Editing Journal - The Heart of Karmana (section)

==The Elvrahum and Falcor's Soul==

I climbed the slope and turned west, the peaks of the mountains to my right and the cliffs on my left as I headed towards where I knew the Elvrahum fortified city to be. The dim light and low clouds made the mountains seem more ominous that I remembered, and I could sense a powerful energy that was not of Karmana from beyond the peaks. The last time I had tried to enter it had almost killed me, so I was wary of making a crossing without speaking to the Elvrahum first. There seemed to be some movement up in the mountains, although nothing seemed to be focused on me. After an hour or so, I noticed that the short scrub I was walking through was shot through with spiders webs, although thankfully quite small.

I took hold of my serpent staff, knowing that it could be useful against smaller vermin, and keep going. When I stumbled slightly on a thicker strand of web, though, I stopped and took a good look around and at the pattern of the webs. It did seem like there was almost a lateral line of thicker strands as if a barrier - or an alarm to warn of anyone passing this point. I followed the line towards the cliffs, then deliberately flicked it with my staff and watched for a reaction. I saw a disturbance some way off, although it was impossible to see what was causing it. I deliberately moved back and activated the serpent staff to create a barrier. After doing so, I moved back towards the edge of the barrier to see what was there. I was glad I had taken precautions, because there was a mass of quite large spiders crowding against the barrier, with bright yellow markings. So that was terrifying... I decided to risk using dweomer again and fly for a while! I rose well above the scrub and flew west until I was only about four miles from the city. I set down and looked around carefully, thankfully not finding any sign of spiders, and then continued on foot.

I kept walking until I was in the shadow of the city walls, which were impressive when you got that close. There was no entrance visible on this side, so I tracked north while staying a few hundred yards from the wall. I began to swing back west again and saw a grand gatehouse up ahead, which was almost certainly a major entrance. There was a track visible leading from it into the mountains, and I kept going until I was on the track before turning towards it. About fifty yards out I walked straight into an invisible barrier! I tried shouting, but also speaking telepathically, to the guards to ask for an audience. The response was in my mind, and it was clear that I would have to wait until the Lord Protector could meet, and judge, me. I sat and waited patiently, glad that I wasn't fighting for my life for a change.

After twenty minutes or so, the gate up ahead opened and a familiar Elvrahum figure approached. He was one of those that had spoken to Falcor about the threat to Karmana before we journeyed here the last time, so I bowed as he approached. He was Highnar Lonak Acklan, I think. He confirmed what I knew of my Father and the effect it was having, but didn't think that they were able to help at all. When I spoke of Falcor's condition, though, he thought that the power we could sense in the Elvradrak graveyard might well be Falcor's soul, and feared that the creatures there would be feeding off its power. It could not survive there forever - I might have at most a few days to retrieve it. If I could bring Milada's artifact with his sould back to the Elvrahum, as well as his body, then they could help to return his soul to the body. I would have to go, and quickly!

As to how we might help Karmana; he spoke of defeating the "Lords of Death", of which there were four:

M'ret - the death of the Saloroc (I had bested him once already, but he was not truly defeated);<br>
Amat - the death of the Elvra;<br>
Tingus - death to the elemental;<br>
Nidhil - death to the divine (and Kraldar's Deputy).

He warned that I was more vulnerable than I had ever been, as I was already walking in the land of Death. He was kind enough to give me a blessing to aid me, given in the name of the Daughter (Karmana), but the blessing came from Milada as we had lost our connection with Karmana. The blessing invigorated me, and I caught a glimpse of a wonderful garden with a beautiful feminine figure in simple robes, surely Milada herself, who looked at me in a way that suggested she didn't fully trust me. I had the impression that "perhaps one day" I might be trusted, but for now I had her blessing - as long as I used it to bring Him back to her!

There was one place that Karmana could still be - with the Elvradhil within the holy darkness. She was gone from the light, but hopefully Midhhil had not found her yet. It was late in the day by now, and Acklan seemed to notice for the first time that I was alone with only what I carried on my back, asking if I had shelter for the night. I had some basics, of course, but he quickly offered to provide proper shelter here where they could watch over me. He also asked if I had any protection for my soul, as Falcor had, which I did not. He said he would see what he could do and left. I sat and waited again, and about an hour later Elvrahum emerged with a tent, a firepit and more to give me comfort. Each time they crossed to where I was they paused and waited for a sign from the walls that they were safe to cross the barrier.

I slept well under their protection, and felt refreshed - not least because of the fresh food and drink I had been offered. Acklan appeared just as dawn broke, and presented me with a gold ring with a large black diamond set within it. He said that I had an unusual soul with an energy he had not seen before, but that this should suffice. An act of will, if I found my soul to be separating from my body for any reason, was all that would be required to seek haven within the stone. I thanked him, asking how I might repay such a fine gift, but he answered only that I should bring the Guardian back, which would be best for all that cared for Karmana.

I left the little camp for the Elvrahum to break down and set off at once, knowing that Falcor's soul would not last forever, beset by evil as it was. Acklan weirdly watched me go for some time, long after I would have expected him to return to the city. I tried to focus on what was ahead instead, noticing that there were some things flying around the peaks near the pass I was headed for, although it was hard to tell what size they might be from where I was. There were also things moving on the ground; not that it was any surprise that the way would be contested. As I drew nearer, I could see that those on the ground appeared to be humanoid, and as I closed to within a mile they stopped moving. Probably just taking up positions to jump me as I tried to pass.

I called on dweomer to strengthen my arm now that I was closer, anticipating a fight, and continued trudging towards them. When I was about four hundred yards out, I noticed the ground ripple as something moved just under the surface from my right to left up ahead... was this a guardian of the Elvrahum within the soil? I stopped for a minute, but saw no more and decided to continue anyway. To the surprise of nobody, when I was within a couple of hundred feet the foe leapt into view and charged at me. There were three Saloroc... well, they were once Saloroc - now they were "post death". One other figure came on behind them, looking more like a skeletal human and apparently the leader of this band as it shouted orders to the others.

I tried to force them away with my will, and found them easy to dominate... but then I was opposed by the will of Kraldar himself! His mind was directly upon me, and I was unable to push through to the weaker minds he protected. They had stopped moving, but now they came on again, untiringly, and two engaged me, striking nastily with their axes before I could shake my mind clear. The leader was hanging back, and kept shouting at the last Saloroc to stay near him rather than engage me, I guessed to defend him while he did something else. My arm holding Ulric's sword had gone limp with the ego of my father upon it, but I was able to regain control and slice into the foes as another blow skidded off my armour. I was cutting deep gashes and slices of flesh came off, so it was clear they were not living, but then I heard the ominous chanting from their leader and decided I had to try and get to him. Ulric's sword was working with me now, seemingly keen to progress up the hill for some purpose of its own, and it still felt as if there was another hand upon it, which was creepy. I saw some bony flying things launch from the cliffs on either side and start to dive down towards the fight - was this was the leader was controlling?

I cut an arm off one foe and the red light within its eyes winked out to leave just dark voids staring at me. It did not fall, though, so I sliced its head off with Aramat. That time it went down, and it opened a gap that I threw Ulric's sword through towards the chanting figure behind. It was a great throw, but at the last moment the sword arced away up the hill, as if seeking to take itself into the valley beyond, instead landing on the ground some distance away. I reached for my serpent staff and threw it on the ground in the leader's direction, and it started to transform into the massive snake that had helped me so many times before. I smashed Aramat into another Saloroc, smashing its left arm, and seeing its eyes wink out as well. It seemed to just freeze and stare into space, so I swung at the last foe but pushed past, trying to reach the leader behind.

I need not have worried too much, as the massive snake perfectly entwined their leader and started constricting, stopping his chanting after a few moments as he was completely enveloped. I fought the last dead Saloroc until its eyes winked out as well, again stopping but not falling... until one of its legs gave way and it toppled slowly to one side. The flying things started to swoop back towards the hilltops, so it was likely that they were following the constricted foe's direction. As they landed, I commanded the snake to return to its staff form, although I had to step in with Aramat to finish off the badly damaged skeleton. Again, like the others, the red eyes winked out and it froze in place. I was about to continue trekking up the hill when I noticed that the one I had decapitated had started moving again - searching around for its head! I quickly kicked the head downhill, and it started slowly crawling after it. The others were moving now, so I quickly decapitated the leader, sending his head soaring down the hill with a well placed kick, but then the two others attacked and I was struck another blow. They were still weakened, though, and I was able to knock the mockery of life from them and set about hacking their heads off, throwing those down the hill as well.

I continued my journey, aware that the bodies were crawling after their heads behind me, but confident that it would take them too long to interfere with my journey. As I crested the high point of the pass, I could see the huge valley before me. It was completely covered in a low cloud with the tops just below me. The clouds were dark, though, not white as you'd expect, and I could see flashes of lightning within them. Despite the sense of foreboding, I descended into the oppressive clouds. There was no visibility at all, so anything could be out there, and I kept hearing sounds and scanning around around for threats, relying on the slope to guide me down into the valley. At one point I did see something up ahead, so I stopped and waited before going on. Just afterwards I heard a sucking sound up ahead to my left that lasted for a good ten seconds. I angled right and kept moving, hearing it pass behind me. There was a low sound like a whale from its direction, and then an answering call from up ahead, so I swerved left this time to avoid it.

My heart was beating loudly as I kept moving through the darkness, not knowing what to expect and anticipating an attack at any time. It felt like a slight relief, then, when I eventually emerged below the cloud, quite abruptly, finding myself only a few hundred feet from the base of the valley below. The ground was being pockmarked by explosive lightning bolts, with one going off every second or so across the few miles I could see. I was surprised to see such a positive energy in a place tainted by darkness and death, but as I watched I noticed that the energy was flashing upwards, not down - the energy was being stolen from Karmana!

I backed up into cloud and tracked along the side of the valley, not wanting to walk through whatever was down at the bottom. I soon had to use dweomer to fly, as the cliff was too steep to traverse, so I continued for about an hour before dipping down to see what was there. I could see plenty of dragon bones still, like the last time we were here, and there was a circle of clear air up ahead that I expected was where Falcor's soul could be found. Acklan had spoken of the Guardian's soul both attracting evil but also keeping it at bay, so it made sense. I was still some way from the circle, though, so I continued within the cloud for another half an hour or so before dipping again to orientate myself. The circle of clear air was much closer now, and I could see that it was brightly lit, a stark change in the darkness around it.

I moved away from the cliff, heading straight towards the centre of the circle, dipping in and out of the clouds to stay on track. As I drew closer, I noticed two flying creatures converging on me quickly. I managed to slow one down with dweomer, but the other swooped in and raked me. They were massive bats, about twenty feet in span, and it was trying to grab me with both claws. Thankfully only one had found purchase, so it came free (painfully) as it flew past. I managed to carve some good gouges into the slowed creature before it could fly away, and I noticed that blood splattered from the wounds, so they were definitely living creatures. The first one returned for another pass, and I took another nasty scrape, but was able to land three good hits in return, sending it tumbling to the ground dead. I was able to face up to second creature, knowing that I had an advantage with my speed, and sure enough it could not evade my attacks and soon fell to join the other one.

I flew on, reaching the circle at last and paused. I looked through, passing freely within, but noticed that there was a change as if crossing a barrier between places; inside it was not a place that Kraldar held (yet). On the ground in the centre was the fresh carcass of a red dragon, about fifty feet long, badly mauled and eaten. Was this Falcor's true body? It was clearly dead, and in a very bad way. The eye sockets were empty and I could see his bones where large chunks of his flesh were missing. Worse, it was surrounded by smoky, shadowy shapes (like the ones I saw in the night near Borarla) that were just standing there, pulsing. There were six in total, and seemed to be feeding off the energy that was coming from within the carcass. A strobe-like bright glow could be seen shining from the very centre of the carcass, bright enough even to shine in the daylight within the circle. That must be his soul!

I started to close on the strange circle, diving down towards the shadowy figures. There were six in total, and as I drew closer I could see that they were the same ones I had seen on the shore near Borarla! They were all the same size, but looking at them gave the impression that some were actually larger but it was as if I was seeing them from farther away. I risked a prayer to protect me from evil as I closed within thirty yards or so, and I had a strange feeling as if I was particularly connected to this place. It was as if I could claim it for my own, and I felt a strange compulsion to do so. There was no deity here, at least for now, so it was free for the taking. I resisted the urge, though, and focused on what I had come to do.

I moved towards the one that looked like a dragon, although now that I was this close looking at the shapes side-by-side made my senses rebel and I had to look away and refocus to stop myself going dizzy. I tried to use the stave of the planes to close whatever portal they were using - it looked like they were in the spaces where the portals had been around Karmana when we came here to save her. Unfortunately I sensed Ilyanna's intervention, which prevented me from using it. Instead I threw the Captain's pot of healing ointment at the dragon shade and used my own dweomer to try and dismiss it. It did work... I think. The shade vanished and left behind a shimmering grey rectangle. A portal of some kind was still there, but the shade had gone. I was sure now that these things were what remained of the Sarn's souls (not the primal ones, but their own - human? Perhaps something else now).

I tried the stave again, and this time was able to force Ilyanna back and take control. I directed this at the next shade clockwise around the circle, and this time it closed the portal completely to leave just empty air. I battled again with Iylanna to try on the next shade, but this time she gained the upper hand, smirking at me in my head. She looked surprisingly calm, which was troubling - she was never normally calm! The battle of wills continued, and I forced the next portal closed. Half of the shades were gone, and two portals closed, and I hoped this would help Falcor to keep his soul intact longer. As I started to try the next one, though, a new portal opened and the Dark Elf prince stepped through with some warriors. He was ready for combat, his sword drawn, and I noticed it had six black diamonds set in a familiar star pattern in the blade, near the hilt. There were runes on the blade too, but I was hoping not to get a close look at them!

He closed the distance quickly, and I could not know how many more were ready to join him from beyond the portal. If it had not been for my protective prayer earlier, I'm sure that he would have struck me - he was fast and accurate, and the sword was exceptionally made. I decided that fighting them all was a bad idea, so I flew straight up, managing to dodge his last blow before I was out of reach. They had bows, so I wasn't safe, but it gave me a moment to think. I tried closing another portal, and this time Ilyanna did it for me! She obviously wanted Falcor's soul for herself. I flew towards Falcor and saw the prince below me thrusting his sword into one of the shades, draining its energy. I dived straight into Falcor's carcass, which was gross, and (holding my breath for a moment) took hold of a shining diamond hovering within his rib cage. I quickly uttered a word of power and shifted several hundred yards down the valley to the south west.

It didn't look like they had noticed me, and they were taunting me about hiding in the dead body of my friend when I left, so I left them to it and kept moving until I was outside the circle of daylight (which had shrunk considerably without Falcor's influence). Then I risked using my mind to travel quickly to where I had entered the valley, atop the surrounding mountains. I arrived in what I thought was a matter of minutes, and thankfully could see the city below so I had arrived in the right place. As I started my descent, I could see the same movement just beneath the ground that I had noticed before, although I still didn't know what caused it. I was about to find out, though, as a huge snakelike creature burst out of the ground in front of me. It reeked of rotten flesh, was lacking eyes, and was about twenty feet long. Whatever it had once been, it was no longer living.

The creature dived into the ground again, but this time encircled me, causing the ground to shake and become loose, almost like a liquid, so I started to sink about a foot or so. I drew Aramat, but also the staff of the serpent, holding it up to charm the creature as it lashed out at me. It became mesmerized, not even reacting as I cut into it with Aramat. Had it been living then I might have pitied it, but I felt nothing as I cut into it until its head separated and it collapsed. There were screeches from above on both sides, and as I kept moving towards the city I could see that the skeletal winged creatures had taken off again and were diving towards me. I stopped, drew Aramat and commanded it aflame, then shouted at them to "begone"! They obeyed this time, turning slowly and lazily flapping their wings until they alighted on the rocks again.

I continued once more, this time unmolested, and was surprised to see that Aklan was still stood where he had been when I set off. Had he been here the whole time? I bowed as I approached, and this time even got a little bow back. He said that I carried a heavy burden, and I passed him the diamond with Falcor's soul. He studied it with some interest, but expressed concern that there were black flecks within - it was possible that the soul had been damaged (likely, actually, I thought after what I had seen, but I said nothing). I asked if he was able to save Falcor, and he wasn't sure. He advised seeking out those that knew the Elvradrak best - the Dragon Clan of the Saloroc; he would take their advice about the best way to help him.

I had seen at least one of their souls near Borarla, but knew that they were not in the forest. He suggested that I try the other side of the mountains. If I followed the coast east it would take me close to the island I needed to reach - in fact there used to be a bridge there. Great, back where the spiders were then. He did let me rest before I set off, as I had before, so that I would be ready for the journey. We discussed my swords before I departed - Aklan recognised the skill that it would take to create a weapon such as Aramat, and said that the smith would need to be almost divine to imbue it with such power - it was two swords wielded as one, one in the land of the dead and one on Karmana, so that anything killed by it would be destroyed utterly, not even able to escape in death. The other sword, which I knew as Ulric's had some sense of mind as it had a connection with a powerful soul in the land of the dead... one that now had a connection and believed it to be theirs to wield. Their people could drain it of power, but then it would lose that which made it special and become just a sword. I should seek the Elvradhil, and the most ancient of them, if I wanted to know more about Aramat in particular.