My question is this: Have the Seekers been mentioned or detailed before, or is this the first time they are mentioned? At first, I thought it was a reference to the Seekers of the Song from the Complete Arcane, but the NPC in question isn't bard-like at all.
Thanks for your help.
Miles.
In the new Dungeon Master's Guide II, they detail the city of Saltmarsh. This is my first time approaching it, and I'd like to run a campaign there. In one of the entries, a man is said to belong "to a secret society known as the Seekers, a group of individuals dedicated to exploring the unknown."
My question is this: Have the Seekers been mentioned or detailed before, or is this the first time they are mentioned? At first, I thought it was a reference to the Seekers of the Song from the Complete Arcane, but the NPC in question isn't bard-like at all.
Miles.
The Seekers in question are sparsely detailed in sources starting from the Living Greyhawk Journals and on through Dungeon Magazine. Last year's Dungeon 112, (Maure Castle) goes into some extensive use of the Seekers as Eli Tomorast is one of their rogue members. They are also rivals of the Silent Ones who would supress lore. Beyond that I know Dungeon will revisit them in more detail soon, hopefully within the year in conjunction with the current Adventure Path series. In the meantime, I'd equate them with any PrC that involves dungeons and exploration. Think Indiana Jones.
I thought Saltmarsh was a hamlet on the southern coast of Keoland.
Miles.
Saltmarsh was originally supposed to be about 2,000 in population.
That is actually a small town according to 3.5 rules.
The population is said to have increased after refugees came from Seaton. It seem Seaton was sacked by "pirates and slavers from the north." Regrettably, whoever wrote that couldn't be bothered to even check the map in the D&D Gazetteer and note that the only places north of Seaton are Keoland. I guess Keoland decided to give up on being Good and sack one of their own towns.
It is a bit more understandable that they didn't take a moment to reflect that Saltmarsh has been conquered by the Scarlet Brotherhood then liberated within the past decade, because that would have required a bit more setting specific research, and would have altered the nature of the town quite a bit. I guess the drive to make it totally generic and useful in Eberron and Forgotten Realms meant its situation in Greyhawk needed to be totally ignored.
Oh, and the map doesn't particularly agree with the map from the U series either.
as far as Greyhawk is concerned. I don't recall reading anything about the seekers in older Greyhawk material. Maybe the monkeys with that nifty search engine will pop in and set us straight.Gerald the Seeker [C1][C2][C4][NPC]
U1 - 29
U2 - 31
U3 - 45
Seekers [ORG]
LGJ#4 - 15,16
Miles.
It seem Seaton was sacked by "pirates and slavers from the north." Regrettably, whoever wrote that couldn't be bothered to even check the map in the D&D Gazetteer and note that the only places north of Seaton are Keoland.
Did the Wild Coast and the Pomarj move to somewhere south of Keoland when I wasn't looking? ;)
--Erik
Gary Holian has written an extensive article on the organization that will appear in Dragon or Dungeon as soon as he performs a requested revision.
It's been about a year and a half, now, so it should arrive any minute. ;)
--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon
Did the Wild Coast and the Pomarj move to somewhere south of Keoland when I wasn't looking? ;)
--Erik
Did the orcs get a navy capable of bypassing both Gryrax and Gradsul when I wasn't looking?
Did the Pomarj and Wild Coast move 500 miles to the west so that such a place of origin shouldn't be noted as "north and east" when I wasn't looking?
Either would be one heck of a trick.
Both together?
"North" of Seaton is Gradsul. And it has a navy. Just one that is on the same side as Seaton.
Except we are talking about the difference between New York being north of Washington D.C. and Boston being "north" of it as well. While technically true, it isn't physically representative of the situation.
As for goblins or any other humanoids in the Pomarj, they don't have much of a navy either. Nor are they as relevant, since the Pomarj is an Orcish Kingdom these days.
And technically, there aren't that many humans in the Pomarj, and close to no demihumans.
And they would have a very hard time raiding the area, as the Keoish navy is now dominant in that region, having all but destroyed the Scarlet Brotherhood navy at the end of the Greyhawk Wars. And as I said, that doesn't answer them having to also get past the navy of the Prince of Ulek, with whom they are actively at war with.
So with all that, we are talking about them getting enough ships together, somehow, sailing several hundred miles, apparently across open ocean, with no sailing tradition previously, past two hostile navies, and raiding and sacking an important naval base being actively used in current operations directed against the Scarlet Brotherhood in the Hold of the Sea Princes, a naval base that also happens to be the capital of the province.
Maybe it's just me, but that's one too many improbable things to accept at once. Perhaps if it had been pirates and slavers from the Hold of the Sea Princes I might have believed they would choose to raid Seaton instead of Saltmarsh and be able to succeed. But from the Pomarj? Not a chance.
Someone get some popcorn and some blankets. This is probably going to last a while.
--Erik
Gary Holian has written an extensive article on the organization that will appear in Dragon or Dungeon as soon as he performs a requested revision.
He better get crackin' on that, I need that damn article. Holian has too many irons in the fire it seems! :P
You know, Samwise, even though "north" isn't as precise as "north and east," it doesn't mean it is wrong. It doesn't state "due north" or "immediately to the north" so I think it's easy enough to make the connection.
Hey...maybe the slavers are from Ull! That's north-ish. Eh, nevermind.
Oh, look, a semantics argument with Samwise.
Someone get some popcorn and some blankets. This is probably going to last a while.
--Erik
No.
It's people telling me I can't like something because they don't like my reasons and reading of background.
I don't like the version of Saltmarsh in the DMG II. I feel the descriptive text fits poorly with background material. Ever were I to accept the "rebuttal" arguments made, it would just mean I feel the descriptive text poorly conveys the elements of the background material it is referring to.
So there are no semantics involved. Unless you mean on your part.
Oh, Mortellan, they aren't from Ull. They are from Iuz. That is north too. And they even have a water route, from their port at Dorakaa. It didn't say how far north after all, and you could make the connection.
Samwise, why always on the bitter defensive?...Erik was obviously being tongue-in-cheek and he was correct in that the Pomarj is to the north of Saltmarsh, albeit east-north-east, and farther north than north-north-east Gradsul...And given the rise of the Slavelords there recently, it is possible that Davis the Reavers' pirates could be raiding that far to the west, however unlikely that they are the northern raiders the DMG II writers are referring to...That being said, the writers obviously meant raiders from the "south" (i.e. from the Hold of the Sea Princes)...Every book I've ever read from TSR/WotC has editting errors of one kind or another, just look at all of them in "Slavers" (a great 'ideas' module with lots of game mechanics mistakes)...
Kwint
Regardless, the description said that the Slaver from the North were infamous. It's possible that the Pirates and the Slavers were two different groups. The smugglers that started it all had ties with the slavers... so maybe the pirates were from one place, and the slavers from the north?
Miles.
Miles.
BTW, when people like Erik Mona help answer my questions, I always feel like I'm talking to a celebrity. Of course, I still worship my copy of Arcana Evolved that Monte Cook signed....
The Seekers are largely the creation of Gary Holian, who brought them into the continuity in his article about the Silent Ones of Keoland, a rival organization, in Living Greyhawk Journal #4 (which you can still get from Paizo.com). They're probably detailed most extensively in Dungeon #112. A minor NPC in the new Age of Worms Adventure Path, which starts in the current issue of Dungeon (#124), is also a Seeker.
Gary Holian has written an extensive article on the organization that will appear in Dragon or Dungeon as soon as he performs a requested revision.
It's been about a year and a half, now, so it should arrive any minute. ;)
--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon
Erik, will that article include the Silent Ones, too?
On a side note, I have considered getting the Living Greyhawk Journal backissues, but for some reason, $12-$15 per issue seems a bit high. Any chance for a clearance sale at Piazo.com?
Oh Geez,
Samwise, why always on the bitter defensive?
Oh Geez, KwinT, maybe it's because I have "critics" like certain other individuals on this thread?
...Erik was obviously being tongue-in-cheek and he was correct in that the Pomarj is to the north of Saltmarsh, albeit east-north-east, and farther north than north-north-east Gradsul...And given the rise of the Slavelords there recently, it is possible that Davis the Reavers' pirates could be raiding that far to the west, however unlikely that they are the northern raiders the DMG II writers are referring to...That being said, the writers obviously meant raiders from the "south" (i.e. from the Hold of the Sea Princes)...Every book I've ever read from TSR/WotC has editting errors of one kind or another, just look at all of them in "Slavers" (a great 'ideas' module with lots of game mechanics mistakes)...
Kwint
Obviously? Are you sure?
And the Slavelords in the Pomarj were defeated. Turrosh Mak, apparently an ex-Slavelord, rules there now. However his focus is on the Lortmils.
As for the overall quality of Slavers, well, let's not get into that.
Obviously? Are you sure?
Isn't that what the winking smiley means?
And the Slavelords in the Pomarj were defeated. Turrosh Mak, apparently an ex-Slavelord, rules there now. However his focus is on the Lortmils.
According to "Slavers," (set in the present, 591 CY) they're back and "allied" with Turrosh Mak...Is the DMG II's Saltmarsh set at a time after this?
As for the overall quality of Slavers, well, let's not get into that.
To each their own...
Kwint
Isn't that what the winking smiley means?
Or it means he is enjoying driving me crazy.
Apparently you aren't aware of how often we've done that to each other.
According to "Slavers," (set in the present, 591 CY) they're back and "allied" with Turrosh Mak...Is the DMG II's Saltmarsh set at a time after this?
Not far enough for them to have a navy to challenge those of Ulek and Keoland.
To each their own...
Kwint
Yes indeed.
And mine is disliking both Slavers and this new "Saltmarsh".
But as it is in print, how to read it? I read it that the city was attacked from the north - the landward side. The “pirates and slavers” were the Brotherhood and its allies but they declined to attack from the sea. Instead, they landed further along the coast, marched inland and attacked from the rear, where they would not be immediately expected. Actual pirates in the Caribbean employed this tactic repeatedly and successfully, avoiding risking their ships and appearing from an unexpected direction. We just need to give the Brotherhood some credit for being tactically creative.
As for the DMGII Saltmarsh writeup, I like it. I find nothing so offensive or jarring that would preclude its use. It is an “updating” of the setting. The changes are all possible given the passage of time and changes in circumstance. It could have been better but for the 3E default, I have no problems with it and applaud that they bothered with Greyhawk at all.
How about you all just make it whatever you want. It's a game of make-believe so go make-believe it's wherever you want it to be.
Well said.
As for the DMGII Saltmarsh writeup, I like it. I find nothing so offensive or jarring that would preclude its use. It is an “updating” of the setting. The changes are all possible given the passage of time and changes in circumstance. It could have been better but for the 3E default, I have no problems with it and applaud that they bothered with Greyhawk at all.
What no savage attack? No bitter denouncement of this product? No half page rant on the overall extremley low quality of current products?
Are you feeling well GVD? Or are you an alien impersonating him
?! Are you ?! Admit it pod person!!!!By and by the above is a joke for those of you that may not spot the irony :P
Maraudar
However from reading this thread, I see no reason why the pirate attack could not come from the Pomarj Slaver Fleet. The oceans are incredibly difficult to patrol even today, imagine how much harder given the naval restrictions found in a GH fleet.
A pirate ship(s) only have to find an open lane of sea to attack and as history shows no matter how large a defenders fleet is, it can't be everywhere at once, that is why piracy has been around as long as sea commerce.
Granted the Pomarj fleet isn't represented as a viable military head on threat to the major sea powers but the pirate fleet is hardly a push over.
I can see a daring slaver pirate captain taking advantage of the situation to launch a raid. Remember Ulek fleet is largely confined to defense of its coast and the Keoland fleet is engaged in more commerce protection lately to increase trade. Perhaps the SB provided their "allies" with information of naval schedules hoping such a raid will convince Ulek and Keoland fleets are needed a home to stifle southern trade which threatens the SB trade embargo.
A pirate ship(s) only have to find an open lane of sea to attack and as history shows no matter how large a defenders fleet is, it can't be everywhere at once, that is why piracy has been around as long as sea commerce.
...
I can see a daring slaver pirate captain taking advantage of the situation to launch a raid. Remember Ulek fleet is largely confined to defense of its coast and the Keoland fleet is engaged in more commerce protection lately to increase trade.
This is exactly what I was trying to say earlier. Not like I care to "win" this argument. Just voicing my opinion. If Samwise wants his GH to have a Saltmarsh that is handily protected by Keoish fleets that's fine. It's a bigger leap of continuity for me to make than supposing pirates from the Wild Coast have been raiding, but if it makes more sense to him, that's how he'll explain it to his players and that's how they'll understand it.
As this write-up would have it, Saltmarsh has been raided by somebody. Whether you interpret "pirates and slavers" to mean "Turrosk Mak," "the Scarlet Brotherhood," or "pirates and Slavers" is up to the GM unless they (WotC) clarify things later.
Maybe the raiders came from the north on Spell Jammer Ships.... :D
or airships. How could Keoland protect them against airships? :P
1: It had tradition, and was an established D&D location that had never been detailed before.
2: I had really fond memories of those U1-U3 adventures and figured that a lot of D&D players out there would get a kick out of seeing Saltmarsh's return.
Anyway, for the background, history, and locations, I did a fair amount of research into the region. (NOTE: It helps to sit across from Erik Mona at work when you're doing research on Greyhawk!) My original thoughts on the raiders of Seaton were that they were an offshoot of the Pomarj slavers who escaped south along the coast after some pesky PCs smashed their operation to the north. They eventually chose Seaton as a place to try to rebuild their power base. Of course, much of this went unsaid in the chapter since Saltmarsh had to not only serve as an updated version of a classic location, but also had to be fairly easy to adapt to other campaign worlds.
The important thing, though, isn't WHO raided Seaton, but that Seaton was raided and the refugees fled to Saltmarsh.
My original thoughts on the raiders of Seaton were that they were an offshoot of the Pomarj slavers who escaped south along the coast after some pesky PCs smashed their operation to the north. They eventually chose Seaton as a place to try to rebuild their power base.
I guess this settles the debate, thanks for responsing James. ;)
Miles.
I can appreciate the need to have the town fit into any setting. Unfortunately by doing so, it doesn't fit too well into Greyhawk any more.
WotC didn't put a GH brand on the DMGII and we all know their 'core world' is only a remote clone of the original setting we all love to bicker about. So, why be surprised it didn't fit the bill once again? By now, we should be used to that :raincloud
Do you have a plausible alternative or a way to "square the Circle"?
I am sure James and the rest of us would love to hear them...
Seriously, any thoughts??
So they escaped along the coast, past two major cities, and took out the capital of one of the provinces of Keoland, all without being noticed.
WARNING - JOKE
This would fit with the notion that Keoland is the "France" of Greyhawk. ;)
WARNING - JOKE
Now, when Iuz initiates - The Great Dragon Raid on Niole Dra . . . :P
WARNING - JOKE
See, James. Sometimes, you have to _NOT_ listen to The Erik Mona. ;)
SERIOUS -
Btw, James. Having read your work work for some number of years prior to your present work with Dungeon, you seem to have frequently returned to Greyhawk. Is this because GH is the 3E default or are you a fan of the setting?
What is you background with GH, if one can ask?
So they escaped along the coast, past two major cities, and took out the capital of one of the provinces of Keoland, all without being noticed.
I can appreciate the need to have the town fit into any setting. Unfortunately by doing so, it doesn't fit too well into Greyhawk any more.
In fairness, trying to find a fleet at sea without radar, spotter planes or satellites is very hard. Look at the course of naval battles from the age of sail to the second world war - they often were preceded by a lot of fumbling about trying to find the other guy.
This is from the Admiral Graf Spee entry in Wikipaedia:
"Technologically, the Admiral Graf Spee was ahead of her time, especially in terms of her speed. At one point the Allies were convinced that two such ships must exist so as to explain her near-simultaneous appearance in distant locations, unexplainable by conventional sea travel at the time. Britain formed seven hunting groups in the Atlantic and one in the Indian Ocean to look for her, totalling three battleships, four aircraft carriers, and 16 cruisers. More groups were assembled later."
Even then, it was nearly 3 months before they finally pinned her down off Montevideo.
Yeah, there's divination magic - but chances are anyone ballsy enough to try such a raid has that angled covered.
Perhaps the Pomarji or the SB have some magical augmentation to their ships to make them sail faster or maybe they have, to put it crudely, a magical cloaking device. One of the latter appeared in a LG Onnwal module in the past...
Now I don't know how well organised or defended Seaton is, but it doesn't strike me as being as well fortified as, say, Gradsul.
Perhaps there was treachery involved?
Perhaps the raiders weren't Pomarji but SB and/or LoI ships flying Pomarji flags?
They might have approached across the Azure, come north of Seaton and then attacked and withdrawn from/to "the north" to cover their tracks?
Course changes are a common naval tactics - a shrewd SB commander would be mad to actually attack from and withdraw in the direction of his home port. That kind of tactic also fits with an attitude of prudent respect for the strength of the Keoish fleet. And though Keoland's navy might be in the ascendant, the SB haven't been sitting on their hands since the repulse at Gradsul in 584 CY.
Perhaps a particularly daring captain/admiral has risen among the Pirates of the Pomarj or the SB?
IMO, there's a lot more scope for good adventure hooks in accepting the possibility that maybe, possibly, someone might have given Keoland a bloody nose at Seaton, rather than saying point blank it's not possible (maybe that's what the Keoish admirals said and they got complacent?).
I think it'd be really interesting to see the reaction in Gradsul and Niole Dra to such an affront. Imagine the shock in the Council and the rage of Duke Luschan. Cue a vengeance raid against Blue or Kro Terlep perhaps?
At the end of the day though - it's a core book - so take it or leave it as you see fit.
To each his own.
P.
Of course... the whole point of the Saltmarsh chapter is to provide a buffet of adventure ideas. If the slavers vs. Seaton angle doesn't work for you (and I can certainly see the arguments why it wouldn't), said details are easy enough to change.
Btw, James. Having read your work work for some number of years prior to your present work with Dungeon, you seem to have frequently returned to Greyhawk. Is this because GH is the 3E default or are you a fan of the setting?
What is you background with GH, if one can ask?
My reasons for returning to Greyhawk are pretty much fueled by the fact that it's my favorite D&D setting. I started playing D&D in 1983 with the blue rules, and Greyhawk pretty much stuck to me ever since. Those 1st edition adventures pretty much set my taste for D&D, and those tastes have more or less remained unchanged. So now, whenever I work on a D&D book or article, Greyhawk just kinda creeps in there.
I'd still be sneaking Greyhawk stuff into books and articles even if the 3E design team had gone with Maztica or Hollow World as the default setting.
Fraz-Urb'luu was awesome by the way, and I am looking forward to Graz'zt.
Really glad we have you in the Greyhawk fold.
I'd still be sneaking Greyhawk stuff into books and articles even if the 3E design team had gone with Maztica or Hollow World as the default setting.
:heehee
Now, wouldn't that be a sight worth seeing? Imagine that.. the mount in the default setting would be the dino! Oh wait, Eberron has them too...
Did the orcs get a navy capable of bypassing both Gryrax and Gradsul when I wasn't looking?
.
The Orcs are in league with Drawmij and using submarines!
Be afraid! Yeah, there's divination magic - but chances are anyone ballsy enough to try such a raid has that angled covered.
Perhaps, but don't underestimate the Sea Mages of Gradsul, and their close ally Drawmij. It's been my impression for some time that Duke Luschan and his admirals have a very good idea about what is going on in the western Azure Sea. The fact that most of the Keoish fleet was present to thwart (albeit despite substantial losses) the Scarlet Brotherhood's attempted Sacking of Gradsul during the Wars only serves to support this idea.
Perhaps, but don't underestimate the Sea Mages of Gradsul, and their close ally Drawmij. It's been my impression for some time that Duke Luschan and his admirals have a very good idea about what is going on in the western Azure Sea. The fact that most of the Keoish fleet was present to thwart (albeit despite substantial losses) the Scarlet Brotherhood's attempted Sacking of Gradsul during the Wars only serves to support this idea.
True - though I (with my, no doubt eccentric, easterling Oeridian assumptions
) thought Gradsul was the main base for the Keoish fleet and that's why they were mostly there to repulse the attack.As for Drawmij...given the devotion of the Circle of Eight to balance above all things, I wouldn't put a bit of disinformation (or just an absence of important info at a key moment in time - "What, didn't I mention that slaver fleet? Ooops.") beyond him if he thought it would keep the scales level in the Azure Sea, even against the Scarlet Brotherhood (if they're involved).
The Sea Mages are another matter of course, as their loyalty is to Keoland (or at least Luschan). But again, perhaps the attackers used the mages overconfidence against them?
Or perhaps there's a rat in the Sea Mages? You could seriously crank the paranoia with this one.
How could it happen?
Who's responsible for the slip in defences?
Who's in league with the enemy?
If they can do it once, can it happen again?
Was it really slavers?
Why strike Seaton?
Why travel so far to attack this port in particular?
What were they looking for?
What if it was a cover for something else?
Did anyone or anything important/suspicious vanish in the attack?
What if, when the Keoish army secures the ruins of the town, they discover an enormous hole had been rapidly excavated under one of the older buildings in the town, showing signs that something very large (too large to be unearthed and removed by human hands alone in the time available) was removed in some haste?
Lots of opportunities for conspiratorial fun.
P.
:whatsthis I kinda enjoyed the spelljammer idea...
Well, for those Spelljammer fans out there, you will already know about an inter-sphere organization known as the Seekers, with pretty much exactly the same mandate as Gary's Seekers. He claims to have come up with the idea independantly.
I did point out the coincidence to him, and urged him to connect the two, but he does have an aversion to SJ, so has not. Therefore... In My Campaign, the Greyhawk Seekers are just the local planet-bound chapter of the SJ Seekers... a very old organization with incredible archives. As any individual chapter will have both the common cause of all chapters, as well as obsessions unique to the chapter, this gives the GH Seekers a much richer background, and increases their possible usefulness in my devious plans and hyper-complex plot threads.
Denis, aka "Maldin"
=============================
Maldin's Greyhawk http://melkot.com
Check out the ton of cool Edition-independent stuff on my website, New Spells, Magic Items, Notoriety, Artifacts, Kyuss, secrets of the Twin Cataclysms, the Codex of the Infinite Planes, the Dreadwood, the cities of Melkot, Greyhawk and Irongate, a Grand Unified Theory for all of D&D, magic and the Multiverse, and much, much more!!
Well, for those Spelljammer fans out there, you will already know about an inter-sphere organization known as the Seekers, with pretty much exactly the same mandate as Gary's Seekers. He claims to have come up with the idea independantly.
Denis, aka "Maldin"
Great post, Maldin! FINALLY! A way to make GH's "Seekers" less lame than they appear now. :D I don't particularly care for Spelljammer but it is "canon" GH and the two "Seekers" being so close in name and theme . . . well. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck etc. ;) AFLAC!
Nope, not feelin' it.
It seem Seaton was sacked by "pirates and slavers from the north."
Perhaps a squad of mind flayers emerged from the Underdark one overcast night in order to seek an artifact of theirs that their spies reported had been last seen in Seaton. After ransacking the town, perhaps they found it. Or perhaps one of the refugees brought it to Saltmarsh, and that town is next on their list...
Hmmmm...Eli Tomorast the rogue astronaut.
Nope, not feelin' it.
Eh, methink that one is trying to open the first Planescape chapter of the Seekers and isn't concerned overmuch with SJ ;)
Eh, methink that one is trying to open the first Planescape chapter of the Seekers and isn't concerned overmuch with SJ ;)
Note that "the Seekers" is also the nickname of the Mind's Eye faction in Planescape. The Mind's Eye are the union of the Sign of One and the Believers of the Source after the Faction War.
Perhaps Mssr. Tomorast is a former Signer, especially with the weird thought-creatures his dungeon is infested with.
Note that the philosophy of the Seeker's/Mind's Eye is also similar to the organization in question, being about exploring existence and so forth as a path of self-improvement.
Perhaps Mssr. Tomorast is a former Signer, especially with the weird thought-creatures his dungeon is infested with.
(Checks) Oh, he didn't invent the maurids, though, did he?
Okay, new theory. Eli Tomorast is an accomplished planar traveler, this we know: that's how he got his demon hands, freaky familiar, and so on. Besides his ties to the mysterious "Seekers" (who may or may not be associated with the similar Spelljammer group of that name), he was originally a member of the Believers of the Source faction, which seeks to ascend beyond mortal state and eventually reach apotheosis and even beyond. After his defeat by Mordenkainen 40 years ago he left Oerth for a time, and he was in Sigil during the Faction War.
After the war, the Godsmen debated on what do do in the wake of the Lady's edict. It was Eli's respected voice in the Hall of Speakers that helped encourage them to join with the Sign of One, creating the Seeker faction dedicated to ascension through exploring and seeking out challenges throughout the cosmos and within the seeker's own mind. With the resources of this "revitalized" (as the Dungeon adventure put it) group of Seekers, he once again entered Maure Castle, this time determined to discover its hidden power. The former Signers in his group helped him unlock the secrets of the maurid - he killed them shortly afterwards, in order to ensure the secret would be his alone.
Or you could have both! :D "Seek" and ye shall find. ;) Turning over a rock - Its another "Seeker!" Gosh. What a "cool" group. With such a unique, evocative name. Shyeah, right. HOOK! ;)