Session 5
Day 34. The Fort.
We stayed at the fort that night, deciding to wait till morning before discussing the Crypt.
Something definitely odd happened. I am positive Fel did something. Went down there. Swear he woke me up, but no. Maybe. No. It was just a dream.
We decided to question our little Goblin prisoner. Still cant believe Don was thinking of just poisoning the well . Yes, I know we came in here and slautered all of them, but poison? Thats different.
Little Allusiel revealed some more of her mysterious gifts. She simply connected our minds. Mine, the Goblins and hers.The feeling was unique. Like spiders, or tendrils pushing on my head. Inside my head. But… but it was a good sensation like we were sending thoughts… talking and yet not talking. It was Fast. Very Fast, instantly. I wanted to know more.
The Goblin, Fishnot told us much. He was scared but very cooperative. I am sure Allusiel had him ensorcelled, but then that made it easier for us, so it didnt bother me much.
Fishnot revealed a lot of information. The Five Fingers of Stone, known to his kind as the Hand of Gulrash, was home to a whole lot more Goblins. And meaner ones too. Fishnot and his group were part of them. But he said they were too mean. Too mean? For a Goblin.
More came to bear from the little Goblin. His leader, Hotrog, had contacted the ‘spirit’ in the crypt. And the ghost wanted something. An orb. Shiny. About the size of two fists. We never found it though. We had to find it. And that … that is what we did…
The clever Hob had hidden it in his room, behind a secret panel in the fire place. Took us a few hours but we found it. It was decided just before that to let the goblin go. He was no threat to us.
The jewel. The jewel. It was huge, an amethyst by the looks of it on a seat of steel or iron. I didnt recognise the mark, but its value… I figured to be in the thousands of gold. Enough to buy Felkbay and its surroundings. Probably more.
I discovered that it could store energy. Pure Mana. And I could call it back. It was a deep crystal – the very kind that Felghanis’s uncle wrote about in his cryptic journal. A powerful storage device, capable of storing way more than the internal energies I possessed. I was intrigued… scared… By the Saint, no… I will not fall into this trap. I felt the endless well of the Crystal pulling at me, drawing me deeper into it, into the very depths from whence it came. I began to drown in its depth, and then, I pushed it back, pushed it away from me and told Allusiel to keep it.
Fel could not truly be trusted with power like that. Well, actually not him. I was more fearful that his Uncle would know. Learn of it and come down with all his horrid power upon us.
As for Don. Sweet Don. As sweet as a bad apple. An apple that stores something within, like a rotting worm. There is a seed there, like that, in Don I feel. Something darker or deeper, perhaps sinister. Maybe its this place, been out so far with just us as company. Too much time together? I dont know. I hardly have time to write this these days, trying to think about it. The weather cold I am almost force to use my Endurance Spell more often.
I went down to the crypt wondering what I would find. Wondering if the dream… Hmm. Found the proof in the dusty storage room. Someone… Fel… Had fallen down, tripped. Running, perhaps he was afraid of something.
Fear. I felt it too, soon. Went down to the very gate. The air was cold, chill cold, felt it in my bones as misty frost vapours seeped out from the room. I.. I hesitated. Turned on my heals and ran. Suddenly the door slammed, and I slammed against it. Screaming….
It didnt take long for the others to come. My trust might of waned for some time, but here, now, I wouldnt have anyone else at my side… coming to save me…. from what? From what? I screamed again. Something scraping at the door… omg… its coming… Thulumon.. he is.. no.. get a grip Kallista. The door banged again, and was opened. Don opened it.
I breathed heavily, thankful to see them.
There was brief argument, but we went down, to see the crypt. Things got different now, stranger. My light spell vanished and we were sent into darkness. Don said he saw something… a ghost… we ran… moved as quickly as we could. Fleeing the crypt and the keep. Fleeing to our old camp site and staying there for a whole day, trying to wait out the coldest weather.
I drained the Deep Crystal of the power I had stored in it. Perhaps it was a light to others with the sight to see it. Like magical auras.
Sigh.
Day 36.
A gentle wind this day, light snow. Made it back to Gambling around noon. Had to dig down to the ground. Saw him. Buried him too. He parted knowledge upon us, mystical knowledge of the Phylacteries.
Our faces paled all at the same time… They were back at the Crypt. By the Saint… how… how can the fates be so cruel to us. We could not go back there. All of us felt the horror of that place. Even now.
We breathed deeply, the same look on our faces that we knew. Unasked and unanswered.
We stayed at the ice cave we effectively had made. Melting the snow with my Flame spell seamed to work, solidifying the water into ice. Perfect walls that would retain heat.
This was safe.
Fel had uncovered more from the journal. Much more. I find myself more intrigued, and also, at times, using his uncle’s own cyphers.
Day 37
Don found Wolftracks while out hunting in the gales… Big wolftracks.
We stayed here, living out the Gales.
Swear the wolf had came close. Less than a mile. My animal charm spells might help if we face it.