Ferrie for collection and entry of materials.

Irripi Ontor Document #90.45.7.8929/34: Raibanth Wisdom Temple. Inscribed Under the Seal of Lord High Sage Requiat Rattlepate, 26th year of the 7th Wane, using Irripi Ontor Truth Grading System 5a/RPATE. Prepared for Blademaster Sigilius Gar-Sool of Yanafal Tarnils, Baron of Carantes, in accordance with Imperial document regulations 35.1, 600.3, and 12.37 (Imperial Code of the Red Emperor, Revision XVII).

Research Staff: Acolyte Ubiquus, known as the Skeptic; Scriveners Baz Razorpen and Mur-got Thimble; Library Assistants Xot-Sin Swivelhips and Rusticus of Two Tomes.

MY DEAR SIR SIGILLIUS, thank you for your patronage of our modest temple. My assistants and I have researched the subject of Skyfall Lake with care. As you have requested, we paid particular attention to information pertaining to the greater monsters of the lake. I hope that the fruit of our efforts will suit your exalted pleasure.

After six seasons of dangerous field investigations, library work, divination, and onerous numerological codification, I have been able to arrive at certain definitive conclusions. Sections below summarize my recommendations for your expedition and the theoretical basis for these recommendations.

I also include several excerpts from documents related to the subject. These excerpts are representative of the large body of data I and my assistants examined, and I hope that they will serve to demonstrate the scope and accuracy of this project. Of course, a more exhaustive research effort would undoubtedly yield a more sophisticated result, but would require an even longer period of time and considerably more funding.

You will be relieved to know that all of the data I was provided with or unearthed has been painstakingly evaluated for accuracy using our famous Truth Grading system. A1though I am certain you are fully cognizant of this system, permit me to recap the salient features for your convenience. After assembling all material on a subject, we sift each document for its essential validity, ascribing a numeric grade from 0 to 100 to every statement or piece of data encountered. A grade of 0 represents our estimation that a statement is an utter and certain falsehood or error, and a grade of 100 is awarded only to those statements guaranteed absolutely truthful and accurate in all details.

As said before, all data pursuant to the subject of this project was rated using our system. In accordance with our hallowed Irripi Ontor traditions of precise analysis, any material that fell below a TGS (Truth Grading System) of 85 was ignored.

Following are representative excerpts from the three most useful documents I analyzed.

Document I. Ubiquus the Skeptic's Report
Document II. Narrative of Neasha of Rhigos
Document III. The Guidebook of Gnashk Oneleg

Summary of Research Findings

IN REGARDS to my overall appraisal of the data, samples of which you have read above, I can offer only a very basic, but carefully considered recommendation: your attention should be focussed on the weather over the lake. When certain meteorological events occur, as defined below, a probability of 73 out of 100 exists that your expedition will encounter hazardous magical events and supremely dangerous creatures. When these events are in abeyance, the probability of such encounters drops to 29 out of 100. Using this system, expeditions onto the lake can be conducted without a catastrophic level of risk.

The specific event your scouts must watch for is the appearance of black storm clouds over the northern part of the lake, leading to a Class Seven or higher (using Jar-Veeshna's Weather Codex) thunderstorm in that area. High winds, lightning, and waterspouts are usually present during these storms, as are rains of odd objects such as worms or flakes of metal. This should make identification relatively easy. My research has established a correlation of Rank 73.13 significance (Temple Schedule 98.N1) between such thunderstorms and the sighting of dangerous monsters such as Megaserpentes Maritimus (sea serpents), or of more inexplicable entities, such as the apocryphal "Brown Shark."

Note that thunderstorms are frequent events on Skyfall Lake (occurrence in 43.41 out of 100 entries), but only those of great severity, and only those that occur in the northern part of the lake, are worthy of your special consideration. You may rest assured that a careful watch for this weather pattern will protect you and your men from excessive and undignified exertions during your expedition.

Theoretical Background to the Analysis

MY LORD, THE THEORY behind my recommendation is quite simple. The monstrous fauna that infest the zone of magic known as Skyfall Lake derive from a source that is hidden in the sky, far above the rain clouds and storms over the lake. Using advanced methods of numerological divination, I have determined this distance to be exactly 719 Solar glm. (Temple Measurement Schedule 98.LI3).

My theory is that the clouds function as a curtain or barrier between our world and some strange opening into the plane of the gods, an opening that appears to be located over the northern part of the lake. Imprecision in the available material precludes a more specific localization.

When the clouds are thickest and storms are present, the opening to the God Plane gapes wide, letting vast monsters and other more mysterious forces through to our world, thus creating conditions hazardous even to a warrior of the greatest stature.

If you will indulge a speculation, my lord, I believe that beyond this opening is some place sacred to the gods, a place that is too awesome for our unworthy mortal eyes to behold. Thus great clouds and storms are constantly present, hiding all knowledge from our sight. The waterspouts, rains of odd objects, aquatic monsters, and other marvels are only small manifestations of the importance of this magic place.

My research indicates that very powerful storms (Levels Seven through Ten of Jar-Veeshna's Weather Codex) form over the northern part of the great lake periodically. There seems to be no link between these storms and the ordinary weather of Dragon Pass. Nor does any other discernible local phenomena seem to be connected, even dragonewt sightings or broo outrages. This would tend to reinforce the theory that events in another world determine the pattern. Frequency is once per 17 days, on average.

As mentioned above, monster sightings or other dramatic events reliably occur on the same days that these great storms brew up in the north. Odd objects and entities follow the opening of the hole between the worlds in the same way that smoke follows fire.

I might add, for your peace of mind, that use of Yak-Teel's Solar Codex, the numerological technique pioneered by High Priest Yak-Teel Prime Requisite of our temple, fully confirms my theory of this linkage between the weather of the lake and the sighting of monsters.

Latest revision: 16 Sep 2001, new