Journal - Kellerot's Twisted Realm

Twisted Isle

We boarded the Saloroc warship at night, the oarsmen making good time in relatively calm water. They swung around to the southwest of the island in an attempt to mask our approach, and then made the run in to shore just before dawn. We could see shapes in the water skitting away from the oars; they were like fish but seemed wrong in some way, deformed or moving oddly, and we only saw them as we drew close to the beach. The ship powered onto the beach, finding the sand to be surprisingly shallow and soft... but as we crossed the beach line and the bow rose out of the water we passed through a curtain of illusion, similar to the one around Ulric's house, and instead of a barren island we found ourselves on the edge of a densely forested region. The forest felt very wrong, again in a similar way as before, and the trees looked dead or dying but nevertheless created a thick barrier, and the sky was dark as if dawn had never come... darker even than the night we had traveled through.

Arad and I both had newly crafted symbols around our necks, mine a form of the Elvrahum burrow I had seen at the temple with a small piece of soil contained within it and set with rubies. Arad's was in the form of a metal basket on a chain with a large glowing diamond within it, which he called the star of life. Arad touched his instinctively as we made the transition from the light sea air to the dark, dank hidden realm on the island. The hill didn't seem to change much, remaining devoid of life and greenery, it was just the surrounding area. The trees were a combination of rotting leaves and dead trees, but all were still standing. It was eerily quiet, with no sounds or animal calls, but there did seem to be a worryingly random rustling from within the dark forest that just didn't seem natural. No sign of dawn could be seen, and it just felt like the sun would never penetrate this place.

I tumbled neatly over the edge of the ship, landing lightly on the sandy beach, followed by Arad who was saying a prayer to the Creator. Falcor jumped down last, drawing his sword instinctively at an unseen but perceived threat. The Saloroc were clearly nervous at the stark transition, probably not having seen anything like it before. Despite this they swore that they would stay as agreed, saying that the Red Skull Clan would not run from the dead! We left at once, deciding that trying to finish what we had come here to do as quickly as possible was all that we could do to assist our allies. We followed the beach east until it met the ridge of the hill, and started up towards the peak. None of us wished to enter the forest if we could help it.

After about an hour of gentle climbing an evil looking gigantic bat thing, bigger and faster than the others we had encountered, glided over our heads utterly silently, perhaps twenty feet above us or lower. We readied bows, looking around but unable to see anything in the complete darkness. Then it passed overhead again, this time from behind and lower - about ten feet up. Falcor stood between us and prepared to swing with his sword should it get closer, while we loosed arrows... but there was no indication that we had hit it. The third time it approached it stopped in the air, hanging without ever beating its wings, then out of each wingtip, magic missiles flew and streaked into my chest, which caused great pain. Falcor muttered a quick spell behind me as I jogged forward to get a better shot, loosing an arrow straight at it... but the arrow veered off at the last moment as if were protected in some way.

Realising it was useless, I put my bow away as I continued to jog forward, whereas Falcor ran forward and jumped impressively into the air, getting just high enough to slash at it with his sword at the apex (almost fifteen feet up!) before coming down heavily and crying out slightly as he was winded. The cut was good, though, and blood splattered out. I pulled out some foxfire and called on Karmana's will to guide it onto the creature, outlining it with a soft green shining light, making it easier to see and hit in the pitch darkness. Arad called on the Creator and summoned spears that leapt from his hand towards it, but they didn't appear to affect it. Still, it seemed unwilling to stay and suffer more, for it flew off, still silently, and we saw its glowing outline receding into the night away to our left (roughly north). The whole thing had happened in strange silence, almost as if unreal, but Falcor broke this feeling with some quick commands to draw bows and keep moving.

We continued for another mile or so, until I noticed on the edge of my vision some kind of red dots, pairs of them... like glowing eyes! I whispered to Falcor so that he was aware, and although we continued I kept a careful watch. The things became bolder and it was clear that there was at least one heat source coming in and out of our vision range, and most likely more than one. They were predators of some kind and they were hunting us! The next time I saw it I loosed an arrow, and I got lucky as I could barely see the shape of it but I heard a thud and a muffled yelp that confirmed that I had struck true. They seemed to withdraw after that, but we were not so stupid as to relax. Sure enough, a little farther on we were charged by four big cats with glowing red eyes, and an unnatural glow from their jaws as well. They bounded out of the dark straight at us, about six feet long apiece.

They closed the distance in no time, and I just managed to drop my bow and draw a sword before they were on me. I dodged a rake from one's claws, feeling another pass behind me and its claws raked at my armour, but thankfully didn't penetrate. I could feel the weight of the powerful blow, though, and turned to keep the cats in front of me. Arad had a similar experience, just avoiding damage due to his armour. We both noticed that their breath stank of death and rotting corpses. My own swing was late and went wide... they were fast!

Arad loosed arrows, hitting with both. Falcor cuts into one of the cats attacking me, then stabs one near Arad in throat, ripping it out - one down. He swings back at the first one, cutting it open - two down.

Arad smashes one with hammer. War cry from behind as orcs charge at us, bearing a panther symbol on their shields. Not connecting thankfully. I slash one of the cats, opening a decent wound but it keeps its feet.

Cat rakes Arad, pulling him in closer, but fails to bite... stench is terrible though. Arad swings at it, landing a good hit and follows up with sword swipe, finishing it off.

Scimitar slides off Arad's armours, but one bites into Falcor. I finally connect with the cat with my long sword, and it fell with a sudden howl that ended in silence.

Falcor strikes back, landing good hits, but they stood firm. Arad also landed a hit. Falcor stabs again, and drops one like a stone, then slashes at another and dropped that too.

Arad took a nasty hit from a scimitar. Falcor moved to help Arad. I tried to stab one attacker, but he blocked with his shield, and Arad was also blocked with shield, but second swing gets past and staggers foe.

Scimitar cut Falcor, but only just. I was hit twice, with one penetrating. Arad crushes one of the wounded foe with his hammer, then stabs another foe deeply. Falcor stabbed it in the back, finishing it. Just the two left fighting me.

My swings still blocked by shield. Falcor cuts the head off one of the bodies, so Arad copies and does the same for another.

Falcor comes to aid from their rear, cutting deeply. One gets back up from being slain, moving to attack Arad! Arad puts it down again quickly, and also finishes off one of my attackers, leaving just the one (for now).

Falcor stabs the last one from behind, but mainly because it was busy slashing me with a deep wound. I managed to stab it back, but not enough to finish it. Falcor finishes it, though, with a powerful swipe. Cats start to get back up, clawing me from both sides!

Falcor cuts a head off and I slay one of the cats AGAIN. Arad cuts a head off as well. Falcor cuts another one off, but points out that the heads are moving even when severed.

More cats start moving. Arad decapitates orc body and one cat body. I finished a cat again, and Falcor removed its head. Arad clawed and bitten by a reanimated cat. Falcor stabbed it, killing it again to get it off Arad. Falcor decapitates the cat, as I try to call on Karmana to heal me... very faint signs of life so doesn't do as much as usual.

Lob heads away as much as possible. Arad calls on Creator, using his new star and it strobes with light and my wounds melted away, feeling hale again.

Manage to continue to top unmolested, finding a depression in the top about a hundred and fifty feet across and about fifty feet deep. Rocky with dried mud and dead grass, a couple of dead trees below us. As we descend it's clear that there is something, although low to ground, in the centre. We circle around first.

After skirting around we reach the bottom, finding a circle of protrusions almost like a stone circle, but low - at most two feet high.

As we approach a ghostly apparition appeared about thirty feet in front of us, and Falcor screamed in fear, turning and jogging away in terror. It seems like an animalistic, wild orc - stocky and advancing.

More phase into sight, now four, seem to be screaming but no sound at all, ready to strike. Arad calls on Creator to drive the unnatural creatures away, and his symbol strobes with light. No discernable effect on them. I don't believe that they're real, so walk forward confidently ignoring them, brush through one and no effect so still confident.

Falcor sprints off in fear. One envelops me completely as more appear, and I am looking through it! Arad swings hammer at one, but passes straight through.

Continue straight through it, to edge of circle, obviously once masonry and embedded in the ground, probably once the tower.

Falcor still fleeing into the darkness. Arad jogs into the circle, and tried again to turn, moving out of clutches of ghost first, knowing that there are new ones now. Flash of bright light again, but again no obvious effect.

Arad and I meet in the centre, and Falcor finally comes to senses, turning back to hopefully join us. Apparitions close around circle, but don't come inside. Can't see anything on the ground except the stones.

I swim through the soil, locating a trapdoor, and emerge on that point for the others - tell them that this is the right spot and it's ten feet down.

Falcor warns to stand back, brandishing a wand, and spoke a command word, at which soil throws itself away around the edges of a perfect hole revealing the trapdoor.