Category: Creature

#Lore24 – Entry #358 – Sci-Fi Month IV #23 – Seeking What Lies Hidden in the Sands of Time

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

AG:  “I hope that I’m not delving into a topic I shouldn’t here, but what steps did you take to further your research once these special individuals began to show up again?”

RV:  “I won’t give you all the dirty little details, but will admit that I have used methods which most would find very questionable at best, downright ruthless and monstrous at worst.  I have faced no few attempts upon my life since I renewed my research, and I am something of the galaxy’s boogeyman because of them.  But as I’ve stated before, I don’t care what others think of me.  Most of them are beneath me and could not begin to fathom what it is I seek.

So, once I started to recognize these individuals again, I moved swiftly to secure them for myself.  You’ve heard rumors of some of the methods DSM employs, no doubt.  Some are completely true, others only slightly so.  I directed my AR&D division, in accordance with some of the secrets gleaned from the ancient draconic relics, to enhance the creatures known as doppelgangers, greatly enhancing their psychic abilities and their ability to duplicate their victims, without need for consuming them; all my particular breed of them require is a blood sample and time to psychically analyze and copy their targets innermost thoughts.  This made acquiring some of the more public and prominent test subjects much easier when I could simply replace them with versions that were loyal to me, and would further ensure that DSM maintained its position at the top of the power structure.

Don’t look so shocked, my dear.  In the grand scheme of things, this is on the minor end of the scale when it comes to the terrible things I’ve done in pursuit of my ultimate goal.  You needn’t worry about being replaced yourself, nor should you worry about meeting an untimely end upon leaving here.  Believe it or not, I do have a great deal of respect for what is you’re doing, however roundabout your methods are.  It’s a dodge worthy of Marcon himself, really.

Now, with a few new subjects to study, I would finally see my centuries of research bear fruit, would finally begin to unravel what it was that lay hidden within the sands of time by the dragons.”

AG:  “May I dare ask what it was that was so well hidden?”

RV:  “Why, the dragons themselves, of course.  Or, at the very least, their knowledge and experiences, stored in a way that only someone like me could manage to uncover.  There have been a few others over the course of the many millennia who have began to follow the road I have but have never taken the steps required to actually reach its end, for one seeking this knowledge cannot allow themselves be dissuaded by little things like common decency or a few lives along the way.  Take Lila Darius, for example; she has been something of a treasure hunter and historian in many of her incarnations, but try as she might, she is simply incapable of attaining the knowledge that she too seeks, because she has not allowed herself to see others as I do, to study them as I have.

I’m speaking of the very nature of advanced life as we know it, of the many sentient races who populate this galaxy.  At some time or another, we were all created, more or less in our current forms, by the dragons, our civilizations cultivated, changed, and ultimately left to fall to ruin in the wake of these beings who apparently vanished from whatever worlds they had played with, vanishing into time and space. 

But they didn’t vanish; no, they evolved.  Evolved into an existence that the pathetic little brains of the average being cannot begin to fathom.  That’s why most religions were formed, to make sense of these great beings that had evolved beyond common ability to understand.  Their evolution was what drove them to their experiments with the lesser races, what fueled their travels from one world to the next, trying something different each time, seeing what additional knowledge they could glean from their work.

Not all dragons were that way, certainly.  Some sought simpler existences, were content to continue ruling over their followers as gods in the flesh, while others seemed to grow discontent with their creations, attempting to destroy them only to find out that they had grown beyond their ability to handle, through various factors like the mastery of arcane magic and the formation of “divine” connections, and simple tenacity to survive.  Still other dragons would take different paths along their evolution, seeking to become more like their creations, to live amongst them or even to become them.”

#Lore24 – Entry #356 – Sci-Fi Month IV #21 – Following the Trail of the Dragons

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

AG:  “…Are you suggesting that the dragons themselves in these creation stories are in fact the gods?  Or…rather, that the gods as we know them are in fact, the dragons?”

RV:  “See, I told you you’d get there.  Yes, I am quite certain that the various deities that we know of, through whatever means they may have created their various child species or the loyal followers they have cultivated over time are indeed the dragons of legend.  Aside from a handful of examples that we know of throughout history, based upon the standard Andyllion-centric views, there have been no encounters with living dragons, yet it seems our lives have been shaped by them consistently and seemingly at every turn as we delve deeper and deeper into our galaxy. 

I’m not suggesting that all gods are dragons, far from it, for we have multiple examples of the lesser races ascending to that lofty realm, your own goddess for example.  But I am saying that the majority of the gods as we understand them are or were, dragons.  The dragons themselves are, in spite of everything we know of them, very alien to common understanding, so the methods they use and the reasons they do what they do are still very much uncertain, even to me.  But in this, I am quite certain.”

AG:  “Could you elucidate upon this, please?  What have you learned that leads you to this conclusion?”

RV:  “It’s a very long trail, a most convoluted web, but I will endeavor to be as succinct as possible.  As I’ve said before, I realized fairly early in my existence that I was in fact different from the other elves, and began to search for others like myself that were…different.  Through the long course of my research, I did indeed discover others like me, for when I first met them, I experienced a visceral, instinctive reaction like what I described feeling for Lila Darius.  Though these individuals did not always possess the same understanding of the arcane as I did, they possessed certain other traits similar to my own:  greater ambitions, exceptional drive to accumulate wealth, the ability to instill intense loyalty, that sort of thing.  This is what would, at some points in history, be referred to as the “spark of rulership” or some such thing, that extra little something that made various rulers greater than others. 

I likewise felt this when I first met Marcon Shadowmist, and again when I met his various children prior to the Age of Legends.  Marcon aside, for he is an anomaly amongst anomalies, the reaction I felt inside me with his children was exactly the same as what I felt when I find myself thinking of Lila Darius, only slightly lesser, given our frequent clashes over time.  The thing about Marcon…he is always testing you.  Always.  When he sought me out for assistance in correcting the demon incursion problem, it was a test.  When we sat back and observed events during the Age of Legends, it was a test.  Though I have not met him since before the Imperium War, I’m certain he still tests me.

And what is he testing for?  Some would say character, others perhaps wisdom, or others simply how well one can maintain their manners.  It’s hard to say exactly.  But in this, I believe he was testing my awareness of myself and of my nature, for he knew what I was, though he never once hinted at my true nature.  I suppose you could say he didn’t wish to spoil the surprise. 

Once I became aware of this reaction, this resonance, with certain beings, I began my experiments, using the lesser beings, the ones who did not share my response to this resonance, as test subjects over the years.  I noted particular changes in the nature of the resonance between beings, some more visceral, others more muted, others something I could describe as a sense of familiarity, and since I could find no physical traits that would account for this, I delved deeper, all the way to their very souls. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be as simple as tearing down a soul.  No, there would be plenty of vexations along the way.”

#Lore24 – Entry #355 – Sci-Fi Month IV #20 – Musings on the Fate of the Dragons

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

AG:  “Given the amount of time you’ve studied the dragons, you are likely the foremost expert on them in the galaxy.  Many researchers have previously attempted to access your research, and the one constant is the denial of access, which has fueled countless theories that you’ve made remarkable discoveries that you’ve used to get DSM and yourself to where you are now.  I suppose, since we’re moving onto the subject, that we should start at the beginning.  What started your admitted obsession with the dragons and their fate?”

RV:  “You’ll recall that I had always had an affinity for arcane magic.  Unlike others, I grasped the most complex concepts easily, and practically knew the draconic language used in arcana before I even studied it.  Most assumed I had simply been able to grasp the language easily, but no, I always knew the language.  I even gained mastery of High Draconic in the time it took normal arcanists to learn the basic form of the tongue.  Once I had gone to study the arcane, I quickly delved into what was known of dragon-kind, and quickly found it remarkably lacking and, somehow, instinctively, I knew much of it was wrong.  I always knew that I was different from my fellow elves, but I would begin to surmise that it was not simply the prodigy I had been named during this time.”

AG:  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but are you alluding to your very nature being different from other elves?”

RV:  “Yes.  My very nature is fundamentally different from that of normal elves, down to my very soul.  Taken at surface level, the traits which distinguish me most, my ambition, drive to gain power and wealth, mastery of the arcane, massive ego, my tendency to gain a remarkable loyalty from my lesser, even my lifespan.  Most elves tend to grow supremely bored and detached after a thousand years or so, perhaps two if they are particularly ambitious, and go off to die quietly somewhere.  I’ve never felt that urge, not even once, and I am just as spry as I was two, three, four thousand years and more ago.  Quite an anomaly, you would agree?”

AG:  “There are certainly no other known examples of elves as old as you.  Common belief is that you have preserved yourself through arcane methods, may in fact be a lich or making use of clones to extend your lifespan.”

RV:  “Lichdom is not for me, at least not for the foreseeable future, but there is precedent for it.  I have said previously that I mastered the arcane method of creating a clone.  That mastery has certainly been honed through practice when required.”

AG:  “So you have experienced death before.”

RV:  “Death of the body is trivial, my dear.  It is merely a vessel for the soul, which houses one’s true essence.  That is why I destroyed Halaxaes’ soul when he dared to cross me.  When the Hand of Mausolus was sent after me, I did not mean that I was lucky that he never caught me, rather that he did not slay my soul.  Had it been Korvalis Nightrunner who had come after me, then perhaps you and I would not be having this conversation.”

AG:  “Most would say that dealing in souls is a very terrible, dark art.”

RV:  “Most are beneath me and could not begin to understand how little I care about their opinions.”

AG:  “With all this talk of souls and your true nature, how does that tie into your draconic research?  Have you found a secret there as to the nature of souls themselves?  To our very existence, perhaps?”

RV:  “Not all souls, only a very small number of them, speaking strictly by the numbers.  But before I get into that, I should tell you the short version of what I have learned over these many centuries of study.  The proliferation of draconic ruins throughout the galaxy can be no accident, for their general construction and iconography are mostly identical throughout known space, with minor variations depending upon the tastes of the individual dragons who oversaw their construction.  As your order’s records indicate, there is a clear advancement in the age of the ruins through time; some ruins have been dated to be much older than those within the Andyllion core worlds, and others have been dated to be much younger, but the youngest of these is still thousands of years older than even I.  What most have not discerned, though, is the pattern of their construction, specifically a pattern which indicates an intentional and systematic expansion of dragon kind throughout space in a spiral progression following the spiral nature of the galaxy itself.”

AG:  “Are you referring to the draconic migration theory?”

RV:  “Yes and no.  The theory itself is flawed, you see.  The dragons did not simply advance from one world to the next as they grew bored or were vanquished by the lesser races or succumbed to some disease or calamity, to conquer the lesser races on a whim as is surmised.  No, the dragons themselves were responsible for seeding the worlds they visited, taking their loyal followers with them as they traveled, creating entirely new civilizations as they advanced, trying something new and different each time, studying how these civilizations flourished or died, then moving on to the next once they had satisfied themselves.  The shortsighted and self-absorbed nature of the various races throughout known space could never allow them to open their minds to the possibility that they or their gods were not responsible for their coming to their home worlds or perhaps even their creation. 

I can see that you’re going to need a few moments to process this and formulate your next question.  I can already guess what that question will be.  How does my version of events relating to the draconic seeding of worlds relate to the gods, to the various creation myths and commonly held beliefs that the gods were responsible for the creation of their ‘children’?  It’s really not a difficult leap in logic, my dear.  Think about it for a moment, have some fresh tea.  You’ll get there, I’m certain.”

#Lore24 – Entry #340 – Sci-Fi Month IV #5 – The Calling of Demons

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

RV:  “I am most certainly NOT saying that, Ms. Ganim.  I am saying that I was responsible for discovering the methods of contacting the realm of demonkind and developing the methods by which we could gain access to their power.  Any irresponsible use after that cannot be placed upon my shoulders.”

AG:  “Of course, of course.  Could you explain how this line of research came about?  What were you researching at the time?”

RV:  “Interdimensional, planar travel, even the concept of parallel realities, the “multiverse” if you will; truly few minds were capable of grasping the concept in that era.  My initial research had focused upon improving the ability to transport our soldiers and supplies long distances through magical gateways, in concordance with the use of scrying to perhaps arrange for surprise attacks upon our enemies.  For as idiotic as they are, the aerians were wise to our methods, thanks to their kerryn allies, primarily, so finding a workaround to their detection and countermeasures was naturally a priority. 

It was during my studies of a particular draconic ruin and the ancient portal there that I pieced together the early concept of my multiversal theory and began to theorize that perhaps the dragons that we have so long sought could have not only left Andyllion and our galaxy, but they could also have left our reality entirely.  My unique brilliance has led me to many such radical theories over the centuries, and I have, more often than not, been proven correct.”

AG:  “Were you the first person on Andyllion to make contact with the demons, then?”

RV:  “I was, yes, quite possibly the first outside the Demon Barrier and the Demon Sector, in fact, but that’s something we’ll have to circle back to later.  It was during one of the many jaunts I took through the planes during that time.  I had taken precautions, of course, to hide my trail, and had not shared my ability to shift amongst the planes with my fellow arcanists at the time.  In those days, you see, only the priests were considered capable of such a thing, should they travel to the realm of their gods, and that was seen strictly as a reward for their devotion.  What I did then transgressed the commonly held beliefs at the time, for it was assumed that all magic called upon the “aether” present in the world, that elementals were summoned from the four elements, that sort of thing.  I could go on at great length about ancient arcane theory, but I don’t think that’s what you’ve come for.

To answer your question more thoroughly, I had found a trail of corruption in certain planes and realms I had visited, and with some deduction and insight, I followed that trail and puzzled out the particular ritual methods that must be performed in order to bridge the gap into the demonic realm.  Not knowing any particular demons at the time, I was fortunate to have encountered only a minor one that was well within my ability to slay, for it was quite hostile with me.  My future attempts to contact them would be within the most controlled of environments, with strong wards and multiple layers of protection spells designed specifically to deal with beings not native to our reality.”

AG:  “How did matters escalate to the point that the demons were allowed to invade the world?  Did something go out of control?”

RV:  “Only the ego of my people.  Once I had solidified my knowledge of planar shifting and the rituals required to deal with the demons, and a mostly concrete understanding of their hierarchy and ways, I revealed my knowledge to my fellow arcanists and the leaders within the Elvish Dominion.  By this time, things had escalated to full blown war between our forces and our allies and those led by the aerians and kerryns, and the tide had already turned against us.  I will admit that my attention was elsewhere, and I had not paid due attention to the situation.  It was a decision I made in the interests of self-preservation of myself and my kind.

We originally sought only to augment our forces to fend off the advance of our enemies, to push them out of our lands.  But, once the full extent of what I had learned in the intervening centuries was understood, a plan was formulated that would break our enemies and see the Elvish Dominion returned to its proper place atop the world.  So, instead of using the demons directly as our soldiers, we would discredit our enemies and tear them apart from the inside.

Through a series of planar jumps, we were able to infiltrate deep into enemy territory without their knowledge, and once we had established our base of operations beneath the kerryn capital of Shinsei Daitoshi, we enacted our plan, coordinating with the lord of demons known as Suzu’retani, the Queen of the Succubi, the Bringer of Calamity.  Oh, don’t give me that look, Ms. Ganim; she was destroyed thousands of years ago; if any demonkind still remembers her name to even hear it uttered, they can do nothing about it within my domain. 

Now, then, the invasion started subtly enough, with her forces causing all manner of disruption amongst the enemy.  A deal was made with the demons; in return for elvish dominance over Andyllion, they could have all the aerian and kerryn souls they could possibly want.  Though I led the initial operation to bring the demons to Andyllion, I would be well away from Shinsei Daitoshi when the Demonfall occurred.  I must admit, even I was caught by surprise when Suzu’reitani subverted the kerryn faith and managed to capture Saressh.  Even I don’t know exactly how she managed that feat, but it was the madness that filled the kerryn priesthood that signaled the beginning of the Demonfall, and soon enough, the beasts ravaged our enemies, taking souls as if they would never end. 

Their taint spread, and soon enough those who had once allied with the aerians and kerryns turned to us, and against them.  The aerians, without the help of their longtime kerryn allies, were wiped out and driven from our lands.  However, though the Elvish Dominion had made a clearly defined bargain, we had not taken into account the nature of the corruption that spilled forth from their incursion in the kerryn capital.  The very essence of the demons began to corrupt and taint the world, and seemed to affect the elves more quickly and fiercely than other races.  This was initially how we garnered so much sympathy from our former enemies, in fact, for we played it off that the kerryns had summoned forth the demons, set the corruption against us, and then lost control of the monsters they had brought forth.

My own corruption was significantly lesser than my peers due to the time I spent in realms beyond our own, though even I could see that something had to be done to reverse course.  I’ll admit that I played my part in the atrocity, but I likewise did what I could to save Andyllion from the destruction that my overeager brethren had wrought upon it.  I would find myself in strange company in this endeavor, for the being known as Marcon Shadowmist would seek me out to right the situation.  Not even I can understand his way of thinking, why he had waited this long, but it was his plan that we followed to restore the balance and stop the demonic invasion.  This was what led to the Great Cataclysm, and somehow, that was the better choice, not just for Andyllion, but for the rest of the galaxy, though we certainly could not have known that at the time.”

#Lore24 – Entry #339 – Sci-Fi Month IV #4 – The Elvish Dominion

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

AG:  “So would you say you specialized in destructive magic at the academy?  Would seem fitting going to war.”

RV:  “At the time, yes.  As I said, rebellious young blood.  It was my first specialization, though I have since mastered all recognized disciplines…and perhaps some that aren’t.”

AG:  “Most intriguing; I will circle back around to this later.  For now, could you describe your first experiences upon the fields of battle?”

RV:  “I would call them positively invigorating.  After being confined to the stuffiness of the academy as I had been, being in a setting where things were actually happening was a most welcome change.  I was not possessed of the fear that often overtakes someone during their first real battle, rather, I found myself in my element, almost as if it were a natural state.  Though our engagements were limited at first, I relished the chance to rend my enemies asunder through my command of the arcane.  I do believe that this was the first time I truly recognized that I had a sadistic side to my nature.  I can’t recall any specific examples, but I know I would leave many aerians in various states of dismemberment and see if I could coax some screams from them.  They are dreadfully stubborn creatures, you know, even more so back then than they are now, and it was a rare treat to make one scream in pain.”

Note:  The casual manner in which she related this sent a chill down my spine, and I am quite disturbed by the look of fond reminiscence upon her face.

AG:  “I see…how did your battlefield experience lead you to improve your house and to the formation of the Elvish Dominion?”

RV:  “It was the lack of unity I saw.  For all our enlightenment compared to the lesser races, we elves tended to stick to our own blood for whatever reason, well, back then, at least.  I daresay that was why we could never truly control the world as we so often dreamed of, because we always saw a plot against us, usually from others of our kind, for we were the only ones to be able to think that far ahead, you see.  The shorter-lived races were of no real concern except in the moment; they could always be dealt with in some form or another, but the threat that was always there was our own kind.

Even though the aerians were quite brutish and backwards in their ways, they were tenacious and had an excellent ability to work together for a common cause, namely the eradication of any elves that crossed them, and more on top of that for good measure.  For all of my brutality in slaying them with my magic, they would return the favor in kind with their own barbaric methods and had been for some time.  I noticed early on that my people would make decisions that would benefit their houses over the greater good of the entirety of the elvish nation, resulting in losses that didn’t have to happen. 

I do believe this was likely when my natural ability to lead and inspire first manifested, for I began to create alliances that broke down some of the barriers between the houses, forged in the fires of war.  After a handful of years on the battlefield, I would return to my homeland with my inner fire burning quite hot and pushed the leadership of House Volcari to change their ways.  I won’t say that it was entirely the force of my personality that was responsible for these changes and growing alliances, however much I would like to say that was the driving factor.  No, there was no small amount of subterfuge and arcane methods employed, and no few people had to be made to disappear.  Luckily enough we had an enemy that was more than capable of being manipulated into doing the work for us, exploiting the opportunities that I and my loyalists would create for them.

It was the loss of many of the elder leaders of the various houses that spurred them to action, to lay aside ancient feuds and oft-imagined plots against one another and join together to form the Elvish Dominion.  As expected, this unification, and the formation of the twelve Great Houses that would lead the entirety of the elven people caused quite the stir amongst the people on the outside.  Most saw this as a threat to their own peoples, and perhaps it was.  Some would ally with us, and some would try to remain neutral or come to the defense of the aerians, seeing the elves as a real threat for the first time. 

Quite a tumultuous period, really. 

Though I would be prominent as a force of change for some years, I would eventually return to my arcane studies, firmly established as the true power of House Volcari.  It would not be without its own dangers, certainly, and I made it a point to master my protective warding magics during this period, for there were many attempts on my life during the early days, something that has continued to this very day, believe it or not. 

In spite of the relative unrest that would prevail during this period, my studies and experimentation would lead to several remarkable advances in the magical arts, born of the study of the ancient and long-lost draconic race that likely seeded Andyllion.  I would become quite fascinated with uncovering all that I could about them, driven by a desire from deep within my very soul, as it were.  Though I had little proof of it at the time, I would eventually come to learn the nature of this fascination and how my unique nature was related to it. 

During these scant few centuries, I would likewise uncover a plethora of previously lost sources of power that would prove quite literally earth-shattering in the coming years.  You know of what I am referring to, yes?”

AG:  “You speak of the Demonfall, correct?  Are you saying that you were responsible for calling the demons to Andyllion?”

#Lore24 – Entry #328 – Fantasy Month IV #23 – Hunted and Hounded

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

The problem with orcs is that, while not especially intelligent, outside of those of the Badaxe clan, they tend to breed quite quickly, and thus their numbers are exceptionally high.  Furthermore, their night vision is superior to those of a human, and even to elves, being able to see in darkness with relatively high acuity.  This, combined with a peculiar ferocity and territorial nature, makes them quite a threat to a small party of adventurers.

We were already hunted by the orcs by the time we had completed our ritual and continued to be so as we made our descent from the mountains, bearing roughly north-northwest as best we could manage.  They would rarely allow us any respite, constantly on our trail and trying to ambush us from the terrain they knew so very well.  Our magical reserves were consistently low, and Ellisar’s fireball wand was exhausted by the third day.  We were physically exhausted, as were our horses, and each step we took threatened to be our last, either from an orcish spear or arrow or axe, or one of our horses slipping on the rocky trails and sending us tumbling to our deaths.

I don’t think I’ve ever prayed to the gods quite so much as I did during that flight from the mountains; perhaps all of us did, though I can only be certain of Gresilda, for she made no attempts to hide most of her prayers when we were not trying to be quiet. 

As the days grew more strenuous, we thankfully found a route leading down out of the mountains that marked a return to the wide avenue we had followed between ritual sites to ease our travels, though this likewise meant our pursuers, riding their horse-sized wolves, could chase us more easily. 

I daresay we were on our last dregs of strength and would likely have fallen to our pursuers, wounded and exhausted, had we not ridden into a forested region near the base of the mountains and came upon a hunting party of a dozen men, who had already spotted our coming and set up an ambush for the orcs following us, pelting them from high in the trees with arrows as we rode through their ranks, even toppling some trees upon them. 

Though one would have thought our saviors to be elves, they were in fact, kerryn.

#Lore24 – Entry #327 – Fantasy Month IV #22 – Into the Mountains, and The Fourth Ritual

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

Following our reunion with the men of our party and our push toward the western mountainous region, we were suitably chastised for our admittedly stupid decision to perform our little relaxation ritual without making sure we were in fact alone, but in our defense, what were the chances we would find ourselves so close to a bandit camp, and they just happened to be scouting that particular area at that specific time?  Honestly, very good, given what I know of the nature of blessings from a goddess like Yurisaya; many accounts have I read of her blessings being quite mixed between fortune and misfortune in a most erotic way.

Still, we continued on our original course, and within a few days found ourselves ascending into the mountains.  Along the route, we encountered signs more orcs in the area, some smaller scouting parties from different tribes, which we tried to avoid, only engaging if there was no other choice, along with some wildlife which was more hostile than normal, namely some rather large wolves and even a few bears.  We found out why they were agitated soon enough when we were accosted by another drake, this one of the green-scaled variety, breathing a highly corrosive acid as it attacked us.

As we ascended and the trees became sparser, signs of the ancient draconic city were much clearer, though in a much worse condition than in other areas, being little more than piles of rubble for the most part.  Judging by the nature of the damage and local geography, I could make a rather safe assumption that there was a period of great geological upheaval in this area at some time, likely during the Great Cataclysm that reshaped much of the world.  It is honestly rather amazing that we have seen so little of its effects on the rest of the region we have explored thus far.  We found ourselves navigating through multiple narrow ravines and valleys, having to backtrack several times as paths suddenly ended or were otherwise impassable, and this likewise led us into more orcs, who were not willing to speak with us at all, insisting on a fight as we were quite obviously invaders into their territory.

By the time we had managed to find the area of the standing stones, clued in by the subtle shift in the very air around us and the activation of the accessories worn by myself and Risai, we were haggard and near exhaustion from several encounters with orcs, poor Korvalis and Shassk even more so due to their constant work to hide our trails and dissuade the orcs from following us.  The entirety of the radius of the standing stones had been raised as one, it seemed, and they still stood, unaffected by the geologic upheaval that had created the mountains long ago.  Gresilda used what magic she had left to ease the worst of our fatigue, and we hastily pushed through with the next ritual, earning our first mark upon our thighs.  As we waited anxiously for morning, hiding ourselves as best we could amongst the stones, we rested as best we could manage before setting off, hoping to evade further orc pursuit.

It was not to be.

#Lore24 – Entry #326 – Fantasy Month IV #21 – Bandits and Brigands, To Plunder a Dungeon

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

Our captors transported us quickly through the woods, no doubt having become quite familiar with them during their time hiding amongst them.  I could hear when we cleared them and approached their camp, for there were shouts alerting the others that they had “prizes aplenty, ripe and pretty”.  Though I was blindfolded, I could hear quite a few people coming out around us as we were brought to what I assume was the center of the camp and dropped none-to-gently upon the ground.  Risai was certainly vocal in her protests, however garbled by her gag they were.

The excitement around us died down quickly once a commanding voice called out from nearby, sounding very much Imperial in its way of speaking, and quite angry that we’d been brought to the camp.  Our captors made no secret of what it was they sought from us, saying they’d have to work to “crack that one’s shell if we want the sweet meats inside” in reference to me.  I heard the name Garri mentioned, who I figured was their leader, chastising our captors again for stupidly bringing us here.  When he asked about whether they’d dealt with the rest of our party, there was some nervous silence, then one of the orcs, I think, blurted out something about not even checking.  Garri, the leader, ordered us taken to the “cellar”, and the guard to be doubled, on the lookout for any other adventurers who may be lurking around looking for their missing women.

With the camp in an uproar, we were roughly picked up again and taken elsewhere, somewhere nearby and underground, for the sounds changed again, and the air grew cooler, and we were deposited upon cold stone, a door shutting behind our captors, the sound of wooden bar being thrown into place outside. 

We wasted no time in escaping from our bonds.  Though my hands were growing rather numb by this point, the moment we were left alone, we struggled and scooted our way together, somehow managing to coordinate our efforts to free one another, with Gresilda being the first to wiggle her hands free, making short work of the bonds upon Risai and I once she had done so.  It was dark here, only a sliver of light coming from the floor at the base of the door, so I called up a small orb of arcane light so that we could see our surroundings.

It seemed we were indeed in something of a cellar, though the architecture was decidedly draconic in nature, leaving no question that this was once part of the ancient city that once sprawled across this area.  The door was new, and relatively stout, likely from a carpenter amongst the bandits, for Risai couldn’t budge it when she tried to break it down, and only succeeded in earning more bruises.  There were barrels and boxes within the room, some broken, many empty, others with flour, wheat, and the other foodstuffs that would keep for a while.  As Gresilda calmed Risai from her insistence upon busting down the door, I studied the ancient carvings upon the walls.  As I came to a particular carving, I noticed a particular seam in the worked stone that seemed out of place behind some of the boxes containing some woodworking tools.  Upon closer inspection, I determined it to be a well-concealed doorway, and with a few more minutes of study, found the release mechanism.  The ancient door swung inward with barley a rumble, still smooth upon its ancient hinges, revealing a narrow set of stairs leading further down into darkness.

We debated for a few moments about whether to stay or go, and of course, being the bold adventuring types we are, decided to take the stairs, though we would do so cautiously.  We first made sure we could reopen the door from the opposite side, then proceeded carefully along, Risai having taken up a stout, cut board as a makeshift weapon to lead the way, with me following close behind with our light.  I had not mentioned the lack of signs of rats in the food containers in our makeshift prison, meaning that either the bandits were keeping them at bay, or perhaps more likely, something else was.

The passages below were on the cramped side, leading me to think that this area was perhaps once primarily used by the drakonae.  The damage was relatively light compared to other places, though there were signs that the roots of the trees above were inevitably working their way through the stonework.  We avoided any additional stairs, instead looking for another way to reach the surface, hopefully perhaps outside the area of the bandit camp.  After perhaps an hour of searching, we came upon a larger chamber, some of the ancient stone benches still intact around the periphery, along with scraps of wood and cloth of other furniture that had mostly rotted away.  More curious, though, were the weapon racks built into the walls between the benches.  Most were empty, though four remained that still held some metal weapons that looked, aside from dust and cobwebs, to be in usable condition.  As I looked more intently upon them, Risai approached one and reached out for the double-edged sword that stood there. 

I realized a moment too late that she was in danger. 

It clicked in my brain that two of the weapon racks were identical, down to the pattern of the cobwebs and their contents, even the broken nub that remained of a larger peg.  As I called out for her to stop, the rack she approached seemed to rapidly melt like candlewax, shifting into a mass of slimy tentacles and teeth.  Risai cried out in surprise, but was already too close, the tentacles striking out to seize her, wrapping tightly around her limbs and body.  Even Gresilda screamed in startlement, having not expected the mimic. 

Already suspecting such a thing, I was the first to respond, quickly chanting a spell to call forth slicing blades of fire upon the monster.  Careful to avoid Risai, I targeted the central mass and largest tentacles, getting a satisfying screech from the creature as it panicked and released Risai for the moment, the large warrior stumbling backward as fast as possible.  With the creature’s ire upon me, the flames quickly dying upon its singed flesh, I danced around its flailing tentacles as Gresilda chanted a prayer to Erisaya.  A moment later, holy fire spewed downward from the heavens upon the mimic, making it scream as its flesh boiled and melted, though it still had fight in it.  Risai snatched the blade from the real weapon rack and snarled a battle cry as she hurtled back into the mass, slicing smoking tentacles easily with the ancient blade, her strikes leaving burning cuts across the creature, before driving its tip deeply into the creature’s central mass, again and again until the mimic stopped moving.

Taking a few moments to recover, Gresilda healing the scrapes Risai had from her close encounter with the tentacles, I threw weaker fire upon the other weapon racks and stone benches, but thankfully found no other mimics hiding within.  That one was either young or perhaps sickly from a lack of food, for it seemed to have died rather easily in comparison to what I’ve read of them.  Of course, those stories could have simply made the encounters seem much more deadly than they really were.  Regardless, now that we had a few moments, I examined the weapons we had collected, and soon determined they were dragon-blown steel, attuned to the element of fire.  The other weapons we retrieved were of similar make and would prove quite useful, if not extremely valuable, upon our return to the party.

The rest of the “dungeon” was not nearly as exciting, for we found the remnants of the mimic’s past victims, a handful of humanoids, but mostly animals, in the next chambers, and found another pathway that led upward.  Soon enough, we had located a partially collapsed exit from the ancient draconic structure, but we were able to shift the fallen rock around enough for us to squeeze through.  The night was deep by now, morning approaching, though we had little trouble seeing due to the fires in the nearby bandit camp.  It didn’t take us long to hear panicked screams departing into the woods, and soon enough we were reunited with the rest of our party, who had managed a most deadly attack upon the bandits whilst we made our way through the dungeons.

There was a bounty on them, but we were days away from Vindinium, so did not immediately collect.  Shassk handled the grim business of collecting the heads, which he stored in a sack dedicated to just such a purpose, its enchantment making the load lighter while also preserving them.  With dawn approaching, we collected our missing gear and stowed the dragon-blown weapons that we weren’t immediately using, redressed ourselves, and headed off back toward the course we had originally been upon. 

#Lore24 – Entry #322 – Fantasy Month IV #17 – A Messy Situation

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

For those readers who may not be aware of the exact timing, these journal entries are indeed written well after the events described within them; I can’t very well catalogue my thoughts when I’m being assailed by ravenous vines covered with lust-inducing venom, now can I?  As an example, this and the last entry were both written once the party safely returned to Vindinium.  As to how that happened, do read on.

I am uncertain how long the druids allowed the vines to enjoy our bodies, for it is all a pleasure-shrouded haze of frustration in my case, though perhaps Risai and Korvalis may indeed have a different opinion on the matter.  I would daresay Risai may have enjoyed the predicament for a time, and perhaps Korvalis as well, though the wrath he would bring upon the druids following our eventual escape may indeed indicate the opposite. 

We were taken into a well-hidden camp deep within the Thistlewood, nestled among some of the ruins of the ancient draconic city, the vines shaped and controlled by the druids to keep us restrained and at their mercy.  I can recall Risai fighting against the binding vines, to little effect other than the vines seemingly redoubling their efforts to feed upon her essence.  As my memories of the hours or days that we spent in captivity are hazy at best, I will skip to the parts I remember, the night we were to be sacrificed.

I believe their ritual was intended to correspond to the peak of the full moon, for the druidic cult had dedicated themselves to preparations during our captivity and grew ever more excited for what was to come, to the best of my recollection.  I am thankful that our companions who had not been captured remained vigilant, for on the day of the ritual, the druids rested later and more deeply than normal as they prepared themselves, leaving only a handful to keep watch over us.  Ellisar saw to cloaking our party members with his magic, while Shassk saw to dealing with our guards in a silent, if most gruesome, manner, aided by magical silence from Ellisar.  Once the druids controlling them were dealt with, the maidenbane vines lost interest in us, thoroughly gorged as they were upon our vital essence.  Gresilda thankfully had prepared several spells to remove the lingering effects of their poison upon us, giving us a proper chance to carry ourselves out of the hidden enclave, cloaked by more of Ellisar’s invisibility.

I was content to make a hasty retreat to Vindinium, but Korvalis would have none of it, insisting that he had to pay the druids back for their actions.  This was the first real conflict amongst our party, and I could understand wanting revenge, certainly, but our best interest lay in retreat to fight another day.  Still, Korvalis, once he had regained his equipment, set off on his own, followed soon by Shassk, while the rest of us rode ahead toward the river crossing a few miles away.  We would wait until sunset for them, and if they didn’t return, then we were to assume they had been captured or killed.  Nobody liked it, but Risai and I were nearly exhausted, and Ellisar and Gresilda had little left in the way of magic.  I still don’t know exactly where Korvalis found the energy to do what he did.

It was just an hour or so before sunset that our two wayward party members returned, the smell of blood heavy upon them, remarkably light of injury. I didn’t get all the details, but Korvalis seemed sated in his bloodlust, and all Shassk would tell me was that even he was now rather unsettled by the deadly efficiency with which Korvalis dealt with the druids. “I have never seen so silent a death befall so many…” was all he told me. There would be no further need to worry from that particular cult.

With that dark mood firmly established, we pushed onward to the village, arriving a couple hours after sunset, where we could finally take time to recover from our long excursion.

#Lore24 – Entry #321 – Fantasy Month IV #16 – Detours and Detainments

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

Upon leaving the standing stones, the greatest source of my frustration finally stopped their incessant buzzing, returning to their more normal routine of random stimulation that only left me mildly frustrated in comparison.  The southeasterly course we had picked was not as easy to navigate as our previous route and thus took us several more days to traverse, but didn’t seem to pass through any kobold territory, so at least we were unmolested in that regard.  There were dangers aplenty, though, for with game being plentiful, it meant we also encountered more predators that were none too pleased to have intruders into their territory.  Though mostly your more mundane cougars, wolves, and the like, we did have to deal with another flame-drake that came at us from above.  I must say that for once I was quite pleased to see Ellisar’s Staff of Many Bindings be used, for it made short work of the creature once its ability to fly had been taken from it.

Our luck would not hold, however.  As we neared the region where we were likely to find the next set of standing stones, we began to see signs of humanoid habitation in the form of painted markings upon the rocks, old campfires, bones of harvested game.  The rock paintings indicated orcs, likely one of the many tribes of them that the Heroes had been facing on a semi-regular basis since they had begun their work in the region.  Soon enough we would begin to see cooking fires in the distance indicating a very large population of them.  Thus far, only a scant few tribes have proven themselves the least bit civilized, the Empire’s loyal Badaxe Clan foremost among them, so it was unlikely that these tribes would be willing to entertain outsiders in their lands, especially when said outsiders are likely responsible or killing a great many of their kin.

Thus, we were forced to move with extreme caution, detouring off our planned route for several days, following Shassk and Korvalis as they navigated a route that would avoid the worst of the orcish population.  At least we would gather some useful information about their location and numbers for future use.  Once we had come out of orcish territory, we had to swing back to the northwest, circling the rim of the valley that housed the standing stones for another day before we finally found a passable route down into it.  Thankfully the orcs had not claimed the area for their own, and like the previous stones, the primal energy that lay heavy upon the site had kept them away. 

We completed our next ritual without incident and made haste to clear the area, driving swiftly to the southeast once more in the direction of Vindinium.  Our good fortune would run out as we neared the Thistlewood and Lake Thistlelonica, on the far side from the village.  As we ventured along the upper shore of the lake in search of the river that fed it, and a crossing that would get us to the village, we found ourselves facing a sudden ambush that even our guides had failed to notice, for it was not at all what we had come to expect.

In our haste to return to the village, we had failed to notice the curious nature of the overgrowth in this region, the thick canopy of leafy vines that spread like a green sea over the hills, wood, and shore.  We skirted the mass, not wanting to go through blindly, but the mass of vegetation came alive, swelling and rising up like great leafy serpents.  Our horses were spooked, rearing and dancing wildly at the sudden movement, and Risai, Korvalis, and I were unable to control their wild behavior and were thrown.  As we tried to recover from our misfortune, bruised and dazed from our falls, I heard shouting and chanting in a language that I would later come to recognize as the secret tongue of the Druids.  Walls of thorns sprang up between us and the rest of our party, and the very trees began to come alive against us.  The vines closed in around us as spells filled the air, and try as I might, I could not keep the vines away from me or the others.  Risai’s heavy mace was mostly useless against the vegetation, as were Korvalis’s daggers. 

In my case, the vines swarmed around me in a fury, and as they latched onto me and their secretions began to tingle upon my skin, I realized that they were a form of maidenbane vines, for I grew somehow hornier and lethargic in their grasp, dropping my scimitar as they coiled about me and ripped my clothing away.  I suppose I was the lucky one here, for I was at least somewhat protected from their most erotic probing by Lady Armenia’s chastity gear, though they still found their way to my rear and into my mouth.  Fight as they would, Risai and Korvalis were likewise subdued by the combined strength of the vines themselves and the potency of their poison, leaving them helplessly wrapped in their invasive clutches.

The sounds of battle would fade as the others were forced into a hasty retreat, and through our pleasure-addled daze, we would see the fur- and foliage-covered druids we had not noticed approach us, watching with satisfaction as their vines continued to hold us helpless before them.  Using their magic, they urged the binding maidenbane vines to move, and we were brought deeper into the cover of the Thistlewood, for what purpose I could not imagine in that moment, for I was lost in the pleasure haze, even if the accursed chastity gear prevented me from climaxing, even with the poison coursing through my veins.