Galinndan's Legacy Journal

Isamarr

3-15-1859

(Tenebral ✓✓)

I fully blame this disaster on Galinndan. If he hadn't insisted that I staying in the city until Leucis was snuck out of prison, maybe I would have been able to focus more on what was going on at the time. I can't believe I didn't notice all the people sneaking up on us and forgot to free Zaffic from the barrel. If I had, I would have made sure to distract the coroner or hide the bodies first. I'm glad I managed to find that note to get the coroner on our side.

And sending our cousin after us! What on earth was he thinking? The surest way for us to get caught is to send that fireball-hurling hothead, Egeril, after us. Leucis and I may not be high on his list of favored family members, but if we get caught, it wouldn't be too hard to trace this plot back to the family. Thank goodness she took the chance to leave in the fog that cleric conjured up. I'm not too surprised that she locked us in the tunnel afterwards, though it is rather irritating.

This group is quite possibly the most conspicuous group I have ever tried to work with. It's only by pure luck they managed to get through Troipham without having to submit to a geas. If I had just managed to grab Zaffic, then he could have been the connection we needed to get an in with his brother, Flueric. I'm a bit surprised that Zaffic wasn't more of a help to the dragonborn, though. He was acting like Zaffic and him went way back, but I suppose that's of no matter when you're being held in a cell for acting like an idiot and attracting the attention of everyone who passes by. I can't blame him, though, everyone seemed to be taking issue with the idea of trying to blend in. Granted, it does become a bit harder when all the locals are using a form of communication that you've never encountered before. I'll need to get Avecin to show me how to understand what the pigeons are saying back to me, because these messages are just a bit too one-sided for me at the moment.

I have to admit, I'm actually a bit impressed with the group and how they managed to get out of the Enclave. We may have bumbled our way through it and got some lovely third-degree burns, but at least they didn't abandon Leucis and I and other than that, we all made it out relatively safely. I still can't believe there was a dragon down there, and I will be eternally grateful to Gheshtal for sacrificing his trombone to save us. I'll have to see if father can find him a good replacement. It won't be the same, but it's the least I can do for him.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm rather confused about this whole situation. Fleuric and Zaffic sent us through that crack saying that it was the way to the forge they wanted us to destroy. The only way they'd know that was by going through it themselves. But why on earth would they direct us to an Enclave, and why would neither of them take advantage of the marmaron chamber if they knew it was down there? I suppose that's a question for another day. I'm just glad we got out of there alive and managed to do what Fleuric asked. Hopefully that will be enough for him and he won't find out that Avecin told the Quaestor-General how to get to Troipham. It’s the least we could do after accidentally persuading the rioting prisoners to destroy the forge. How else were we supposed to get them to leave us alone and get out of the prison without much notice and still prevent work from being done on the forge? How were we supposed to know they’d become so enthusiastic about the idea and completely destroy the forge? I’m just glad they listened to Leucis enough to let us get away with those poor guards that we snuck out with us.

I'm still curious about that prisoner that all the other prisoners were searching for, but I think we may have more important things to worry about, like preventing Galinndan from claiming that Enclave for himself.

---

3-16-1859

(Macto ✓ ✓ ✓)

Sometimes I wonder if I'm looking for trouble or it's looking for me. Either way, we seem to find each other. I am fortunate to be with this merry band of misfits. I have enjoyed getting to know one another as we narrowly escape dire straits. Having discovered an Enclave, we must now go through the task of formally claiming it. We will have to be careful about how we go about this because it seems that most of the city is under the thumb of a politician. I'm looking forward to a good night's rest for a change. Tomorrow we visit my father so we can work on claiming the Enclave.

It was great getting to see father. I feel bad I don't visit more often and even worse than that I know it's my direct actions that have led to his stress as of late. Hopefully claiming of this Enclave will make up for it - He was already on an great track to solidify himself as a noble but owning an Enclave adds to his credibility. He has given us a contact that we can rely on in order to lay claim to the Enclave and still remain under the radar long enough to get the paperwork finalized. Overall, it's been a good visit. I hope I get to see him again soon. I really hope I do...

Today we met with Alexandre Siguile the archerald - we were able to negotiate the terms of claiming the Enclave. While this was a pricy transaction, I think it we were able to make a good deal for all parties involved. We were also able to find a bit more work luckily. We have been tasked with clearing out a few Enclaves. We will provide protection for some of Alexandre's men. The pay is good and the quest promises a few new adventures. We'll see what the future holds. On a side note - the lady at the front desk needs a hug or some cookies or something because damn.

---

3-18-1859

(Macto ✓)

It's been nice to relax for the last little while but the group has grown a bit restless for some action - I see no better way to accomplish this than by starting our trek towards the first Enclave. We've been told that there is a bit of danger involved but I think we're actually looking forward to the action. Our spellcasters seem to come and go as they please. It's a bit confusing but we've made it this far and I've been thankful for when they are here. Hopefully this won't be an issue when we are in the midst of battle. Word has it that we will be receiving some aid of sorts - It will be nice to add to our party. Time to prepare for battle!

---

3-20-1859

(Regianna ✓)

So today is the day. We finally get to enter the Enclave! The crew is supposed to arrive any minute now. I’m nervous and excited. It’s been a long journey but hopefully worth it!

Well. What an interesting crew. They look like they may know what they’re doing, but certainly are a bit worn. That dragonborn is a little short. I wonder what his deal is. Well, I don’t have a choice now. These are the guys I have. Hopefully this will go well.

I would not say that this went “well”. We headed up the hill and found my mansion in quite a state. It looks like it had been abandoned for hundreds of years. And as you might expect in an ancient house, there were lots of spiders. But they were enormous. Like, bigger than a horse. I wasn’t expecting that. It appears that the archeralds we were supposed to meet here may have been intercepted by the spiders. We weren’t sure if they were inside or dead, so we kept going.

We got through the spiders outside and ended up with a goat. There were cocoons all about the upper floors of the mansion. We assume the goat was supposed to be a spider feast. I guess we’re stuck with it. Ugh. I hate goats… The team seems pretty attached to it though, so I guess I’ll have to be nice for now.

Time seems to pass in an odd fashion here. The goat seems to age quickly, so that we can see it happening. There were a couple of cocoons that looks like they had ancient remains in them. Hopefully these are not the archeralds that were supposed to meet us here. Creepy. This may explain why the house looks so incredibly old.

We ended up going through the house and not finding much of value. We went down into the basement and found a bunch of casks of wine. They seemed way too old to actually be worth something which is unfortunate. This is when the fun began. We entered a huge room to find an enormous… thing. It looked like a bunch of things had died and become one giant, mass of death. It was huge, but we brought it down. I was impressed with the skills of the team. We were all a little beat up, so we decided to try to get out and take a break. However, the casks had resettled so that they were blocking the way out. We had no option but to try to push on through.

Unfortunately, we stumbled into a room full of golden clockwork things that attacked us. It was a vicious battle and in the end, Leucis and I were killed. The next thing I knew, I woke up in a temple, feeling like I’d died. Which it turned out, I had. Mac graciously paid to bring me back. Though it seems that he intends to hold that debt over my head. At least I am alive. Leucis had died as well and as his family is crazy, I paid for his resurrection. He helped save my life in that Enclave. Now I’m out of money, though. I didn’t find anything of value in the Enclave either. I will have to contact my father and find a way to get more resources.

I was informed that the rest of the crew defeated the monsters then escaped through a portal. Apparently I was actually killed by friendly fire, but no one wanted to admit who actually did it. We did have to return to the Enclave once we were all healthy to try to save the sailors on the dock. We apparently made the spiders hungry and they went down the hill. With a little help from the policemen Nico and Bart, everyone came out of it ok.

A lot has happened today and I am still recovering from being dead. Now I know that there is a portal that can be connected to my father’s at home which was the point of this trip. I think the Enclave may be safe now except for those spiders. I will have to contact my father both for more money and to see how he would like me to proceed. I suppose until I hear from him, I will stick with this crew.

---

3-23-1859

(Regianna ✓)

The journey here was interesting. Apparently there are a lot of people leaving Isamarr as there is something weird happening with the shipbuilders. Having people around does make the road seem less dreary. But I am concerned about these people.

This is a cute little town. It seems a poor boy was found in the woods. Avecin is here to figure out what happened to him. The rest of us are going to explore the Enclave and see if he truly was the one who found it.

The people are a little odd. We asked around town and no one really seems to want to talk about the mayor or anything else that has been happening around here. I think the Mayor wants the Enclave, but the people think that it belongs to the dead boy’s family.

Avecin has determined that the boy was killed using magic. This makes it really unlikely that he was killed in the woods by a wolf or whatever. I guess we will have to enter the Enclave to know for sure. We should probably be careful since there is likely some dangerous magic happening in there.

(Tenebral ✓)

Ouch. Note to self, avoid flesh-dissolving mirrors in the future. This is why everyone should have darksight and should allow a couple of people to check out an area before everyone comes storming in. We've really got to get our act together, because having light announce our presence is a great way to get ourselves killed. Maybe I should scout ahead. If I spend some time training, I might be better able to move and climb quickly.

The Enclave was a nice change of pace after the last Enclave. I hope that Helena is able to get some useful information out of the star chart we saw above and that the peasant family is careful with the fault. I know they will probably hurt themselves when they try to enter the Enclave, but I can only hope they are cautious and move slowly when entering the Enclave. It is their Enclave and they can do as they please with it, but I would hate for a good family who has already had their son torn from them to experience more heartbreak. Unfortunately, it's not my decision to make.

---

3-24-1859

(Tenebral ✓)

Well Mac certainly is being evasive. I understand his reluctance in telling us his family's private affairs, but did he really expect us to risk our lives based on nothing other than his extreme interest in checking on his family's Enclave and keeping everything quiet? If he really wanted to keep us from curious, he shouldn't have acted so suspiciously.

That Enclave, though. I'm glad that someone cleaned out the skeletons for us, but I'm worried that we didn't see a sign of the dragon and I'm worried about what is behind that locked door. Whatever it is, it was enough to scare and kill someone who can throw fireballs, which makes me glad we didn't run into it. I'm kind of glad the gear was lost and I can't understand why the others want to find the gear so badly. It seems like a poor idea to me, though it would be nice to know why Galinndan was interested enough in this Enclave to send Egeril down.

I do hope those shipbuilders find work somewhere else. They were good men and some of them were quite friendly to me. Maybe they'll be useful contacts wherever they end up...

---

3-25-1859

(Regianna ✓)

Mac sure is odd. We went to a bar I guess to get some information. The bartender seemed a bit shifty to me, but maybe I’m just projecting my distrust of Mac onto Mac’s compadres. The bar keep sent us off to the mapmakers. Apparently Mac is best friends with everyone in this town. So off we go. But those guys weren’t home. Mac is apparently pretty worried about something as he thinks it’s worth breaking into a friend’s house to get information. I refused to take part in that and walked away. The rest of this crew is a little curious, but I feel like I can trust them a little.

If this is how Mac treats his friends, I don’t want to be his friend. I understand I owe him a debt, but how far will he take things? Something sketchy is definitely going on. I don’t like being yanked around. I’m demanding that my part in this adventure pays off my debt. I’m not going to be his pawn indefinitely. I’ll do what is necessary but then I’m getting away from this guy.

(Tenebral ✓)

I certainly didn't expect that from Galinndan. The towers, or the faces. It certainly makes me significantly more paranoid about being in the city and makes me want to get out of here all the sooner. I can't remember all that we said to the pigeons, which makes me worried about seeing Galinndan again. I know I sent that message to Zaffic about not picking him up, and I know I sent a message to Flueric, but I can't remember what I said in that message. If we can keep him ignorant about our knowledge of his activities, maybe we can use that information to keep us safe, trick him somehow. The amount of information he's been getting from those pigeons must be staggering. I wonder how he even found out they were being used for communication in the first place.

And those faces. I'm worried now that we're not going to be able to trust that anyone is what he seems. And I can't even imagine what he did to get those faces, nor do I want to. We'll have to be particularly careful about who we trust.

Maybe those faces are how he got those maps? I can't figure that one out either. How is he getting this data and what is he using it for? And why those three Enclaves? I can see how he got the data on the Cadet Enclave, since apparently he managed to get his own people in to close up the tunnels, and he may have had some in on the Enclave I didn't recognize, but the Kier Enclave was overrun with spiders when we saw it and we were the only ones who came out alive. The fact that he only got to the statue, which was as far as the goat got points to that knowledge having come from the goat, but I can't imagine him letting the goat get drunk if he has a strong enough connection with the goat to get information through its eyes. Or maybe he got the information after the goat came into the city? But how would he have known that the goat was in the Kier Enclave? Or was he just interested in any Enclave? He does have most if the Archerald's Guild in his pocket. Maybe some of them have been passing him information on Enclaves. But again, why those specific Enclaves? There must be something connecting them...

And who was that woman? She must have been important to him for him to have a portrait of her in what seems to be his sanctuary, but my parents say he never took an open lover. Maybe she was his beloved mother or mentor or something?

So many questions and so few answers. The only things I know for sure is that I'd like to be out of town as soon as we ensure Mac's family will be safe and the Enclave will remain under their control, and that I'm hoping Galinndan doesn't realize we were the ones who took that large gear from his desk, since that guard knew I was in the house. Hopefully I was good enough at relocking the doors that it stumps him...

---

3-26-1859

(Tenebral ✓)

Trapped in an old stairwell that leads nowhere is not where I thought I would end up tonight. I'm a bit worried about Leucis. That construct we fought did quite the number on him. It looks like he's moving slower and those chains embedded in his chest and arm don't look healthy. What with how messed up that thing looked, I'm not surprised being taken out by it would result in some form of chaotic physical changes. I'm mostly worried about that greatsword, though. There's something off, especially dangerous, about that sword and I'm not sure if it would be a good idea for Leucis to use it. He seems as though his whole life is now focused around killing Galinndan for what he did to Leucis's family and while I understand the desire for revenge, he doesn't seem to care about anything else.

We need to get out of here and hopefully to somewhere more sane. Maybe someone from the Archerald's Guild will know what that graffiti said, or what this chamber could possibly have been. I'm glad Avecin had some paper to write it down on. I hope that gate wasn't the only way out of here. It looks like there are several more areas we can try searching, but I have no clue how we would open that gate again if we had to.

Thank goodness Gheshtal caught up with us before we went back down to the Enclave. His trombone is rapidly becoming the most useful tool among everything we're carrying. I must admit, I didn't anticipate it scaring off the skeletons, but it certainly came in handy with mostly incapacitating the large skeleton and holding off the others until after we had destroyed the construct. Hopefully we can help him find his father as a thank you for all the help he's given us.

Speaking of missing parents, I just had a thought. Mac should try to find Zaffic when we get out of here. I just remembered that he mentioned Zaffic has a way of finding Mac even when Mac hasn't said where he is. Maybe Zaffic will have some idea of where to find Mac's family, or if they are even alive anymore. Then once he's gotten some word on his family, we can finally get out of this gods-forsaken city and I can get back to feeling like normal again.

(Tenebral ✓)

That thing is going to haunt my nightmares, whatever it is. It seems like it may be related to Gyrum, what with the symbols of Gyrum we found, and the skeletons talking of revolution. Is it a priest of Gyrum that's been corrupted by the chaos? Is it something else entirely? I desperately wish I wasn't the one who saw it; I feel as though it now knows me and will hunt me down.

I certainly hope that's not what Galinndan was looking for when he came down here. If that's the case, it'd probably be a better idea to make sure there is no way Galinndan ever has a chance to fulfill his plans than to just have him committed. Maybe now that Golian was abandoned by Galinndan to die, we'll have another ally in ensuring Galinndan, at the very least, is neutralized.

I can't believe what Golian said about Galinndan and that ship, but I guess there's no other reason for Galinndan to call him back. Granted, if he was in Ethasadril and that's where Galinndan was bringing the family, it really doesn't make sense for Galinndan to have called him back... Poor luck on his fault to have told exactly the wrong person that he wanted to have Galinndan declared unsound.

This does have me even more worried about Sinnodels|Ancil now. Does he know that Galinndan has a model of his face? Is he even still alive? Before, I was kind of hoping that it wasn't actually Ancil's face and that Galinndan just had it in case of who knows what, but Galinndan could have been impersonating him since the last family gathering. In fact, if Galinndan has someone helping him out, it may have been even longer.

We need to get out of here. I'm not going to last long down here, at this rate. I've already nearly died twice since we found Golian. I've been racking my brain, but I can't figure out a way out of here. The walls surround the place, and we can't seem to get up on the portion near the portcullis. Even if we could get over, the lever has broken and there's no guarantee that I could fix it. Why on earth is there only a lever on the outside? That makes absolutely no sense at all, but I've checked every room on this floor and have yet to see another lever. The only thing we have that may help is the mirror shard Avecin took. I thought it only dissolved flesh, but I may have been wrong.

(Regianna ✓)

We thought it was hopeless, and while some of us made it out, we have lost 2 team members. We were trapped in that stupid tower once again with that horrible chanting and the skellies coming quickly. The only thing we had left to try was the mirror shard. In a desperate move, Avecin used the shard to blast the horde of skellies. And it worked! There were still a great many left but at least we had a chance to get out! We bolted for the door, but Mac and Leucis got stuck with the skellies between them and the way out.

I was trying to help with the mirror and the door, but I was hit by a skelly and lost consciousness. The last thing I remember was Mac and Leucis trying to get through as the skellies closed in. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the city. I was informed that neither Mac nor Leucis made it out of the Enclave. They were killed then dragged away by the skeletons to who knows where. I suppose to join that horrible monster as he kept inviting us to do so. There is a slim, slim chance that we could rescue them, but I am not optimistic considering how things went last time. I only made it out due to the quick thinking of Golian, who made me invisible and carried me out of his back. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

It appears that the gear that we put in the door to access that cursed area was taken by the skellies. That means the door is still open which I find very concerning. Maybe we will have to journey down again…

I will miss Leucis and his dry humor. I will not miss Mac as we never really saw eye to eye. I consider myself free of his debt. There is still the mystery of his parents. I wonder now if I should stick with this crew. I have nearly died once and actually died once. I am no closer to establishing a trade route for my family. But there is a great deal of intrigue about and maybe wealth the be had. I will just have to see what happens.

---

3-27-1859

(Oskar ✓)

After the “delightful” trip down from the Winter Kingdom, I hadn’t seen my friend Golian for a few days. His Grandfather requested his assistance with exploring an Enclave of some kind. I attended the ostentatious gala in honor of the Prince. It was quite the affair. To many people and pomp for my tastes however.

I had just begun adjusting to the climes of this region when Golian returned. He explained his delay. Apparently his Grandfather may have intentionally attempted to cause Golian's death. I’m not sure of all the details, but it would seem that Galinndan discovered Golian’s concerns about his sanity through some sort of deceitful disguise. The exploration Golian was called to was perilous indeed and, I’m told, revealed some hellish demon.

Although I am pleased that Galinndan’s plan did not claim my dear friends life, I am saddened on his behalf as three of his cousins did die in that horrid place. May their souls avoid whatever plot the pit fiend might have for them, and may the chaos be gentle (as much as it may be) to their remains.

Golian requested my presence at breakfast the next morning to commune, celebrate (their escape), and mourn with (their loss) the party that aided his escape from that place that would have otherwise doomed him. An odd group no doubt. A friendly, if inquisitive, musical cleric of Savulcian. Another of Golian's cousins, sneaky and on the fringes of his family I’m told. A large dragonborn lady, apparently of noble birth of some mid latitude land, not that one could tell, and her giant weasel with a bow, Freddie. Lastly, a rather concerning arcane fey of the Cerric family from Doveland. Part of what concerns me is how he came to be down here if he is of such a family and also how he came to be put on “leave” from his lawful duties, I shall be keeping an eye on him especially. I am sure I will eventually learn all their names by heart as Golian suggested I travel with them a while. It would be serendipitous, as the entire purpose for my journey this far south is to learn as much as I can about the nature of our world and the chaos that inhabits it. Golian also mentioned that he wishes to venture alone for at least a while, while he sorts out this business with his grandfather.

They say they have a lead about an expedition they may take. We are heading to the Archeralds’ Guild soon. May the order of nature guide us and entropy leave us be.

Some notes about breakfast: The salted pork was particularly good. The Crepes were also worth noting in their light thin fluffiness. At this particular establishment they served decaffeinated coffee. Which was surprising, I thought that caffeine was outlawed in these lands and they ought to know that caffeine remains even in this “decaffeinated” stuff. This is another reason I will be keeping my eye on the displaced Cerric. I shudder at the thought of what might happen.

(Mavrorgi ✓)

How do I continually find myself in these situations? This seems to be my daily question. It's been awhile since I've had a decent payday. Maybe exploring this Enclave will lead to something. I do not trust the two men I was set to explore the Enclave with - particularly the dragonborn. I know she is a thief and I imagine she is just looking for loot in the Enclave. Fortunately a few other travelers have joined our ranks. They seem to be quite awkward at first glance but they have been kind so far. With the dangers of the Enclave fast approaching, I imagine our friendships being forged in battle. I wouldn't have it any other way. I've heard whispers between them of fallen comrades - While I am sorry for their loss, I can't help but question the cohesion of the bunch in battle. Only time will tell.

---

3-28-1859

(Regianna ✓)

We’ve accepted another Enclave exploration. I really should probably start thinking about heading home, but I really do need the money. This crew isn’t too bad but it isn’t why I can here. We are sailing to this Enclave. Sounds like there may be some undesirables hiding around in the woods. We’ll have to be on our guard. This is especially true since it appears we are working with some other adventurers who appear rreeeeealllllly sketchy. Svrass and Leer were apparently assigned this same Enclave to explore but I don’t trust them at all. They look like mercenaries. If it came down to me or a piece of gold, I don’t think they’d hesitate to cut my throat.

They have a buddy called Mavrorgi. We’ll have to see about him. He doesn’t seem as bad but he’s with them. I don’t know. We’ve been through the wringer lately and I’m not feeling very trusting.

(Regianna ✓)

We arrived at the “Enclave”. It would appear we are not the first people to find this place interesting. There are 2 camps set up on either side of this little pyramid thing sticking out of the ground. We did some “practical research” and found that one side claims to be archeralds that is here to investigate the Enclave. They seem to be very tight with Svrass and Leer so I have my doubts. The rest of the team went on over and found that the other camp claims this is not an Enclave and the archeralds have no claim over it. Each group claims they know what this is and that the other side has no claim. This has led to squabbling - with weapons. This means that neither side has gotten a really good look at the Enclave because they’re worried about the other side.

I haven’t met the non-Enclave camp but I know I don’t like these guys. Unfortunately, they seem to have a legitimate claim. So we have decided to stick with them for now. If there was an obvious entrance to the Enclave near the bit of pyramid sticking up, one of the sides would have found it in all their escapades. So I suggested we go look out in the woods, away from the fighting. We get in and determine whether this is an Enclave or not. If it’s not, I vote we hightail it out of here. I don’t wanna work with Svrass unless there is a really legitimate reason to.

(Regianna ✓)

Soooo that was an adventure. As always. We found our way in. We split into 2 groups. I went with Oskar and Freddie and we found a staircase leading in. We thought we sensed something amiss with one of the stairs. And we were right. We ended up sliding all the way down to the bottom of a loooong corridor and had quite a nasty bump at the end. The other members of our party found a different way in but still ended up sliding all the way down to meet us. The doors of course slid closed behind us.

We ended up stuck in a room with a little musical pilar thing in the middle. We tried pressing some of the buttons and sand began to fill the room. In a bit of a panic, we managed to figure out at least one of the non-deadly combinations and the floor opened up. We found a path that led deeper into the pyramid.

We found ourselves in a long corridor full of statues of women. They were all metal plated and in a big pool that extended the length of the corridor. We eventually entered into what seemed to be the heart of the pyramid. We found a golden weasel who was injured that we defeated. It was sad but unfortunately she tried to kill us. What then transpired was essentially finding a big door that said roughly “DO NOT OPEN” and we opened it. Inside was a basilisk. We tried very hard but it ended up turning us all into stone except Oskar. I assume he defeated it and then created a healing potion to bring us all back. We owe him some gratitude.

But what made MY day was after that. On the way out, we found the reason the weasel had been so aggressive despite being injured - she had 2 baby weasels hidden away. She was a momma and was protecting her babies. I feel really bad for killing the mom. But they immediately latched onto Freddie and seem to be pretty content. Freddie seems pretty proud too. I don’t know what I’m going to do with these babies. They’re cute and awesome but have to eat gold to stay alive. That’s kind of expensive taste. I’ll have to sell them off eventually though it’ll be rough on Freddie and I. Too bad there wasn’t a whole bunch of gold lying around in the pyramid. I wonder what they had been eating.

(Regianna ✓)

We got out of the not Enclave and informed Svrass that it was such. Their rivals had cleared out so I guess they’ll enjoy the big empty place to themselves. Maybe they’ll miss the special staircase too. We cleared out pretty fast after that. And got on a boat headed back to Isamarr. On the way back, apparently we got attacked. I was asleep, but I was told there was an assassin on board who appears to be after Avecin. That guy is kind of kooky. I wonder what mess he got himself into this time. We also saw Gallindan’s boat go down into the Underdark but it was being attacked as it went. There are some weird things going on. We better get back to Isamarr and see what’s up.

---

3-29-1859

(Regianna ✓)

It’s good to be back to a more familiar place, though things are odd here. It’s very quiet here. It seems that all of Tenebral’s extended family disappeared recently. Weird. I got to see little bro last night. I thought he might have heard something about what was going on but he seems to be in the dark too. He will be leaving tomorrow on the Ferdinand escorting that monster ship out on its quest. We have been invited to the party tomorrow as it sets sail. I guess we could go and see happens. We don’t really have a lot else to do. I think after this I will likely try to head home and get our business plans rolling again.

It seems someone is after Avecin. He’ll have to try to keep a low profile.

(Regianna ✓)

Oh. My. What a day. We went to the christening. It began creepy. The servants were dead. I don’t know but it seems wrong to eat cake that a dead guy might have shed some skin chunk into. It made the whole party kind of tense. Our crew tried to make sure there were none of the creepies that tried to kill Avecin about so I went up on the ship and chatted with the nobles. I tried to get to talk to the captain and Nicodemus but before I could, it was time to start the ceremony. All the non-crew exited the book and that’s when things got crazy.

All of a sudden these ninja things appeared and ran into the crowd. They went after a certain few people that had been on Avecin’s assassin’s apparent hit list. Nicodemus jumped off the ship to help us defend. We lost a few victims but saved a cook. We noticed there was something wrong with the Count on the boat and so I sent Freddie up to join Oskar who was climbing up the ship as a panther. I don’t know what was going on up there but we eventually killed all the assassins.

We were all feeling very good about ourselves when there was a huge shuddering and the jail began to fall into the ocean. That was bad. Beneath the jail was that real creepy place where our friends died. Then, as the jail got closer and closer to sinking into the ocean, skeletons began to head towards us. This seemed like bad news considering how well we got along with those skeletons when were all down in the Enclave.

At this point, only Gheshtal and I were left on the dock. Everyone else was either on the boat or climbing up to it via these huge chains that were anchoring the boat. Gheshtal and I were getting ready to defend ourselves against what seemed like a completely doable zombie horde when an enormous pair of hands reached up out of the water. It was that insanely creepy guy who we ran from in the Enclave. He was terrifying and began to pull on the chains.

This was not a good situation. Gheshtal and I were stuck on the ground with a growing skeleton army and their boss was going to pull the ship into pieces. I could only see one way out and that was to get on that boat ASAP and get the chains unhooked. So I magiced our jumping abilities and we jumped as high onto the chain as we could and bolted towards the ship. Our friends went to town on the other 2 chains binding us to this demon guy. In just the nick of time, we jumped onto the boat and the chain burst off the side and the crew began to sail away as fast as they could.

As we turned to look back at the city, we could see buildings collapsing and streets sinking into the ground. The whole city was collapsing. It was insane. I can’t believe anyone in the city will survive.

(Tenebral ✓)

I can't believe my family just left. I can't imagine how Galinndan got them to abandon their shop and leave, especially since Dad's not even part of that family. Of course, I'm glad now that they left, but I wish I could have at least said goodbye to them. Maybe if I had been here when they all left, we wouldn't have caused this disaster. I don't know why I tried so hard to bring back Leucis's body. I guess, like Golian, I just didn't want to leave him down in the Enclave to become some kind of monster. It seemed right to bring him back up for a proper send off. Not to mention, it was the least I could do after all the times Golian saved me down there.

I should have just left enough alone when we saw that the portcullis had been closed over with ropes tied in the symbol of Banikon. I wish I had thought just a little bit more before breaking them and going in. I've been a lot more foolish than usual lately. I don't think I would have followed those footprints before, especially when it was clear someone had come down prepared, with a full knowledge of what they would encounter. Speaking of which, I'd like to know how followers of Banikon found out about this place and the undead army, because we certainly didn't tell anyone. And I wonder why Golian couldn't get the body all the way out. It was stupid of me to go down there and at the very least, I should have stopped and chased after that ghost when it seemed focused on revenge and particularly concerned with the christening. Maybe we could have gotten warning to the count.

Either way, I cut the ropes, I explored, searching for Leucis's body, and I released that horror that destroyed Isamarr. I'm just grateful that Galinndan forced my family to leave, otherwise who knows where they would be now.

---

Tiban

5-12-1859

(Avecin ✓)

So here we were, riding a broken ship into the Underdark after fleeing from a giant undead god-thing that was quite literally rising out of the deep to consume us. Was it the weirdest thing that’s happened to me? Nah.

...Maybe.

After our flight, I quite reasonably spent most of my time reading and catching up on my sleep--a man’s got to sleep, you know. “A good night’s sleep is an arcane caster’s greatest aid,” as old Gaeric used to say. Of course, he spent more time sleeping at his desk then he spent teaching our class, so maybe that figures. I also volunteered to serve with the ship’s marines--they were somewhat depleted after our abortive departure and I figured that if anything menaced the ship I’d be fighting with them anyway, so I might as well get paid for it.

Sidenote: I hate having to worry about money. Why can’t someone just pay me to sit here and write my philosophy? Oh, right--I threw that away when I got kicked out of school. Oh well.

Anyhow, we decided that the ship should sail for Nassis. The port there should be able to do some of the critical repairs on our vessel--and it needs it. We also are likely to run low on supplies, so stocking up sounded like a good idea. Nassis is run by Dragonborn, apparently, which my draconic companions seemed to recognize. Good for them.

Apparently Galinndan and his coterie of winter fey wreaked enough ecological damage that the river we were taking up into the city had frozen over somewhat. Our ship was equipped with the breaker necessary to plow through the ice, but we still had to schlep out onto the deck and deal with the wintery ice mephits that apparently didn’t like us very much. Somehow, in the process of fighting off these creatures, our wonderful Druid decided to overheat the prow-breaker-thing, which of course caused it to explode and kill our marines. Great. In order to get us out of this ordeal, Regianna and I had to use some lightning spells on the device in order to generate the charge we needed to get through. Of all the fights I’ve been in, this one was truly electrifying.

...sorry.

So we arrived safely at Nassis, and I went off looking for a library. After Galinndan and all his weird research I think I really need to arm myself with some more spells. I wonder how I’m going to break this whole “Necromancy” thing to the others...

---

5-13-1859

(Regianna ✓)

Travel to the monastery was uneventful. It’s quite a trek up there but pretty. The monastery is a big old building that looks like it got the side blasted out of it. There is a pillar thing with some strange pictographs on it but it’s hard to discern the meaning. There is a rod on top that we discovered makes fire in a dish when it is electrocuted. This is much less exciting than we were hoping for given the blast destruction around the pillar. There were some strange weeds around too that don’t look like they’re from around here… Tenebral took lots of pictures and samples.

The monastery was not super exciting. Mostly. We found 2 manticores that were not super happy with us for disturbing them. Oskar managed to figure out that there guys were actually mountain lions merged with demons by the absence of marmaron in this place. He did this by using moonbeam on them. His spells have had some unexpected consequences these days. We got rid of those guys without too much trouble thanks to Oskar’s magic.

There was a room with some figures that had rubies in their heads, but we were all too afraid to remove them since there seemed to be a lot of hell paraphernalia around. There was a room designed for some kind of hell-tennis. We decided not to try that one out.

The monastery appears to have perhaps been a forge in a different life. There were some fancy swords that we took a few of as well as a giant hammer thing. Mav became unusually fixed on the hammer and decided to go hide in in a hole in the ground so no one else could have it. It was a little odd, but I guess he just really likes his weapons. We then headed back to the town to give a report to the musicians.

(Gheshtal ✓)

I’m quite impressed with this monastery! Others may not be so impressed, but they’ll just have to learn to enjoy history. That crumbled tower is a mess, but perhaps the most important clue to the downfall of this monastery. The placeholder is clearly meant for holding white marmaron, hence why a fire is produced in the set place. Fire and white marmaron would have seriously damaged this place. However, I’m sure it was quite the defense mechanism for the original inhabitants. What enemy would expect the gates of hell to be cast on them? It must have been a last ditch effort to keep the monastery out of the wrong hands. Anyways, with a little cleaning up, I’m sure the band will have this place filled with joyful music in no time.

Wow! I was not expecting to encounter hybrid beasts. With the manticores out of the way, I had better take a closer look at these hellish decorations. Hmmm, these artefacts are definitely hell-related, and connected to some form of ancient worship, but I’m not sure who or what exactly. Wait, Great Daemon Harald Tolmung comes to mind with these forge markings. It was said his followers would be granted with smithing knowledge. Eons ago he was worshipped on a similar plane as Vai, but I know that is no longer the case. However, I do remember hearing that Harald supposedly left a big impression on early civilization after arriving through a hellgate. Perhaps this monastery is is older than we think….though I’m not 100% sure.

My guess is that Harald’s followers build this place after acquiring his knowledge, held onto it for generations, and brought hell back once they could not longer defend it. Then again, this is ancient history and I could easily be wrong. If I get back into town, I should try to find some literature pertaining to the matter. It’s a rare topic, but maybe Savulcian has me in his good graces.

I better see how the band is doing.

---

5-19-1859

(Regianna ✓)

We got back to Nassis just fine. That was refreshingly un-dangerous. We decided to keep sailing down the river. I am so close to home! I’m very excited. Of course it couldn’t be that easy. Freddie was acting strange and Oskar translated for her. She said there was some kind of toxic pollen in the air that was bothering her nose. She did not know where it was coming from but we should be careful.

That was fine until we started getting boulders thrown at us from red tinged tree groves. Odd but scary when we’re on a ship that has been yanked on by a demon, blown up by a “friend” and almost crashed into a wall of ice.

We jumped off to try to figure out what was going on. Mav started acting really weird, trying to hug trees and not particularly concerned about the danger. We didn’t figure out till later than the pollen stuff had mellowed him out.

We found 3 big trees in a grove that seemed alive but also really angry. Thankfully they were really slow. Unfortunately trees don’t really mind getting hit with swords or arrows. We ended up trying to catch them on fire. It’s been a long time since I used my lightning and I forgot how long it took to build it all up. I wasted it on some perturbed shrubs instead of the trees. We managed to get ⅔ down before they did much damage to any of us. I got whacked pretty hard then got stabbed in the back by a druid. I ended up passing out and woke up back on the boat.

It sounds like we were dropping like flies when the boat managed to fling some big fireballs out into the forest. It took out the last tree but also caught the rest forest on fire. We somehow got out of it ok and all the thrower trees were apparently so wrapped up in the fire that we made it safely out of the forest without any more issues. What a crazy journey this has been. But it’s almost over….

We have made it home!! It’s not quite the bright cheery reunion I would have wanted. Things are not going super well, we learned from my dad. The druids in the area have recently been stirring up the trees and they are not happy with my father or the town. I suppose they are not happy that we are clearing trees for farmland. I can understand this, but we try really hard not to negatively impact the environment too much. The trees have started attacking farmers. We sent one down the river today. It was bittersweet returning home to find my people dying.

Someone has moved into the mountain and is fighting with my dad for land. I have to assume he is the one behind the druids new vehemence. Looks like I came home just in time.

On a vastly less important note, pipsqueak got himself beaten up somehow. He looks bad but doesn’t want to talk about what happened. I hope he is staying out of trouble.

We hear one of the druids is having a “show” tonight, trying to convert the farmers into his followers. I think we are gonna go watch and try to understand what is going on around here. Here’s hoping for a much needed quiet evening.

(Tenebral ✓)

That got out of hand quickly. I can’t believe how quickly things escalated, but that seems to be the way things are going lately. After hearing about the local troubles, I was hoping we’d just be able to go see Brother Love’s traveling show and get a general idea of what was going on before regrouping and figuring out how to convince people that it would be best to resist the druids. Everyone seemed so happy, welcoming, and friendly that it almost seemed like we’d be able to simply convince them instead of doing anything horrible. In a way, that almost makes what Brother Love was doing even worse. How many people were taken by those demons before he was taken by them? Did he actually believe in what he was espousing, or was this just a convenient way to make money? I’m disturbed by the burning of the forest, but hopefully no one else will burn marmaron to get to this supposed “heaven.”

Thank the ‘gods the village was able to get the fires under control, especially with Oskar’s help. I can’t imagine how worse it would have been without his ability to quickly summon water. I just hope that we can convince the druids that the best course of action is to regrow the land, rather than destroy the town. I don’t have much hope, but with a druid and a cleric, maybe we can convince them. Hopefully the other have better luck with Regi’s father.