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Side note: Catfolk Gods
My mother used to tell me that it was important to know where you came from in order to keep moving forward. We embrace the past, learn from it, and then move on.
My parents made sure that I was aware of our history as Catfolk. They said it was an important part of my culture, and I should never forget it. We even had shrines for the old Catfolk gods set up at home, and small ones that my parents carried around when we travelled. They're not really worshipped by a whole lot of Catfolk anymore, though. Most that do are the really isolated tribes close to the Wastes. I guess the best way to put it is that they're considered just a little bit old-fashioned, now.
Mrrhrr is “Tail”. She stood for lust, humility and community. She represented family and the warmth of femininity in general. My mother said that she was an example for mothers, that her gentleness and love was without compare. She used to say that Mrrhrr loved us like we were all her children.
When I was younger, I often wondered if Mrrhrr's embrace would have been able to compare to my mother's. If she would have been as soft, as warm and as kind.
We also have Hmrr. “Claw”. He stood for hunters, strength and the spirit of competition. He was representative of men and the strength of masculinity in general. My father told me he was supposed to be an example for father figures, meant to use their strength to protect their family. He also told me about some boys that used to get into fights and then claim that they were simply wanting to show their respect for Hmrr, which would end with them being told to pay actual tribute to Hmrr in case he got mad.
I like to believe that Hmrr would have been proud of my father, who did his best to be strong for us. He did his best to protect my mother until his dying breath.
Thrrva, the last in the triad. “Feet”. Thrrva stood for travellers, trade and courage. Representative of wanderers, traders and the transitory nature of those who stray. My parents told me that in older times, wanderers would have been considered social outcasts, for leaving the tribe. They were important though, as they brought in new technologies, new ideas. New ways of thinking. Without them, the nature and culture of the Catfolk would have stagnated.
It was considered an honour for a child to become a wanderer, a traveller. Unfortunately, it was often safer if their parents pretended they were dead.
The Triad are considered very old-fashioned. Especially Mrrhrr, who is very unpopular with a lot of modern Catfolk women. Women are capable of more than just raising families, and men not only good for hunting and fighting. Wanderers are still sort of wanderers and while they're still sort of considered outcasts, it is not to the extent as before. They bring in new things which are now more embraced by the community rather than shunned.
My parents worshipped the Triad and they did their best to emulate the qualities that the gods embodied. My father for Hmrr, my mother for Mrrhrr. I like to think my parents would be proud of me, proud of what I've done and learned and accomplished. I am a wanderer, from the tips of my ears to the bottom of my soles. I've done a lot of travelling in these past few years, and I am not sure if I am going to stop anytime soon.
Well. Harland decided to summon a Fiendish Centipede. It looked pretty intimidating, I gotta admit. There was something about how all its legs moved that made me feel a little uncomfortable.
The centipede crawled onto the webbing... and promptly got stuck. Callie (ever the perceptive one) noticed a spider making its way towards the centipede. I relayed this to the group and we got ready for a fight. Harland shot it and made some comment about being thunderstruck. I didn't get it, but Dominus laughed so maybe it's another Gnome thing.
The spider started attacking the centipede. I didn't want to step on the webbing and get stuck too, so I just shot at it from a distance. Dominus was using Harland's old crossbow, but I don't think it's big enough for him. He missed a couple of times.
Unfortunately, the centipede took a few lethal bites from a person-sized spider and died. I probably wouldn't have done too much better, that spider was pretty impressive. The centipede did it's best, and Harland said summons are not real and just poof out of existence rather than dying when they go, so it's not so bad. He says he can always summon another one.
We killed the spider, and tentatively hacked through the webbing. There was not much more incident until we reached a fork in the road. One of the path was covered with more webs and another without. At the end of the one with no webbing, we saw a chest. There were scratches all over it, like something had been clawing at it.
While we were discussing what the best method of opening it would be, Harland shot it. The top of the chest shattered. Blood and meat splattered to the ground around it, and the stench of rotten flesh filled the air. Of course, Harland was in no way remorseful about making such a mess. Sometimes I think Harland likes that gun far too much. Poor Callie got some splashed onto her, and she wiped it on Dominus. I'm not entirely sure if Dominus noticed, or cared. Harland used magic to clean him.
The sound and the smell of the exploded chest drew in more spiders, and things that I later learned were called “Abberations.” One of the spiders trapped me in its web, but we managed to get rid of them all. I killed a spider on the ceiling and it began to drip down on me because I was stuck. It was really gross, and I'm not sure that crushing a spider directly on top of me was the most sensible thing I've ever done. Dominus helped me out of the webbing without cutting me, I was so pleased with him. I gave him a hug and because I was covered in spider goo, it covered him too. Maybe today is just the day Dominus gets dirty.
...Is it daytime up on the surface? I wonder.
After a bit more exploration, we found a lady. A very pretty lady. One may even describe her as “pert”. She was also a non-human lady, according to Callie. Harland suggested shooting her when he found out, of course.
We didn't let him, just to be clear.
The lady said she was kidnapped from her tribe on the edge of the Crystal Fields. Her name is Aria. She stuck to Dominus, carefully avoiding Harland. I mean, I guess I would too if I didn't know Dominus and a tiny Draconic Gnome man just threatened to shoot me. Dominus seems the most... normal. Physically, that is.
Anyways, we decided we were going to help her get back to her home because there was no way she'd be able to make it back on her own. She didn't know which way she was taken, so we continued along the path. Eventually we were greeted by a horrid, horrid stench.
It was a whole room of rubbish! I felt bad for Harland. His tiny nose must have cried. We decided to go through this room because the other way was covered with more webs, and we didn't really want to risk getting into a fight with a civilian among us. I picked up Harland and Torwyn because I didn't want them to have to wade through all that... stuff. Dominus, ever the gentleman, carried Aria (with only moderate difficulty!) and Callie decided to walk in. Barefoot. Not the smartest idea she's had, and she did say that she regretted it afterwards. Feet + pointy disgusting sharp bits = not a happy time.
There were what seemed to be remains of Gnomish architecture – that room was big, and a large grate in the middle of the room. These bars which originally served as a way to close the opening into a large pit were bent backwards. We ah... we avoided getting too close. There were stairs to the side, and we figured that must have been the way out because the air was fresher there. Well, as fresh as air can be in the Underdark.
Climbing the stairs, we emerged into a large cavern. There were huge mushrooms, and these glowing crystals and behind us, a river of acid bubbled along peacefully. It was all very beautiful. Aria said that this was the Crystal Fields, and as we approached we saw that everything was made of crystals. Very sharp crystals. Even the grass! There was a huuuge tree in the distance, too. Callie saw it and seemed to want to look at it but it was quite far off and we had more pressing matters at hand. Aria directed us to a path that was hidden by an illusion. We could not tell it was there until she pointed it out. The village was impressive, crystalline tree houses in crystal trees with crystal grass and crystal paths... There was a lot of crystal. Also people. The people weren't made out of crystal, but they were still an interesting bunch. All appeared to be the same race, and yet their appearances varied wildly. Is hair dye a common thing in this village? People stopped and stared as we entered.
We introduced ourselves, and told them we were there to return Aria. Someone took notice and summoned the Chieftain for us. Dominus also finally set Aria down on her feet. I'm impressed with how long he was carrying her for.
The Chieftain thanked us for bringing her back. He said they were Society. And that we were new thoughts. It was interesting, the moment Aria set foot back in the village she began talking really oddly. Referring to herself and the Chieftain in plural.
He said that others had disappeared as well, but that was a long while ago and they knew the ones taken had left the realm many moons ago. Unfortunate, but at least we managed to help one person. When asked more about Society, the Chieftain very gently deflected our questions but insisted they are peaceful. The Chieftain also discouraged Callie from approaching the tree, stating that it was forbidden to them. It was a tomb and a prison, he said.
...We asked him if he knew what was causing the earthquakes. He said it was hatred, pain and sorrow. That they hear it in their dreams. It wants to kill and consume all things, starting with itself. But there is too much anger for death, it cannot die.
I am worried, but also saddened for it. I want to help.
We were offered a place to sleep in for the night, and so here we are in one of the tree houses. I'm sure that if they wanted to harm us, they would have done so already. Callie wanted to test her Wildshaping and flew off as an eagle. I hope she doesn't give in to the temptation to approach that tree.
Oh – oh dear. She's just flown back in with shards of glass stuck in her here and there. I'm gonna go see if she needs help. Until next time.
Okay, so after everyone recovered from their hangovers and gathered their things we set off onto the next part of our exciting underground journey. The guardsman was super nice and chatted with me while I waited for everyone to get their stuff together.
They weren't very helpful about where the portal we needed to shut was, all they could kinda do was point us in the general direction and send us off. Fair enough though, according to Harland the Underdark is a pretty big place. I do wish they could have given us at least some form of directional help.
We kinda wandered along single-file through the narrow tunnels until we came upon a place with lots of pools. They looked really warm. The moment Harland stepped close to one, something came out and grabbed him! It looked like a lobster with tentacles. It was kinda icky, but at least it wasn't trying to crush me.
It didn't manage to poison Harland, which is good because it would have been bad for him. Callie tried to attack it, but I don't think it turned out so well for her. Harland tried to do some magic thing that would tell it to put him down or something, but it didn't work. I was worried it'd try to go back into the water so I went around to the side of it and stood on the edge as I tried to whack it. It grabbed Callie in its claws after moving Harland into its mouth. I think it wanted to eat him. I'm pretty sure it did, at least. In the end, Dominus landed the killing blow just as the thing tried to retreat into the water. He did well, I'm proud of him. He was pretty pleased with himself, too.
Harley and I dove into the water after we caught the glimmer of shiny things at the bottom. I had bigger hands, so I grabbed the coins and this pretty bird (not the fun kind, unfortunately). We divided what we found, there was like, 102 gold and 53 silver. I got to keep a copper that had a bite taken out of it!
Dominus wound up really liking the raven which was apparently something that people used to send messages from one another. He named it Kutkh, and we let him keep it. Inside the bird was a piece of paper, we couldn't recognize what was written on it even after Harland and I puzzled over it for a good while. It seemed to be some type of code. I put it away in my bag until we could get someone else to look at it.
We gave Harland's crossbow to Dominus, just so he can shoot things from far away. It looked so tiny in his hands...
After we all kinda recovered from the attack, we kept exploring. We found three different potential paths to follow, none of them looked particularly inviting. There was one area that was just... ice. Another section had cobwebs all over the floor of the tunnels. Large ones, too. And the last one had a lot of statues.
We didn't really feel up to going into the room that had the statues, especially after Harland told us that they were most likely petrified people. Didn't really feel too much like fighting a bunch of spiders either, so into the icy caves we went.
Eventually, we discovered a room with a very large tree in the middle. And three frost giants. We tried to talk to them, but they didn't respond. A voice told us that they didn't speak Giant very well.
What looked like a preteen girl materialized from the snow piled around the dead leaves. She was small-looking and pale. She was wearing a light blue dress and she had wings. She said her name was Hrim. It's a little tricky to try and say her name, so she told us we could call her Rime.
She was currently in control of the Frost Giants. As Harland, Dominus and Callie were discussing the tree behind her, I asked her questions.
She said she was in control of the frost giants, and that she'd been there for a while. She asked us what we are, and whether we were there for the tree. I don't think it would have ended well for anyone should they have said yes, because the air noticeably chilled when she asked that. We told her the truth, that we were not.
Harland asked her a few questions about his religion, and she sent off one of the Frost Giants to get some food for us, and called us guests. We asked her what kind of food she had, and she only said non-humanoid meat. Good enough for me, haha.
“You're not Royalists, so why are you here?” she said, “I was expecting the King Cult sooner or later.”
“We're a little lost, I suppose.” I said, “Well, I feel a little lost.”
“Well, I was expecting the Umbragen to come for their slaves, or for Zern to come to try and bargain for the Mind Flayers, or for King Cultists to come for their Princess. But you're just... lost.”
I remembered that bit of conversation because I felt a little bad for her. She seemed to expect so many people to come after her, and was prepared for so many bad things. Instead what she got was us.
Beside me, Dominus tried to stick his hand into this magical-looking blue fire, and the fire refused to touch him. He seemed really upset by that.
Apparently there were poisonous mushrooms beyond her cave (and not the fun kind), and they didn't like the cold so it was okay to stay where she was. There was not much point in us going ahead, so Harland asked her about the tree. I'll try and write what I remember, Harland told me some of the bits I missed so I could write it down.
She said that the tree was a Miracle from Vinland, the Night Watchman. He's the old god of law, community and zeal. She said it was a prison. For her.
Her title is the Redwater Princess. She said that a Royalist Cult paid the Umbragen lots to get slaves to make the part of her that was now in the tree. Seventeen thousand three hundred and nine souls, to be precise. They were fused together into a single entity and instilled in a pure vessel of celestial blood.
Harland told me the Redwater King hates everything that is. Existence itself pains him. He wants to see the end of all things, including his followers. They built her of that hate, empowered by thousands of souls that despised them specifically. She strained against her bindings. There was chaos, and then she left. The power she had was immense. Seventeen thousand souls infused with Divine Hatred. She burned from within. It hurt her.
She prayed for a miracle, and it was granted. All of the hate and pain and suffering was sealed in the tree. Hrim was made up of what's left.
Harland thanked her for her story, and she said that we could repay her if we liked.
Hrim said we smell of blood, and light, and darkness, and forests. And time. She asked us to kill her someday. When we had the ability to do so. She said she'd rather that we killed the Princess and let her figure out the rest of what she was. That we were the first people to find her in a decade, and that it was not a coincidence.
We agreed.
She gave us four blue crystalline tears. She said they were respite. Peace. She said that we could put them under our tongue and they'd keep our hearts strong and our minds at peace for an hour or so. She also said that if we crushed them and rubbed the powder into a mortal wound, they might grant us hope.
Hrim... Her story is so sad. I always knew the world wasn't a safe place and that bad things could happen, but some of the things I've seen and heard of recently have been... so much worse than I could have ever imagined possible. I feel like I understand a little of why Ulysses did what he did. He wants to be the greatest hero that ever lived. I want to help make this world a place where people don't to hurt like this. I want to make a difference. I want to make a change. I have to get even stronger.
She gave us some more information about the fortress, and then once we left she sealed herself away, so that nobody else could find her.
We will come back to her, someday. I swear it.
After we left her, we followed the paths up to where there were a lot of spider webs. While Harland was trying to think of what to do, I decided to sit down and write. Ain't no way in hell I'm stepping on those webs.
Oh, but Harland is summoning something. I'd best put this away.
Side note: Legacies
Harland was telling us about Legacies, and how they all worked. It was actually really interesting!
Apparently, most people have difficulty getting stronger after a certain point. Their bodies just can't handle it. However, with lots and lots of hard work you can do something so... impressive that you somehow break through your body's limits and you can get stronger that way. This is called Heroic Ascension, and it's super difficult to achieve.
Alternatively, when a powerful entity dies, sometimes they can leave behind a vague sort of inheritance. This is called a Legacy. They usually set up some sort of test to weed out people who aren't worthy, so on and so forth. Once they get a Legacy, it will grant regular people the ability to get stronger past their usual limits. The stronger the original creator was, the more stuff they can leave in their Legacy.
I'm already discovering some weird changes about me that I think is related to my shadow. I'm a little fuzzier at the edges. A little less... here. I recently found that I can hide in shadows after I accidentally smacked Callie in the back of the head when she wasn't looking. I'd thought that I was too far away to reach her, but the moment my hand reached towards her shadows it felt solid. And I hit her. I panicked when she went to turn around, but... she just looked straight past me. I took a step towards her, startling her. She asked me where I came from. I said I was just in front of her. Apparently she couldn't see me at all. It was as if I'd blended in with the shadows nearby. But then again, I feel that some of these changes are from the earring I have. It's gotten some new things on it, things that weren't there before. A small silver moon charm, a dark blue bead, and a small black shard. I may need to have the wizard look at it back in the city so he can tell me what it's doing now. I've always been able to put out lights with it, but only ones that weren't magical. Now I think I can do more things with it. According to Harland, he thinks that we all acquired very powerful Legacies. I'm inclined to agree with him, if what the Eternal Shadow said in my dream was true. I'm wondering what sort of things will come with these Legacies. He says that gods and really really old beings might have difficulty telling us apart from our Legacies. Considering what the Eternal Shadow stole... I'm scared. I'm scared they'll come for us. I'm scared I won't be strong enough.
Travels, Part Two
Kathil was very different to Port Auspice. It was huge, it was amazing. I never thought I'd get to actually go there. I mean, had been here before but my parents had me stay on the boat because I was too young to go with them at the time. I was excited to finally explore it on my own. As we got closer to the city, the waves disappeared. It just stopped. Even the glass of water I kept in my room went still. My first step onto the docks, I didn't have any shoes on. I was in a rush to leave and forgot to put them on. I remember that first step. The sun was shining, the metal underneath my feet was hot and the whole place smelled of oil, people and sea. I was ready to start anew. I put my shoes on, picked up my pack and turned to face the city. As a looked up at that huge city with hundreds of people milling about, I froze. The excitement drained away as I took it all in. Everything I had done, everything I was going to do. Where was I going to go? What was I going to do? Would I need to resort to thievery again? I didn't think I could do that, not just yet.
An old sailor walked up to me as I stood there processing everything. He said he could tell I'd never been here before, and began chatting with me. Old people can be very talkative with those who will listen. I had planned on heading straight into the city to find work, but it was good to speak with someone who seemed so friendly. I stayed near the docks for a little longer. He pointed out the good places to get food, inns that were cheap nearby. He told me that the whole place was made up of lots of platforms linked together. He told me about how the city changed over the years, as they added new platforms on and moved the old ones elsewhere. He said he'd been traveling to and from Rotterdam and Kathil for a couple of decades, and he had seen a lot of things in his time. As we spoke, I helped him unload their cargo. Didn't realize why I was getting so many strange looks until a little later. Apparently I managed to impress the captain of the ship when he saw that I was able to lift as much as most of his men, and I wound up being offered a job at the docks. It seems that it's not common for little girls to be able to carry so much. I had always thought I was strong, but I hadn't realized exactly how strong.
At first they didn't really trust a slightly grubby-looking girl with their cargo, watching me almost constantly. Over time I proved myself to them, and once I hit my growth spurt and got a little bigger I was promoted to delivery person. They let me run the I stayed in the worker dorms, I was fed and clothed and I even got money after they took out the cost of lodging from my pay. It wasn't a lot and it wasn't easy but eventually I had a good bit saved up. I lived there for a while, working different jobs and meeting new people. I learned a lot from that place, picked up a couple of languages. Aquan, Dwarven and I managed to convince someone to teach me more Gnomish. It was good, but eventually I began fretting. Began feeling like I was getting too attached. I wasn't ready to trust people again so soon. A little over a year since I arrived at Kathil, I packed up my things, said my goodbyes and left.
Travels, Part One
Callie wanted to know how I got my hammer, and I suppose I should share that with you as well. We can continue where my dream left off.
After what had happened in Port Auspice, I wanted to get away. To leave that horrible place, start anew elsewhere. At least, to pretend for a little while. A little like a child running away from home, I suppose. With the money I had accumulated I managed to get passage to Rotterdam. It was strange, traveling on my own. I was quite scared, really. Despite that I was determined; and working for the Sea Serpents had taught me that there was much a small child could get away with should they be able to remain undetected.
I spent a while in Rotterdam, in a sort of depression. About as depressed as a child who had just killed their best friend, I suppose. My father's trade partner, Arend Maarschalkerweerd, agreed to take me in for a while in exchange for some of the money that I had available. It was a big city, beautiful. Busy. A lot like Port Auspice but at the same time not. It was cleaner, it smelled nicer, everything was smaller. The smell of the sea and the sound of water was everywhere. I did get more strange looks here, but that was alright. I wandered around the markets often, eventually getting a little familiar with a few shopkeepers once they decided I wasn't going to try to steal from them and discovered I spoke a little Gnomish. It was good, as Gnomish names can be be a bit of a mouthful and it'd be extremely impolite should I speak their name incorrectly.
It was good for a couple of weeks until my money began to run low. I wasn't allowed to work in Gnomish lands of course, part of the deal for staying in Rotterdam. The shopkeepers I had befriended recommended I travel over to Kathil. It was a Dwarf city, one floating atop the sea. I saw it on my way to Rotterdam. It was an interesting city, and according to my new friends, it was also open to strangers taking up work – perhaps even residency there. It seemed like an excellent idea. Arend bought some of the stuff I had left from Port Auspice, which gave me enough to get onto another ship to Kathil and some basic supplies. After that, I was on my own.
...I've just woken up on top of a mushroom. I am not entirely sure where all my clothes have gone, but I'm not dead so that's OK. All my important stuff is with me, so I'm not going to bother hunting around for my clothes just yet. Now appears to be a good time for me to scribble down some of the things that have gone down. Perhaps when it gets a little brighter I'll look for clothes.
We met the lady again, turns out she's one of the members of the council that leads the city. I don't exactly remember their names, but some of them seem really interesting. The people, not their names. One was very angry, another makes me think of Doominus, one of them said he was the beastmaster. I might need to get their names from Harley and Callie.
Long story short, we need to go and beat these people who keep poofing near the city. Something, something, something we need to damage the thing making the portal that's letting them through. I don't really think we should be hanging around down here for too long, but they said we're the first heroes they've had in a while so they kinda really need our help.
After we talked to them they gave us a bunch of stuff. I have SO much rope, and a shiny new set of armour. Shadowleather, I think it was? It's pretty fucking neat.
When we finished going through their surplus stuff, we went shopping. Callie helped me make bone carvings, and the nice blacksmith fellow made me a couple of masterwork hand crossbows. The carvings went to it. I called them Baza and Zeva. Heads and Tails. I thought I'd name it something hydra-related because it'd be appropriate. Callie also managed to make the rest of the tooth into a dagger for me. Kuza, the dagger. I like it.
We also met this wizard man. He made me earrings because he really likes Callie's thing and wants us to get him bits from a dead thing. Apparently it's a dead thing in an area with magic stuff that makes non-humanoid creatures lose the will to do anything. Hooray. He says it shouldn't affect us. Shouldn't. Also, that this may not be dead. Once again I have no idea what our reasons are for this. But then again, he's giving us free shit so I guess to dangerous situations we go. He made me a cool earring to match the other one I have, and I pierced
I do think I remember agreeing to a drinking contest, but after that it gets blurry. Next thing I know, I'm here. Naked. Guess I should start hunting for my clothes before people look up and see a naked cat lady. Catcha later.
Dominus is an idiot.
Almost immediately after I followed them out of the important-looking building, he started flirting with one of the women wearing collars. In response she took his arm and happily began chattering away. I think Harland and Callie were surprised, too.
She walked as she spoke, Harley and Callie following alongside them. He seemed to hang on to every word she said, nodding enthusiastically and making gestures. I’m sure she even patted his head at some point. One had to guess who had approached who. I tried to keep on their tail, and eventually she led them into this dark, hidden-away alley. I think she claimed that they were going to some form of tavern. I had assumed it was common knowledge that strange people shouldn't be followed into a dark alleyway with no apparent exits, witnesses, street traffic and so on and so forth... That's how you get yourself killed, usually. One would think that if you're in a strange city you'd try to be more cautious, but I digress.
Callie seemed more hesitant to go in, but unfortunately I think the prospect of booze was a bit much for Harley and Doominus and I don’t think she wanted to leave them alone with the lady. They went in, descending a set of stairs that actually led into a bar of some sort. There were lots of other women there as well, all dark-skinned and collared. Nobody noticed me as I sort of loomed in the stairway and I just kinda watched as they began to have a drinking contest.
I had debated whether I should simply leave them and explore the city, but after a few drinks, Doominus passed out. Unsurprisingly. What did surprise me was only couple more and Harley was out for the count as well. The dark-skinned lady signaled someone and six unarmed, unarmoured, uncollared men stepped out of a back room. The lady then told Callie that she had to either willingly follow and be sacrificed or try to fight, be beaten by these men and then be sacrificed because the collar would stop Callie from being able to fight. I figured this also applied to others wearing the collar as the lady seemed a little more capable than these men did at fighting. Some sort of air around her, I guess.
That was about when I decided to step into the room. Not that I really wanted to, but I figured I stood a chance. They were unarmoured, I was hoping I could get some decent hits in and maybe at least give Callie the chance to escape. Apparently though, whatever was on those collars didn’t seem to work when they were absorbed into the flesh due to a wildshape.
Callie turned into a leopard, jumped onto the lady and began mauling her. Meanwhile, I may have taken some of my ah, frustrations out on these men. Two of them might now be bloody pulp, I finished off another one who was quite injured and I may have ripped a fourth man's heart out. I felt a lot less angry after that fight. Callie also killed one of the men and knocked out the lady who brought them to the tavern in the first place.
We also met Cricket. She did some weird shit. It was pretty cool but also my fur still puffs up when I think of some of the stuff I saw her do.
Afterwards, the ladies who were in the bar were made to line up along the wall at the instruction of Cricket. She said she was a spy of some sort and when this important-looking lady came into the room, Cricket asked her if Callie, Doominus and Harley were plants. She said no they weren't, and that they were really stupid should they be actual spies for the enemy so it would be OK to trust them. Or something along those lines. She then removed the collars from Callie, Harley and Torwyn. Poor Torwyn. I introduced myself to her, of course. You always gotta be polite to important people.
Apparently the people in the bar were the last members of some sort of evil spider cult in the city. Callie said she'd fill me in later. Something about Callie, Harley and Doominus becoming sacrifices to remove the enchantments on the funny collars, something about summoning, etc etc. She invited us to see the council members again (Callie said that was where they were taken the first time.)
Really all I want to do is wash the blood off me, and I'm waiting for Doominus to finish primping himself so I can have a quick clean-up. They have offered to let us use this room to tidy up, and have given Callie and I some nicer clothes so we don't have to go in all... exposed.
I think it's my turn now, I have to hurry before Doominus decides he needs to have another look at his hair.
Catch you later.
Callie was kind enough to lend me her armour, considering the fact that it actually gets merged into her when she changes shape. I love her leopard form, it's fantastic to see that she's finally getting a few hits in. I never thought I'd see a silvery leopard with antlers, but I think it works. I gave her my poor old sack to wear in exchange.
We walked back to the exit of the cavern we fell down. It looked like we were on a cliff's edge, with the path going upwards on the right side, and downwards on the left. Peering down the side, I could see another platform underneath us, and the same when I looked above.
The Worgs and evil both went downwards, and since the Worgs seemed to know where they were going, it was down we went. A bit of rearranging with the way we walked, I was still taking point. We figured that if I stayed just inside of Harland's range for his darkvision, with my ability to see further than most of our team and the Ring of Darkhidden, I can be invisible to most things trying to approach us unseen.
So it was me, Torwyn, Callie, Dominus and Harland at the back.
Harland and Dominus were discussing the architecture of the place as we walked. They noted that the path was most likely carved with magic, although they weren't quite sure by whom and for what purpose.
Perhaps about 5-10 minutes into our walk, we found some buildings. After more discussion from the two, they concluded that the buildings were Elven. True Elven in nature. And are quite old. Elven styles have changed a bit over the years, and based on these buildings they determined that it would have been built perhaps at the beginning of or even a little before the Age of Dragons. It seemed to have been in use until the past few decades or centuries. There were nothing important in the buildings, save some very old evidence of a fight. We decided to move on.
They spoke with each other as they walked. From what I could gather based on their conversation, Harland seems to know a surprising about about bats.
We found some evidence of another, more recent fight further along. There was some blood, and bits of Worg fur on the ground. No corpses, though. We couldn't identify the blood, although Callie wanted to lick it to be sure.
Soon, we came across what looked to be an elevator. The wood smelled weird. Apparently it was something called “Cavewood” which is actually a type of mushroom. We spent a little while discussing whether it would be edible or not. I think we were all starting to get a bit peckish. It seemed to be in working order, except the mechanism to raise and lower it wasn't at the top of the elevator. It was also definitely a more recent build compared to the buildings we saw back up the path.
Upon closer inspection, Callie noticed small metal bells attached to the ropes. She tried to ping one, but it didn't make any noise. I managed to take one down without breaking it, and we looked it over. According to Dominus it was made from a type of metal found in Ermor, one usually used to repel small vermin. I decided to silence the bell and keep it for later. Just in case.
About a further 30 minutes of walking, we found what appeared to be a bridge with a gatehouse. It seemed to have collapsed about 50 feet out. I couldn't see the other side of it from where we were. The walls on either side of the building were high to prevent people from climbing up, and a portcullis blocked our path onto the bridge. There was another building to the left which seemed to be open. We decided to go in.
Just before we entered, we felt the ground tremble. It lasted for about 30 seconds. We heard nothing more, so we proceeded.
There was a strange cage inside, the only way through a grate that blocked the whole room. There were fancy lights hanging around the cage. Only one of us could go through at a time and after some discussion, Harland went first. He didn't die. We all went through it, after seeing that Harland was fine. On the other side of the grate we found a room that oversaw the cage we'd just been through. There were five balls the same colour as the ones hanging over the cage and three glowing runes. I wasn't too sure what the heck was going on but some pretty cool stuff happened when they touched the runes.
According to Harland and Dominus, this was “Customs.” Whatever that is. Maybe it's a gnome thing.
We explored the building further. We found the barracks, mess hall, storeroom and what appeared to be the officer's quarters. All systematically emptied. One wonders why. The officer left a couple of papers behind though. Some form of request for more supplies, and what Harland deciphered to be an orientation sheet. He said this confirmed that this was “customs”. He then explained that they checked to see what things people had on them to see if it was safe to let them through, and the runes would ah, sort out the ones who weren't.
When we stepped out onto the bridge, Torwyn got scared. So scared she wouldn't move in either direction. There was a faint scent of blood in the air, enough just to make the fur at the back of my neck prickle. And then we saw them. The handprints. At the bottom of the portculis were two very defined handprints, as if something had grabbed it and lifted it up. I picked up Torwyn and we hightailed it out of there.
There... may be a reason for the bridge being collapsed. A reason Ulysses might be familiar with. But no making assumptions now, I think I need to finish noting everything down first.
Apparently, the evil went across the ruined bridge but the scent of the Worgs went further down. Harland wanted to cross but eventually we decided to continue downwards.
After another 30 minutes of walking, we noticed that the path was not quite so well-maintained here. As if nobody really went this way anymore. It was still plenty wide to walk across, but I made sure that the path we were taking was stable. We soon came across another building. This one was very run-down compared to the gatehouse. There was a rope bridge going across, one that looked to be in good condition compared to the rest of the building. Dominus wanted to try to cross it, but we managed to convince him it would be more interesting to continue descending.
As we walked, I brought up the possibility of the gatehouse having been the entrance to some sort of city. Of course, this had Harland and Dominus all excited, and they decided that should they make this ah... very historical discovery... They'd like to name it. “Harmonius” they said.
Soon, we found the other half of the elevator. From how long we had been traveling until we reached the bottom of the elevator, we determined that the spiral seemed to be about 500 feet across, and it appeared to be narrowing slightly as we went down.
The bottom of the elevator was intact, but the raising mechanism was missing. There were no bells on this side.
We continued onward, and we found the next support of the bridge. From underneath, we could see that the pillar was massive. It looked like it was all made out of one stone. Perfectly smooth, perfectly square. Harland said it was most likely built with magic. They were discussing the possibility of climbing this pillar, but after I pointed out that the pillar simply connected to the gatehouse above, we decided to continue.
45 minutes of walking from there, I saw something on the path below us. Namely, there wasn't really much of a path below us. There was rubble all over it. As we approached it, I could see that the rubble covered the bottom of the cavern.
There were tall pillars jutting out from the ruins, they were split down the middle. From what we could see, it looked like the remains of the city. A lot of the buildings were actually intact. Buried in rubble and damaged, but mostly intact. It seemed almost as if someone had taken out the supports underneath the city and it simply... fell.
Torwyn found a ragged, crushed skeleton buried amongst the ruins. There were still people here when it fell.
The Worg scent went across the rubble and into a hole on the side of the wall. We opted not to follow, and to instead have a look around. There were still well-defined streets and building areas, but no particular landmarks like libraries or churches.
Further along the “street” we noticed a blinking light in the distance. Well, the others noticed it. To me it was like a bloody beacon. I approached it cautiously, careful to remain outside of the circle of light it shed. It was inside a building. It appeared to be a small gem maybe the size of a grape. It was gently flickering at random, and the light was reflecting off gold that had spilled out of a pouch. As we stood there deciding what to do, Harley saw the gold and rushed in.
He managed to avoid being caught in a near-invisible web strung across the entrance to the building, and Harley, Dominus and Callie soon found themselves held at crossbow-point by a number of figures dressed all in black. I stuck to the shadows, watching them. They lowered their weapons at the command of the cloaked figures, and an extra three materialized out of the darkness to put the weapons into a sack.
I trailed a little behind them as they were brought in a particular direction. The six figures were met by another six, who seemed startled by the fact that they had found people at all. After a moment, they melted back into the shadows, leaving the original six behind.
I watched as they were led into a tunnel that opened out onto a busy street. Now there was light, I could see that when I had thought were six people, there were actually nine. I decided to wait a little before merging with the crowd as I would have been easily spotted by their escorts. Thankfully the colour of my fur allowed me to blend in a little more at first glance. I trailed them to a courtyard, where they were taken into a round, important-looking building. I could not follow further without arousing suspicion, so I opted to wait outside. I do hope Dominus can hold his tongue, or that Callie can keep him in check.
I'm here now, taking in the city. It's surprisingly large considering it's all very deep underground. There appears to be a lot of repairworks being done. The city was lit up by blue globes set into the walls of the cavern. There is a visible ceiling to this place, and even that appeared to be undergoing repairs. The buildings were mostly two-story, except for the building the others were taken into.
There were a number of dark-skinned people – elves, gnomes and even humans. The people seem to be speaking some form of Elven, one I am not familiar with. Part of me wonders if I can purchase something to eat but looking at their currency, it was stamped with a different symbol to the coins I'd gotten from the dungeon above. The coins appeared to be stamped with some sort of spiderweb pattern while the one from the dungeon appeared to be pure gold, unmarked.
There are some women nearby, collared. All appeared to be dark-skinned elves. Some of them also appeared to have golden manacles around their wrists.
Oh, it appears Harland, Dominus and Callie are emerging. They are now wearing collars as well. They're talking to some more dark-skinned elves, with Callie translating for them. Perhaps they don't speak Common? Callie seems upset for some reason.
They have been left at the entrance of the courtyard. I don't feel as though I should reveal myself outright so I'm going to continue trailing them until I can safely let them know I'm here.
I hope I get the opportunity to write more later. Good bye for now.
I do not like this place.
Everyone woke up, we are fine. Dominus, Harland, Callie and Torwyn are all fine. My clothes are not fine, though. After they woke, we checked things over a bit, and when we noticed that the ceiling looked unstable we decided to move. No clue why, but I believe I was able to see a lot further than usual in the torch light...
We were doing well, but then Doominus got bored as we explored the cave. He started singing. He didn't take into account the fact that we're in a bloody cave. The noise echoed. Loudly. There was snarling in the distance, and into the light came things that Harland called “Worgs.” The large one spoke to us.
After we didn't understand what they were trying to say, Doominus started yelling at them. They seemed nervous at the noise. I told Doominus to shut up, they told Doominus to shut up. Apparently they speak Goblin.
We spoke for a little, and I translated for the rest. They asked me about Callie, said she was pointy-eared but not one of them. We explained that we came from above. We asked them if we could leave. They said we were stuck, and implied they considered trying to eat us.
I managed to talk them into showing us the potential exit without any incidents, thankfully. They didn't want to risk making lots of noise and drawing the... the thing to us. Whatever it is. Similar to the thing with the Goblins, I have to wonder what sort of horrifying things would such incredible beasts fear? And would we want to meet them?
They showed us to a possible exit. I walked up to it, foolishly. I really need to stop being the first to a door. I got attacked by something called a Black Pudding. I got caught in it, it dissolved my clothes. One of my first thoughts was to toss my pack aside. There were lots of things in there I didn't want to be touched. This journal was one of them. I wound up quite heavily injured, I wasn't sure if I could have stayed upright should I have been struck another time. I escaped when it split into two. Apparently they do that. Dominus set his little vial of oil on fire and threw it onto one of them, which finished it off. That was a surprisingly well thought-out move.
Callie turned into a leopard as well, and jumped the goo before it could attack me a second time. She killed it, after being slightly injured by the acid. The smell was awful. We healed up with the wand Ulysses gave us. Even now his influence is still here.
The Worgs walked past us, out of the exit without another word. Perhaps we could track them later.
We could see that there were some things left in the goo, I poked through it with my hammer's handle. No way was I sticking my hand in that. There were 7 gold pieces, 14 silver pieces, some disgusting bits of leather and bone from the last person who was killed, and these red crystals. Harland wasn't too sure what they were, but he picked them up to look at later. I left him the gold and the silver as well, I felt bad that he lost so much of his hoard.
The next room was quite pretty, actually. Almost like a dim version of the night sky. I couldn't see the ceiling of the cavern anymore. There was a cliff, and the cliff's depths went further down than even I could see with my new and improved vision. Two paths went off to either side.
Before we went any further, we decided to backtrack a little though to a nice nook we found and rest up before proceeding. I have kinda put together a crude outfit with the sack I was carrying and the blanket I had in my pack. I'm unhappy I've had to use it like this, but I can always stitch it back together.
I'm not pleased with the way things are at the moment, but at least we avoided a fight with the Worgs. I get the feeling they might have been a bit of a challenge, as there were many. I'm also very unhappy with the loss of my shirt, but I can always get another. I have some gold at the moment, at least. Also, after thinking about it for a while I asked for Harland's crossbow as he now has his Thunder Gun. It's a bit small, and has 40 bolts but if I'm careful it should help a lot. I've used one of these before, briefly. Plus it's quieter than a Thunder Gun.
I want to be more cautious here. Doominus' impulsiveness is proving dangerous, but if it comes to it I will have to give him a stern talking-to. We discussed who would take point. I will walk in front, Harland behind me, then Doominus and then Callie.
I don't know which way we're going, but I think we'll need to meet whoever left those crystals inside the Black Pudding. I don't know if I'm going to like it. Perhaps we can try to see where the Worgs went. I'm not sure.
Today was not the best of days. I'm very tired, I think I'm finally going to go to sleep.
Good night.
Okay. I've calmed down and I'm back. I've checked on the rest and got them more comfortable. None of them broke when I picked them up, so I think they're okay. They're also all breathing, which is a good sign.
While they sleep, I guess it's time I wrote about what led to all this.
We opened that large, imposing door. Inside was a room filled with mud. Something was shifting under the mud at the other corner of the room but besides that, there was nothing else except a silver bell hanging from one of the walls. Callie and Harland both took shots at the thing in the corner. Nothing happened. Ulysses said that the room might wind up much more difficult should he enter with us. We chose to continue without him. We took our positions, Torwyn standing by my side. I was nervous. This might be our final encounter in this dungeon.
The bell was rung. A shimmering wall appeared, blocking the doorway. Out from the mud emerged a head. Then another four heads. And then the rest of it followed. The hydra.
It... fell. Easier than I had expected. It didn't even manage land a single hit on me. Perhaps had the others not been there it might have been a different story. But as it was, the final fight was anticlimactic.
The mud dissolved, leaving the hydra corpse behind. Callie was overjoyed. It also left a set of green leather armour in the middle of the room. Ulysses came in as we were all crowding around the hydra. He helped us butcher the thing, and allowed us to take what we liked before packing everything into another one of his numerous bags. We also had a hydra eyeball each, barring Dominus. Hydra eyeballs taste surprisingly nice. Not that I'll get to eat another.
Once the hydra was neatly packed away, we descended the stairway that appeared at the back of the room the moment the hydra was slain. They led to a long, narrow hallway. We walked past an enormous cavern, a stone bridge going across. I peeked downwards, but I couldn't see anything supporting the bridge. Nor could I see the bottom. I wanted to throw a coin down to see how long it'd take to land.
At the far end, there was a grand archway. A beautiful sight. Past the archway were some more steps, and some sort of circle at the bottom. Ulysses gestured for us to go first, ever the gentleman.
Once we reached the bottom, I saw something. It looked like some sort of distortion of the air in the middle of the circle. Even when I looked straight at it, I could barely tell it was there at all. For a moment, there was nothing and I was beginning to wonder if I'd imagined the whole thing when it coalesced. Shadows rose up around it, making it more distinct. It looked vaguely humanoid. Her voice echoed in my bones. She spoke not to us, but at us. As though she were nothing more than an imprint. A memory. And what a memory it was.
For all that I am forgetful, what she said remains fresh in my mind still. There are gaps in my memory, but I will try and write all I can before more is lost. I feel this is important.
She said they were prideful, and foolish. That she stole so many things. That there was nothing she couldn't take. And then... she took what she should not have taken. She stole from the gods.
She stole her identity from herself, achieved the ability to hide from the gods. She was sure that if she showed herself even for one second, the gods would swoop down upon them.
She said they were an alliance. That it was all that remained of the four. The Eternal Shadow, who stole her very life. The Blood Immortal, who saw the secrets of eternal life from the bodies of a thousand sacrifices. The Star Eater, he who sought to swallow the sun. The First Daughter, traitor to her own kind. They united mortality under the pretense of throwing off authority. Because they didn't want to own up to their actions. They felt that it would be safer, somehow. These were their transgressions.
She built the tombs with the help of her friends, in the hope her wrong might be put to rights. She told us that below was the sum of her life, all the wealth she took and more - what she should have not taken.
She asked us to do right by them. Asked us to not do as she did, to do the right thing.
So ended the memory, and another set of stairs opened up. We descended. Below was a gigantic glittering cavern. There were piles of gold, stacked twice as high as Ulysses stood tall. Gems, magical items, weapons. Harland had a whale of a time, rolling around in gold that wasn't booby-trapped with snake. Ulysses had a bag that had some sort of suctioning power that could pull things in as he went past.
A path through the treasure led to a dais. Upon it was a simple looking box, and a small black dagger. I approached it.
The dagger seemed insubstantial, almost see-through. It was as if it was barely there. I picked it up, cradling it in my hands. It felt good to hold it. Ulysses stood by me, inspecting the dagger. He said I should try to hold it to my shadow, since it seemed like it might have something to do with it. The moment I touched it to my shadow, the dagger disappeared into my shadow, and my shadow disappeared into me. Nothing else was different, from what I could tell.
Inside the box, was a small plain book that had a black cover on it. I took it, and it felt like by lifting it I was lifting some sort of colossal weight. I almost dropped it in surprise. Ulysses urged me to open the book.
It... it was awe-inspiring. The stars were projected about us in what is and probably will ever be the most beautiful sight I have the chance to behold, and I'm ashamed of how lacking that phrase is with regards to describing it's beauty. I looked around and saw that everyone had stopped where they were, their eyes wide and mouths agape. Even Ulysses was slack-jawed.
I shut the book. I did not feel worthy to carry such a burden. He said he wanted to take it. I was going to ask if he would let me see the stars again sometime, but the words died in my mouth. I gave it to him without another word.
I remained mostly silent on our way out, still a bit stunned by what I had just held in my hands. As we left, Ulysses told us that the stars were not a projection. He said that the book was more or less a record of all things that have ever been witnessed by the night sky. That whoever held it had the ability to see all of these things, and to see what all the possible futures there are. That they would be able to manipulate fate. He called it The Grimoire of Starlight.
I still remember it clearly. Every moment of it. He paused as we got to the great bridge. He said that anything under the heavens could be created by the book. He drew a sword, one that he said was called Void Dragon's Cry. It was wonderful. He looked at it for a moment, and his face turned sad. He told us he was sorry. That he was growing to like us. And the rest... I don't think I could stand to write that again.
I don't know what this all means. The dreams, the memory, the shadows, the sword, the book, the horrible horrible painful betrayal. I feel like I've left a bit of myself up on that bridge, and I don't know if it's something I'll get back. Maybe if I continue writing in this book, I can try to figure things out. I want to know what happened to him. Why he'd do something like this. I want to know what's happening to us. Harley was in a pool of blood and I couldn't find any wounds, Dominus was in a smoldering crater and Callie was all bruised up in a thicket along with Torwyn.
I have so many questions and I'm sitting here alone in the dark. My friends are injured because someone I thought I could trust decided to drop us into this awful abyss. I have no idea where we are, what we're going to do, how we're going to get out of this. I'm scared. I wish someone could help me.
Ulysses, why?
I got this art done by a nice lady on the street. The way she drew me was very interesting, though... It's beautiful. :D
The dream has embedded itself into my memory. Such a meaningful dream. I don't quite have the words to describe it, but I'll do the best I can.
I was in an empty plain, there but not there to anyone looking. I moved what felt like miles and miles in less than a blink. I was in a golden city surrounded by strange figures, and yet everything around me was frozen. It was... unsettling. Time resumed the moment I stood still, and froze once more when I began moving again.
In an instant I was at the ocean, crossing over the frozen waves until I found myself in a dense forest. It was there I found them. She was so beautiful. So was he. Even frozen in time, for but a moment I saw her eyes flicker open.
Then I was gone.
I came to meet another three as well. In a place that no other besides us could find. They knew I was with them, somehow. I felt it, deep in my heart. And my heart was sad.
I gathered my regrets, my uncertainties and I transformed them into a message with the help of a man soaked in blood.
They did not think it would be needed, but I knew somehow. They were wrong. The message was intended to help those to come in the future, to give us a chance.
The dream ended, and I woke up.
I was lying there for a while, in the dark and in the cold. I had no clue where we were. I stayed there for what felt like an age before I finally decided I would write my thoughts down in here. After I dug out my torch from my pack and the others from underneath the rubble, of course. They're still unconscious, so I'm going to keep writing. I need to gather my thoughts.
Dreams of my past, I hadn't had any of those in years. I used to have nightmares about it. I can't believe what's happened. I don't know why he'd do something like this, he's not this kind of person. I just... I don't know anymore. He's been so good to me, so good to us. I don't think someone with eyes like that would do something like this in cold blood.
He told me about his past, you know. In the in-betweens and over cups of wine. I was getting quite tipsy. He asked me about my past. I opened up to him. And then he opened up to me.
He told me the story of his brother, Seratas and Mist. Poor Mist. They were slaves, Ulysses and Caimus. Born slaves. Meant to die as slaves. Seratas was the bastard child of the Orc's High Chief and his pet Archmage. A trophy, to remind himself of what he had won. Mist was from a barbarian tribe, one captured and kept. You don't keep people, you keep animals. And like an animal she was given to one of the Orc warriors once they noticed that she was developing into a woman.
He loved her, you know. Caimus. He flew into a rage and they beat him. They tied him down outside the tent she was kept in. Ulysses wasn't so strong at the time. He couldn’t help his brother.. He told me this was his greatest shame. I wanted to hold him.
Something broke in Caimus, and eventually he broke free of his containment. He killed those who had captured them with the chains that bound him. The whole camp was slain. This was how the rebellion in the north started. Seratas joined them, once the rebellion began. The Four Grand Heroes of the North emerged, and crushed the orcs underfoot.
Unfortunately, Mist was never the same after what happened to her. She was extremely fearful, not letting even Caimus hold her. This simply fueled his rage. After the orcs were defeated, Ulysses, Seratas and Mist stopped fighting. But Caimus didn't. He slaughtered indiscriminately. There was nothing else they could do.
The three fought him. They were almost killed, but they managed to drive him into the Underdark. They couldn't finish him off, but hoped the madness would be enough to keep him lost in the mazes of the deep. Ulysses still has a scar from the fight. A constant reminder of what he had to do to his own brother. Mist vanished back into the north soon after. While Seratas and Ulysses travelled together for a time, one morning he woke up and simply found that she was... gone.
He keeps fighting, and I feel like he's fighting as much for himself as he is for the people around him. He's trying so hard to be a hero.
I need to talk to him. Sort things out. He looked genuinely upset by what he felt like he had to do. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this. The others will be furious. I hope I can convince them that he must have had a good reason to do this. Even if he did, then what? He still tried to kill us. I just...
I can't. I can't write any more. My eyes are tearing up and I'm scared I'll rub something out by accident.
What we did, what we found in the hydra room did not matter.
We found the memories of a woman long gone. What she said... matters but I shall not write it here for now. Now is not the right time.
We found the treasure room. What was in it does not matter, except for two things. A dagger that took my shadow and merged it into me, and a book. That cursed book.
Ulysses said that more or less, this book is a record of all things that have ever been witnessed by the night's sky. And to see what all possible futures there are. And anyone who held it would have been able to manipulate fate. I gave it to him, because I had grown to trust him. Grown to like him.
As we wandered back towards the exit, he paused on the bridge and pulled out a sword, one that only ever belonged in myth.
In that moment, I knew. I was watching him as he eyed up that sword he pulled from the book and I saw that look. That look in his eyes. I knew what that look meant. He spoke, and brought that sword down upon us with what felt like all the weight of the heavens behind it. My final thought as the bridge shattered and the world began to fade to black was... Not again.
I dreamed, in the darkness. In the weightlessness.
I dreamed of my past, as a child lost in the streets of Port Auspice. I was looking to buy some sweet rolls and I become confused in the crowds. It was nearly dark when I found them. My father died with his dagger in his own chest, and my mother was not far behind him. I like to believe he died defending her. Time slid to a halt as I tried to comprehend what I was looking at. They took everything they thought was of value. Their goods, their coin... Their lives. They had been stripped of all that would have identified them, save their necklaces. And my father's dagger. I took them with me, and ran. I feared that whomever had killed my parents would come back for more and find me.
I dreamed of being caught weeks later. I was found stealing from one of the stalls at the market. She started yelling for the guard, and I ran. Hungry, tired and scared he found me. He paid off the guards. Took me in, fed me. I didn't know who he was, or why he did it. He brought me to his home, and I met the rest of them. They called themselves the Sea Serpents.
I dreamed of him. He was not much older than me physically, but the weight of the world seemed to rest on his back. He was always thinking, dreaming. He sometimes spoke to me about how he wanted to change things for people like us. I believed that he could do it. He was not the leader of our group, but he was getting there. He was reliable, responsible. He got the job done. At first I wasn't too sure about the whole stealing thing, but eventually I came to accept that. He taught me, he shaped me. I quickly rose through the ranks. Part of me thinks that's why he did it. I was climbing, and he was stagnating. It wasn't long before people started saying that soon I would surpass him.
I dreamed of what he did. It happened three years after I first joined. We were on a job, more complicated than the ones we usually did - but that's why they sent the two of us. He... tried to get me caught. I was almost killed by a man who kept a crossbow loaded beside his bed. I managed to escape, but when I caught up to him he tried to kill me. I had no weapon on me, and I grabbed the first thing I could to defend myself. The hammer made a sickening noise as it made contact. All those years of training made me stronger than I thought. His head caved in, and he collapsed onto the ground. I vomited twice after seeing what I had done. After I had composed myself, I brought a sack over and placed it over his head. What was left of it. I picked him up, and brought his body back to the house. I told them the job went wrong. They accepted it as truth. Things like this happen, and it was to be expected that someone so good might slip up eventually. His body was stripped of everything of value, and was sent to be disposed of. They patted my shoulder with sympathy, they knew we were close. I was silent. Soon, I left. I grabbed the blood-soaked hammer on my way past the blacksmith's. I had thought to keep it as a reminder of what I had done.
I dreamed of my past. And then, when that dream finished, I dreamed of something else.
Entry 9
After rolling around in the wisp-water, we were a little bit cleaner. Ulysses told us a little more about how he wanted to be the greatest hero there ever was. It seems like he's getting pretty close. I believe in him.
We found rats in the next room, lots and lots of them. Dominus and Torwyn got swarmed, although I don't think Torwyn really minded. She managed to have a nice snack before the swarm dispersed.
We discussed the possibility of Torwyn having a legacy, and soon after we decided she probably wouldn't, Doominus asked the exact same thing again.
The next door looked imposing. With an image of what looked like a multi-headed reptile on it. We decided not to enter it just yet, instead opting to explore further. There was a room made of lava, and we decided to nope the fuck out of there because lava.
We also found the most adorable kitten EVER. I was speechless. I couldn't move. I was distraught when Doominus tried to intimidate it, when Harley tried to shoot it and when it decided to walk out of existence. Apparently it was some sort of super kitten that could have murdered us all with vorpal claws. Ulysses said that means it can behead us with a swipe. I still think it was adorable, though.
Then we met the pit fiend. He... was very intent on keeping us all with him, saying he could answer questions for us. He says he helped make this dungeon. He called Harley a junior Blood Immortal. We eventually decided to leave before it could start getting to us, and Ulysses decided to stay behind. I wonder what he had to say to the pit fiend?
We wandered into the original entrance hall, as well. It was ruined, which makes me a little sad because I thought it would have been pretty.
All the areas explored, we decided it was time to open the final door.
I leave you to it for now.