The Twin Peaks Version
- Apple Lane was a magical spot in the EWF.
- The Carmanians neutralized it after the fall of the EWF by setting up the
White and Black Lodges.
- Now an EWF spirit with the mysterious rune
<|/\|> (vulgarly called the BOB rune and thought to mean
<|\/|> Beware of Bob)
is seeking to master the ancient magics of Apple Lane. He has spent a
great age mastering the White Lodge and now is preparing a campaign
of gruesome atrocities to gain access to the Black Lodge.
- Gringle does shapechange into the shape of a wolf but he is no
Telmori. Instead he is one of the last Kogdivari, the mythical
royal clan of the Vingkotlings that became werewolves to survive
in the Great Darkness. Although part of the Sartar High Council,
as an agent for the Hidden King, Gringle is charged with ensuring
that it never succeeds.
- Navarok Onehand used to have a BOB tattoo on his right arm
and was regularly visited by BOB. Navarok cut off his arm once
he realized BOB's evil designs. However doing so severed him
from his higher consciousness and now he only has faint and
vague disturbing hints of the disaster to come.
- Kareena was a resident of Dragon Pass whose personal wind
took her to the far east. There she breathed in many strange
winds until she came to the attention of Godunya. He had been
the resident stickpicker in Apple Lane many centuries before
and had embedded a portion of his consciousness there to
protect himself against Sheng Seleris. But sensing the depradations
of BOB from afar, he commanded Kareena to go to Apple Lane
to protect his portion, which is now safely ensconced within the
Temple to All Deities. Kareena does not know who BOB is.
due to an oversight by Godunya, which might be attributed to
his senility.
- Jarstan Goodaxe is the current Keeper of the White Lodge,
which is cunningly disguised as a shrine to Humakt. He knows
that the Black Lodge lies within the Rainbow Mounds but
considers this a big secret.
- When Sheng warred against Godunya, he used all his powers
to find something about him. In Dragon Pass, this resulted in
a Grazer family migrating to Apple Lane, a place the Grazers
had previously never cared for. The Apple Lane horsemasters
are the descendants of the Grazer family. Up until now, the
family has no idea why they were inspired to move here. Now
Sheng's spirit in torment has been visiting the horsemasters
with cryptic dreams of the secret weakness of his enemy.
Finding that and performing a special rite will strengthen
Sheng Seleris and allow him to grow stronger.
- The Carmanian that built the White and Black Lodges was
buried in both places. His name was forgotten as his
successors were slaughtered in the Dragonkill. But his
legendary sword is still famous in distant Carmania. Although
Piku and his family pretended to casually wander in and
set up shop, in reality they are looking for the sword as
it contains their ancestors. With it they hope to carve out
a vast empire in Fronela.
- The secret name of the Ulerian Temple is Zoria, which
was also the name of the Carmanian's mistress. The
Zorians are a fruitcake branch of Ulerians that hope to
conquer the world by addicting everybody to love. Anybody
that has visited the temple, even for the free beer, are
potential love-slaves that must do what the Zorians say.
Currently the Zorians have received disturbing portents
that the slayer of the Queen of the Kiss will be visiting
Apple Lane very soon and are preparing a grandiose
ambush.
- When Sartar left Heortland, bits of Heortland followed
him to drag him back. One of these landed in Apple
Lane, making it magically part of the Holy Country.
The Sherrif of Apple Lane is an illiterate dolt but the magicians
of the Holy Country carefully chose him (and his predecessors)
and enchanted him with numerous rituals so that the Sherrif
can become the Pharaoh's avatar. When the Sherrif gets
drunk from time to time, he sometimes goes Bush were
nobody can find him. In reality, the Pharaoh is magicially
extending the borders of Apple Lane (and other places) to
eventually incorporate it into the Holy Country.
- Pramble the Poet is crafting Nysaloran poems although
he doesn't know it. The Tin Roof of the Tin Inn is a shield
against Arkati senses and a hidden Nysaloran artefact is
secretly whispering occult wisdom into Pramble's skull.
- Squinch is a Lhankor Mhy Gray Sage of Esrolia that
ventured to deeply into the forbidden stacks. Now he
knows partially the God Learners secret and has
avoided guessing the rest by filling his mind with
rubbishy trivia and drink.
- Quackjohn is a spy for Delecti. He secretly slips
preservatives into the drinks of suitable adventurers
so that when they get killed (by a mysterious outbreak
of undead), their bodies are preserved by the time
they reach the Upland Marshes. Gringle knows what
Quackjohn is but doesn't care as the Kogdivari are
in cahoots with Delecti.
--Peter Metcalfe