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Journal Entries - The Path to Terradin Journal of Aravin de Tylmarade Journal of Fatso Fjalar Journal of Ruegoth Ulgon After a few good weeks in Burok Torn, it was time to leave. Aravin wished to travel south to his homeland, Durrover, to investigate a legend about Durindana, the sword we have found in Lave. On the way, he also wanted to stop off in a place called Corean's Crag to see the Gold Knights. It was rumoured that the Gold Knights knew of the location of some Coreanic steeds, which are a fine mount that was used by Paladins. We left on the morning of the 16th of Hedrot. We had to travel for 3 days to the east before meeting a river, which we would then follow to the south to Corean's Crag. On the 2nd day, we heard some rustling in the bushes on the side of the road. After stopping we found what appeared to be a very small silver dragon. The silver dragon, Evelius, had left his cave and had gotten himself lost. After asking some quick questions, we determined that he had come from the lake near Adurn's tear. We back tracked for a few days back past Burok Torn to Adurn's tear without incident. While in Burok Torn, Aravin had commissioned a very intriguing addition to the cart. He had cleverly had a heavy crossbow mounted onto the cart. The mounting also had a quick release lever, so that the crossbow could be removed from the mount in an instant. I got to try out this new crossbow a few days after leaving Adurn's Tear when we encountered a few unusual looking slitheren skeletons but with strange translucent flesh. These creatures may have looked strange, but they were no match for Aravin's sword and Fatso's spells. A few nights later, we were reminded how dangerous travelling in the mountains was. In the one night, we had to overcome both a rat headed, wolf like creature, which we easily overcame and a strange humanoid creature that we did not quite overcome so easily. The humanoid creature had slimy tentacles, a thorny hide, red eyes and it walked on its knuckles. The creature had such a horrific stench, and I was quickly overcome with nausea. The creature then latched its tongue around me and drew me against its thorny hide. I wrestled with the creature numerous times but it kept dragging me against its spines. If it was not for Aravin's skill with a sword, I may not have been able to tell this story. I had finally had a chance to use the mounted crossbow a few days later, when we were surprised by a group of creatures that looked like small gaunt children. I really liked how easily the crossbow detached from the mount and allowed me to shoot one of the creatures from close range. Aravin easily took care of the small creatures and we continued on down the river. The nights were just as dangerous as the days. In one night, we encountered two small wyvern like creatures and a small devil like creature that teleported into the camp. Neither of these encounters proved very difficult to Aravin's sword or Fatso's bolts of stone and neither of them interrupted our sleep too much. The real challenge came a few nights later, when on my watch, I spotted a huge green giant like creature. The creature hunched over and raised its clawed arms as it entered the camp, as I woke Aravin and Fatso. Aravin grabbed his sword and shield, called upon Corean's might and smited the creature. Aravin's sword cut deeply into the beast. Sensing that creature was weakened I tried to tumble in behind the creature and attack it from behind, but I lost my footing and the creature struck me with a claw on my way past. Still I did manage to get into a good position and while it was attacking Aravin, I managed to get a few good hits into the back of the creature and managed to take it down. A few nights later something stranger happened, while on watch, I noticed that a small amorphous blob had snuck into the camp. The thing threw itself at Fatso before shrivelling up and dying. I woke Fatso but he appeared unharmed and we went back to sleep. We were only a few days travel from Corean's Crag but we still had a few challenges to overcome. The most frightening was when we travelling along the side of a stone cliff face, and out of nowhere a creature stepped out of the rock wall and lashed out at Aravin with its huge stone fist. The crushing blow surely would have killed either Fatso or myself, so I quickly spurred the horses on and we quickly fled the creature. A few days later, I was again surprised by another stealthy creature. We were riding along the side of the river when we heard a woman's voice scream from around a bend in the river. Aravin, Fatso and I quickly ran around the corner. I got to the pond first and sensing a trap, I cautiously approached the water, staying around 15 feet from the edge. Unfortunately I was not far enough away, as a large monkey like creature with the head of a dog reared out of the water and lashed its tail out at me. The tail, which had a hand on the end of it grabbed me and dragged me under the water. Luckily Fatso's runes magic and Aravin's sword managed to fell the beast before it drowned me. That day, after almost three weeks travelling we reached Corean's Crag. Corean's Crag was a small village on top of a flat hill. Corean's crag was a place that was filled with healers, both the Corean's Gold Knights and followers of Madriel. We were greeted by a Gold Knight and told that we were to leave our weapons at the front gate. After neither Aravin or Fatso showed any interest in the magical scabbard from King Thane, I went off to trade my battle axe in for a longsword that I could put in the new scabbard. The scabbard's magic actually makes the weapon it holds invisible, which could come in handy. I spent the next few days reading about Drendari and Corean. I learnt something interesting facts about Corean and his enemies. Interestingly, Corean’s enemies are without a doubt, the Titans, not the evil gods as initially thought. He was instrumental in their defeat and his followers seek out and destroy anyone who reveres the titans. While he is opposed to all that is evil, Corean maintains his alliance with the evil gods as it is the combined strength of the pantheon that successfully subdued the titans. Despite the alliance of deities, followers of Corean may see those that worship the evil gods as enemies. After three days, Aravin returned riding a brilliant white steed, or a Coreanic steed as I was quickly corrected. The Gold knights had sent him to find this steed and he had to travel through a swamp and fight a horrible swamp beast. Fortunately the Gold knights had loaned Aravin a magical weapon, some armour and some boots which helped him defeat the beast. As we were leaving, we were bade farewell by Torin sharpsteel. Torin told us that our help would be needed in Dardale, as Goertz Axehead, the right hand man of King Jedrad the third, had been captured by the black dragoons and taken to a prison in Irontooth pass. Torin told us that we should beware of the Black Dragoons, a force from Legeni lead by Field Marshall Brazak. Legeni, from what he told us, was ruled by Duke Traviak and he was some form of relation to King Virduk of Calastia. Torin also gave us what seemed like a somewhat cryptic message to give to Eliza, the barmaid a Tavern in Dardale known as Ormalenes Rest. He told us to tell her that Torin would plant a seed south of the rose bush. Eliza was be able to help us find Goertz. It was not until I saw Eliza's reaction to this message did I understand that the message had nothing to do with business at hand and everything to do with pleasure! Ha and I though Knights were supposed to be pure of mind and pure of spirit! The journey to Dardale was quite uneventful, with us only encountered a few giant bees. After six days, we made it to Ormalenes Rest, where I had the most fantastic meal of pork. After eating so much fish over the last months, some lovely roast pork was a welcome change. After making contact with Eliza, she led us to meet a man named Zoltz. Zoltz told us that Goertz had been taken to a prison in Irontooth pass, and that we would have to find a way to get him out. Fortunately, they had managed to get a quite detailed map of the prison. Eliza, who was a cleric of Madriel, told us that she would accompany us on our rescue mission. The prison itself took a few days to get to and the trip was uneventful. The prison was surrounded by a large 40' high wall, with guards patrolling inside the gates. Inside the wall was a large hill, 70' tall of loose earth shaped in a circle that was hollow in the centre. The centre contained the courtyard of the prison and 4 guard towers, with the cells and a few other rooms located inside the hill. The hill looked reasonably easy for me to scale, especially since I noticed an unnatural increase in my ability to climb, but not for my two heavily armoured companions. It became obvious that getting into this place would not be easy. After some thought, I decided that best way to get in would be to walk straight through the front gate, so I took my disguise kit off my horse and proceeded to disguise myself as a guard. I roughed up Aravin and Eliza a bit, took Eliza's spear and Aravin bastard sword with me. I lent Aravin the scabbard that that we had gotten off King Thane which he proceeded to hide Durindana in. The guards on both the inner and outer gates both bought my ploy, and we entered the prison and past the murder holes with surprising ease. As we made it inside, the prison warden was called over and he asked me a few questions about where I had captured "the prisoners". He appeared to believe my lie and we proceeded right into the cells with only one guard with us. When we got inside the cell bay, the guard called over to a man named Grolnick, who's only pleasure seemed to come from causing immense amount of pain to others. The guard called over to the torturer saying that he had three more prisoners. Knowing that the game was up, I quickly swung round and drove my longsword deep into his shoulder. Aravin, Eliza and I quickly finished them off. We searched the guard, finding his key and released Goertz and another eleven prisoners. We got Goertz, an experienced fighter, some armour and since he preferred a bastard sword as a weapon, Aravin happily loaned him his. We moved upstairs into a long corridor with doors all along one side, we left the rest of the prisoners downstairs temporarily and we hurriedly proceeded along it. Unfortunately for most of the people we had just freed, far too quickly. Guards started to stream out of the doors to our left, both behind us and ahead of us. A huge fight ensued with Aravin and Eliza taking the guards to our backs and Goertz taking on the guards to our front. A bunch of guards from the pack that was behind us, slipped back down the stairs and started slaughtering the freed prisoners. Eliza tried to hold them off by summoning a bear but in the end, most of the prisoners were slain before we could kill off the many guards. We searched the guard quarters finding a small amount of gold. The rest of the rooms on that level were a kitchen and a mess hall. Aravin peered out into the courtyard and found that the guards were grouped outside each of the doors with crossbows ready to fire on us. Knowing that we needed some cover, I grabbed one of the large tables from the mess hall. We carried this in front of us and moved out towards the first group of crossbowmen. Bolts thudded into the table and Goertz proceeded to carve two of the crossbowmen in half. Knowing that our flank was now exposed to more crossbowmen, we moved inside and then round to another door, again using the table as cover. This time things did not go as smoothly, no sooner had we moved outside the door with the table, the warden cast a spell, and we became entwined by the plants on the ground. We had very little choice of what to do beside take cover behind the table while trying to free ourselves. Fortunately for us, Aravin managed to get free and move towards a group of guards and engaged them. Soon after that, Eliza, Goertz and myself also managed to wriggle free from the twisting plants and joined Aravin in finishing off the remaining guards. During the combat the leader fled through a secret passage that we later found in his quarters. We searched the rest of the complex and killed all of the guards save one, who eventually surrendered. The journey back to Dardale was largely uneventful and when we got to Dardale, Goertz and Eliza decided to accompany us as far as Fort Anvil. As we left our companions in Fort Anvil, a horrible event occurred. A large man wearing a breastplate with the face of a demon and thorny armour covered in barbed wire and a man who looked like a military commander wearing a chain shirt, leather leggings and a longsword appeared right next to Goertz and Eliza. Knowing that trouble was afoot, Goertz pushed Eliza aside before Goertz and the two men disappeared. We quickly questioned Eliza only to find out that the men were King Virduk's men!! The man with the longsword was likely to be Anteas, the general of the battle mages accompanied by one of the Thorned Purifiers!! We knew not how we would do it, but we now knew that our next destination was going to be to the city of Eldmaren, deep in the heart of Calastia. Journal of Viktor von Haelsburg |