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SKI TREK WILDLIFE SANCTUARY - A TRANSFORMING EXPERIENCE

By Jacquetta Anichoson, Special Correspondent

Dateline: 9-8-516

"To the South-West of Castle Canterbury lie the Ski Trek Mountains. This magical range of mountains, which appears on each alternative century, then disappears on the next, has just reappeared for another 100 years. Although the mountains are mostly bleak and unfriendly, the Wildlife Sanctuary is of great interest to sages and monster hunters alike. A strange magical area in the mountains is rumored to hold many creatures lost to Bereny, protected by the magical nature of the mountains. These beasts are both dangerous and strange. Many have fallen in the past, including heroes carrying lost treasures of great might. New champions will no doubt want to visit the place and try their skills against the menaces. Be warned though, you will need to learn to ski ... lessons available on arrival."

Thus was advertised by the Crown on adventurer notice boards through out the Kingdom several years ago. It, along with notices concerning Pendleton Keep (still being explored by the Dei Vigilare and their allies), the Two Worlds Citadel (unknown whether or not it has even been found), and other locations have since been covered up by more recent notices concerning such places as the Antithetical Cathedral and the Mother of All Dungeons. But the implied promise of skiing down snow-covered mountains to encounter previously unknown species of monsters that would seem at home in the nearby Southern Glaciers was in error.

"What we found," purred James Compton from the shadows of the jungle vegetation, "wasn't a snow bound wonderland, but a tropical valley teaming with creatures one would expect to encounter in the Savage Frontier." Mr. Compton, Big Jim to his friends, was the leader of the Terin'Sha's efforts to locate and explore the wildlife sanctuary, Certainly, the herds of fur covered mammoths and wolf-like andrasarchus would be at home in either frozen or tropical climate, but the various thunder lizards, including two larger than average T-Rexes, as they have been called by explorers of the Frontier, are at home exclusively in such jungle locales.

The members of the Terin'Sha, along with knights and adventurers of the Chaucer estate, spent most of their time running from the enormous beasts as they explored the boundaries of the hidden valley. The towering mountains formed a wall allowing no other egress except for the long cavern that tunneled through the mountains allowing entrance to the valley. Even the most expert mountain climbers or aerial creatures couldn't find a way over the mountains and into the isolated sanctuary.

A large lake, dubbed Lake Mysticala by the hostile psaurian natives, dominated the center of the valley. On this lake was an island and most strange was that this island housed a dungeon entrance. Not just a cavern dug by some predatory native creature of the valley, but a well crafted set of stairs, leading down into the valley bedrock. In addition, chambers within the dungeon were separated by iron bound and locked doors.

Thinking the mission would only cover wilderness exploration; the Terin'Sha didn't think to recruit a rogue for the mission. Then, the guild's nominal leader at the time, thought a leprechaun could fulfill the role. "Honest mistake," comments the guild's spokes-leprechaun. "We can get into a locked chest if we want to learn the skill, why can't we unlock a door." Sadly, Yul Herman was wrong and not only did the mission members have to wait for the first recruit to reach the sanctuary, but a second one as well.

"But it wasn't all for naught," excitedly yapped Peewee Brenner, a peculiar looking humanoid fox-like creature. "We found the dungeon to be the laboratory of Dr. Fentler!" It was soon found out that Peewee was the Terin'Sha's leprechaun recruit.

"Quite right," growled Big Jim, who revealed himself, not to be the famed ranger we had expected, but a humanoid tiger creature akin to the aslani of Kyr. "It seems the dungeon was a long abandoned lab of the doctor, full of his mad experiments splicing monsters together to combine the deadliest characteristics of each." Certainly a mouthful for the man reputed to be plain speaking.

The dungeon was indeed inhabited by amalgams. Bizarre mixtures of two different animals created by sorcerous means. The process seemed to turn them all quite violent and the expedition encountered several such as a giant beetle tiger, a humanoid horned marguary, and a giant slug snake. "There were worsse creaturess, too!" hissed another of the mission's members, Luthien Pityon, a once elven warrior maiden now appearing elven serpent.

When pressed as to what happened to the three members of the Terin'Sha and a couple of the knights from Baron Chaucer's estate, Big Jim explained. "Deep in the dungeon, we found a strange pedestal bathed in silver light. It felt rather unpleasant as the light touched our skin, but the whole complex seems built around this one pedestal," he purred. "I told the others to stay back and only allow me to touch the pedestal in order to investigate it further."

"That is when he disappeared in a flash of light," barked Peewee.

"Quite so," growled Big Jim, eliciting barks, growls, and hisses from the others. "I felt the light leeching into me. A power I cannot describe. It twisted me, changed me … it transformed me … and teleported me outside of the dungeon. When the light cleared, I found myself turned into this," he spread his arms and looked down at his body. "A Tigron. One of Dr Fentler's transmorphs. Its seems along with making monsters like the amalgams, he also sought to magically create a race of superior warriors combining the best of the animal and the humanoid."

One could imagine an army of such warriors would be formidable and Big Jim agreed. "There is no sign of Dr. Fentler in the wildlife sanctuary, but if he is still alive somewhere and still experimenting, he could be a great danger to the Kingdom."

"As soon as I could," Big Jim pressed on with another growl, "I sought to warn the others what had happened. Particularly the enchantress from the Chaucer estate. While this transformation has improved my health and speech, I knew it would play havoc with her ability to practice enchantment. Before I could reach them though, Peewee in his excitement followed me in touching the pedestal." He looked at the Fox-like creature unapprovingly.

"What," Peewee yipped. "Despite the creepy feeling the light gave us, watching you disappear looked like fun," the once leprechaun said with a toothy smile. "And I won't have to hide in the back doing nothing any more," he barked puffing his chest out. "Still not sure if my small equipment is to tight or not though. Might have to try something bigger."

"As for the others," Big Jim purred, "Peewee and I explained all that happened and why. They each weighed the consequences and results. The enchantress Illona wisely declined, valuing her art too much. As did our rogue."

"I didn't want to spoil my good looks," said the man known as Fredick Masterson with a grin that showed one too many missing teeth.

"Bessidess," hissed Luthien, "He probably would turn into a rat-man." Her forked tongue flicked out as if licking her lips at the prospect. The rogue scowled in return.

"Ja'Kaal and Jed," explained the enchantress, "asked Baron Chaucer's permission, who agreed, but he couldn't keep them on as knights, though they would always have a home at the estate."

With all these transformation, the problem of being turned into monsters would seem to be weighing on the collected adventurer's minds.

"Not so," addressed Big Jim. "I was friends of the good Abbott Sanberligne for many years, and I sought his council on the matter. He addressed the issue to the Crown Commission on the Protection of Monsters and before debate by the members could begin, the Regent himself spoke on the issue." The former ranger then gave me a letter from the Abbott, along with a copy of a transcript of the commissions meeting on this matter. An inquiry with the office of the Regent confirms the transcript's authenticity.

In short, the transformation that befell Big Jim and the other adventurers is inconsequential to their status as citizens of Bereny. As long as they are still living beings, their citizenship status is not broken. Of course, the Royal Courts would have the final ruling on the matter, but the Regent makes clear that should the law be interpreted to the contrary, he would be inclined to restore their citizenship, provided it was clear they posed no threat.

With that said, the Big Jim and the others plan to test their new found abilities on some of the other dangers of the sanctuary before setting out to put their skills in service to the land and the Kingdom.

So, if your looking to experience what it is like in the Frontier, and don't want to travel all the way there to get it, you might find the Ski Trek Wildlife Sanctuary an interesting place to visit. If you want a more transforming experience, you can find that there, too!

For a copy of the Crown ruling on the legal status of Transmorphs see here.

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