Dollano 28 (two hours later), SP~4,909

The City of Yemnash

It was less than two hours ago that I fell asleep, but it will (it must) be enough for now.

It is time to recount the remainder of yesterday’s events and finish with where we find ourselves at this moment, provided I am given the time to do so.

Before I go on, I have to say to myself (so that I am reminded of it in later times) that I don’t want to tell this story. The events are almost too much to bear, but I am a reporter, and so I will report.

We were chased down the tunnel for several hours, and we ended up in a large cavern, though to call it a cavern does not tell even half the story. It was an underground city. At first we thought it was abandoned. The buildings were all of stone, somewhat lighter than the stone of the walls, and they were stacked one against another in many long rows. Each was many stories tall, reaching at least fifty feet from the cavern floor, leaving some room, though not a lot, between their roofs and the ceiling.

Thick, black vines covered the face of the buildings and had sprawled inside through windows, doors, and deep fissures. For many buildings it looked like the vines were all that kept them standing.

I remember glancing over at Donnessling and Sheshoffiss and seeing the looks of surprise and wonder (and fear?) on their faces. When they glanced at each other they did not seem happy about what we had found.

They whispered together and then chose a path down one of the winding lanes.

No one spoke. This place had placed a fear on all of us, and we treaded lightly as we made our way along the cold stone cavern floor.

We were only perhaps a hundred yards along when we heard the first chittering sounds. If it had not been so completely silent we would have mistaken it for ambient sounds in the deep cavern, but there was something more determined and menacing about the sounds.

We moved quickly but the sounds also picked up and some of the vines on the side of the lane were trembling.

It was when a length of vine stretched up from the floor to meet another that was dangling from a second-story window that we saw them. Allsassring and the nossring who had gone with him were splayed against the surface of the building, just above our reach, bound there by criss-crossing vines. Their bodies were ashen and lifeless and disfigured by the crushing strength of the vines.

We were all stunned, stopped in place while we absorbed the tragedy of what was before us. I think I heard Donnessling weeping.

A cry from one of our companions behind me broke our silence. We turned to see Prassalling being dragged across the cavern floor toward a doorway across from us by one of the vines. We were unprepared for how quickly it moved. Prassalling was hacking at its length with his sword but having little effect.

Three other of our companions leaped to his aid, and each hacked at the vine. But as soon as they had sliced through three others grabbed Prassalling and pulled him into the building. Another vine shot out of a window and wrapped itself around the neck of the nearest nossring, dragging him into the building as it strangled him. The others tried to help but vines were throwing themselves at them, too, and they could do nothing more than fight for their own survival.

In less than a minute we had lost two of our companions, and the rest of us gathered to charge into the building’s dark opening.

“Stop.” It was Donnessling who knew the fate of the two who had been dragged away and would not allow the same to happen to the others under his charge.

“There is nothing we can do to help them. Follow me. Quickly!”

Then we ran, once again. This time, though, we were dodging vines, which were now thrashing wildly and attacking us from every direction.

The nossring are an agile and quick folk, as I’ve learned so well during our travels. They managed to avoid most of the vines, and others they sliced apart or slapped them away with their swords. Some were caught. Some of those were freed by their companions, but some did not make it and were dragged back into the reaches of the abandoned buildings that loomed on either side of us.

I was a burden. I must say it. If it had not been for the aid of my nossring companions I would have been taken by the vines almost immediately. Several formed a guard around me and even carried me at times. I am ashamed that I was such a burden to these stalwart folk, but they would have it no other way. A few times I drew my knife and managed to deal a consequential blow to our ferocious foes, and I met with approving glances from my comrades when I did so.

We ran, and stumbled, and fought, like this for a long time, until we finally reached the end of the buildings and their inhabitants.

Once beyond their reach we looked back and saw tendrils writhing in anger and squealing some kind of high-pitched angry dreams in our direction.

Then we saw a sight that none of us will ever be able to excise from our memories. From above the walls of the buildings at the end, those closest to us, there arose a hideous, unnatural form. Like a surge of feces it rose above the walls to reach the ceiling and then poured down over the sides to the cavern floor. It was a thick, foul-smelling muck, and, as we watched it slowly extruded from deep within the bones of many creatures. There were long bones, and short ones. Most were covered in the brown goo, but some, clearly, still had meat or skin clinging to them. There were skills, some of which still bore their former owners’ eyes or a semblance of eyes created by this mass of malevolence.

The creature (and, though it emerged in several places it seemed one single thing) rose and, forming a wide hole in the sludge that comprised its shape, it bellowed at us. It was a sound as disgusting as its form. We then heard the same kind of sound as we saw that other openings had formed that also seemed to be calling out to us. The combined sounds began as deep rumblings, chaotic and rough, almost like an earthquake. Then the chorus grew to a higher pitch and became so loud we had to hold our hands against our ears. As it became louder, and I think angrier, blobs of dark spittle and detritus of all kinds flew out from each opening. The stench became unbearable and the sound was amplified by the walls of the cavern.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw Donnessling motioning me away from this thing to move down the corridor. Sheshoffiss was doing the same.

Slowly and painfully we made our way down the cavern. As we did it narrowed to a wide tunnel. We continued our march away from the deadly city and yet the odious sound of the hateful bellowing continued, diminished only by our distance from it.

Then came a slight hesitation in the voice, an instant of silence, followed by a huge blast that shook the walls all around us. Then there was silence.

We had lost many, too many, and those of us who remained were shaken to our core, our clothes stained by the putrid ooze from that beast.

The silence was a relief and we all, as one, slumped to the floor of the tunnel to weep for our comrades and to recover ourselves as best we could.

“This was the ancient city of Yemnash that has been lost to the world since the ending of the Second Era of the World and the beginning of our own time, the Third Era of the Fifth Age of the World.” This is what Donnessling said to us.

When we looked up at him, we could see how weary he was as he continued, “We are now safe, beyond the reach of that corrupted place. And, there is no sign of the enemy from whom we ran before.” He looked from one to another of us, “Eat something and rest. If I am right, we are not far from a way out of this mountain and a path home.”

Several hours have now passed since we stopped in this place. I ate something before I wrote my previous entry, and then I slept because I could do nothing else. With this entry I have finished our story, and can set aside my pen and rest. I will eat a bit more, and, hopefully, will find sleep again. I do not think, though, that I will find rest from the unbearable sorrow in my heart.

Dollano 28, SP~4,909

Death from the Walls

Yesterday we ran.

Donnessling had woken early in the morning or, at least, what we believed to be the morning outside of this hole inside the mountain. He was weak, but his wound seemed to be mostly healed and he could walk, though slowly.

That was when we felt the stone shake beneath our feet. Sheshoffiss immediately pulled the white stone out of his tunic and uttered soft tones to it. He looked up at us in surprise.

“It has not moved. It stands outside of these walls.”

He looked around the cavern as we felt another tremble in the stone. This time some cracks appeared in the walls and ceiling.

Sheshoffiss could not conceal his astonishment, “How could this be? This place is ancient and its walls have held for eons before our passing.”

As the shaking grew stronger three of the cracks widened, and dark wisps of clouds curled out. At first they looked like nothing more than billows of smoke being blown into the cavern, but as they fell away from the wall they slowed to a stop and formed into something more menacing. They took on the shape of strange creatures with bony heads protruding from stiff, thick cowls.

From their sides each formed long, slim arms with seven-fingered hands at their end. Each finger ended in a long, gray talon. From their black heads, I saw white slits form into eyes. One creature had two and the others had three.

We could feel a coldness inside as those terrible eyes passed over us.

I heard Sheshoffiss cry out, “Meergates!” and waved to all of us to move behind him as he threatened these creatures with the white stone. Before we could react two of the ashen creatures launched themselves at us. I saw nossring turn to face them and swing their swords through the fell beasts, but they swept through the bodies hitting nothing, each left with a deep black soot along the blade where it had passed through.

Each of the creatures captured one of our companions, holding them fixed to their spot and writhing in agony as their foggy hands reached into their chests, wrenching their innards out of their bodies.

Portalling, the nossring that Allsassring had left in charge, commanded all of his soldiers to move back. The two stricken nossring slumped to the floor dead. I can’t be sure, but I thought I saw the flick of a white tongue from their attackers as if they were licking their lips with the blood they had just spilled.

Sheshoffiss raised his stone higher into the air and tried to cast the dark beasts away from us. The three of them were momentarily shaken by the white light, but then slowly started to advance on us.

It was then that a dazzling green bolt of lightning flew toward the creatures and struck the center of the leader. It shrieked with surprise at this sudden unexpected force and it reeled back in pain. Its two companions saw their leader and retreated to its side. Donnessling was standing at Sheshoffiss’ side, holding the Stone of Darmyn in front of him.

It was then we heard another shriek, louder but much further away on the other side of the stone of the cavern. It was the shadow creature, which was still waiting for us. It had found and released creatures of Shadow Energy from the walls of this place. Even though it could not move through the walls of the cavern to attack us itself, it had found a way to release foul things that would do its bidding.

As this realization hit us, we felt another shake of the cavern’s stone and several more gaps had opened with new dark, cloudy menaces oozing from their reaches.

Donnessling cried out, “There are too many! We must flee! Down the tunnel my comrades!”

And so we flew down the tunnel protected by a final spell that Sheshoffiss and Donnessling cast together that sealed the opening behind us. I don’t know where Donnessling found the strength to lead us, but he did.

That was yesterday and we marched many long miles, always traveling deeper into the mountain. We ended the day in a place that had once been used by creatures not entirely unlike ourselves, but that story and the story of today’s journey must wait a few hours because I am too exhausted to write more now.

Dollano 26, SP~4,909

Allsassring Departs

It has been three days, and little has happened. We wait in this immense, and very strange, cave, biding our time and hoping that the creature outside will lose patience and go away.

Sheshoffiss keeps checking. He is able to tell whether or not the creature is there by checking in with his Stone (or Eye or whatever it is). It takes him a few minutes. I don’t know exactly what he’s doing, but my guess is that he’s scanning the Energies outside of this cavern. He holds the Stone, closes his eyes and then mumbles something indecipherable in that ancient language I’ve heard before. He sometimes turns his head a bit this way or that, and then suddenly I see him jerk up, like he’s found it. Then he puts the Stone away and turns to us and shakes his head to let us know that it’s not yet safe.

Donnessling is still unconscious. His shallow breath shows us he’s alive, which is a huge relief to me, and to us all, but, other than that, he’s been unresponsive.

I know Allsassring is upset about his good friend, but he doesn’t show it. He’s taken charge since Donnessling has been out of it.

Our time has been spent exploring the cavern. If the situation weren’t so perilous, I’d be enjoying myself. There are small tunnels that extend far into the mountain. They, and a lot of the main cavern, where we are now, are covered in a light green algae that emits a soft light. We discovered that we could extinguish our torches and in a few minutes, once our eyes have adjusted, we could see very well by this eerie glow.

Sheshoffiss spends some time each day healing Donnessling’s wounds. He’ll take the Eye of Darmyn, the green stone, from Donnessling’s pocket and place it on his chest. Then he’ll pull his own white Stone (the Eye of Dey) out of his coat and hold that in his hand not far from the other. He shuts his eyes and speaks an incantation, almost singing. I heard something like, “ta eemessetra doll ara felshadala”. As the chant gets stronger, both of the stones glow each in their own color and this seems to help Donnessling.

When Sheshoffiss did this last night something quite peculiar happened. The green moss that covers the walls of the cavern started to glow, and they glowed in rhythm to the cadence of the chant. At one point I thought I saw something like a stream of smoke or cloud come out of several of the larger mosses in the ceiling and reach down to touch the green stone on Donnessling’s chest. I think everyone else was asleep, so I may have been the only one to see it. Except, Allsassring, of course. He notices everything.

Before we slept tonight, Allsassring announced that he was going to explore some of the tunnels more deeply to find a safe way out. There is one tunnel that leads out of the cavern, and then soon descends, quite quickly, down into the depths of the mountain. He took two others with him.

They’re leaving first thing in the morning, before the rest of us are up, so I said my good-bye’s tonight.

I’ve seen that tunnel. In fact, Allsassring doesn’t know it, but I spent some time following it the other day. It’s long and it kept descending into the roots of the mountain. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the feel of it. There was something unnatural about it and something that felt evil or at least dangerous. I turned back when I started smelling something terribly foul and not just foul, but like something that had been foul for a long, long time. And, now my friends are going to explore it. I’m worried.

Dollano 23, SP~4,909

Resting

The first thing I must capture here is that Donnessling is not dead. I do not understand how that could be given how deep his wound was. It seems that it had something to do with the Stone (or “Eye”) that he carries, and with Sheshoffiss’ skill with his own Stone. These ancient artifacts are more powerful than I had imagined.

We found out from Sheshoffiss who had quickly come over to sit by Donnessling’s unmoving body. I could see that he was holding the white Eye in one hand and with his other he cupped a bit of water from the lake. Then we could hear him mutter some more of those strange words as he slowly poured water onto Donnessling’s chest where the gray shaft had speared him. We could see a soft white light coming out of both of Sheshoffiss’ hands and the light seemed to infuse the water as it dripped onto Donnessling. After a few moments we could see the glimmer of a weak green light coming out of the wound. I’m not entirely sure my eyes actually saw this, but the green light seemed to draw a gray shadow out of the wound and push it toward the white light coming from Sheshoffiss who then seemed to absorb it. Or he might have been casting it off. I could not tell, but expelling this gray substance from Donnessling seemed to allow life back into his body.

After what seemed like hours, Donnessling opened his eyes. The first thing he did was look up at Sheshoffiss and give a slight nod of his head. I saw Sheshoffiss give a sigh of relief, and he then told the rest of us that Donnessling would live. These nossring folk are a very stoic kind, but at this announcement I could feel the emotions of relief, and I think I may have seen some tears of relief run down Allsassring’s cheeks.

Allsassring broke the silence by telling Sheshoffis and Donnessling that they must both rest. He then gave the same command to the rest of us.

“Sleep. I will keep watch, but we should be safe here in this ancient place.”

At that each of the nossring found a place to settle on the hard stone floor and slept. I remained awake with Allsassring for long enough to take down these words. I would not allow any amount of fatigue to stop me from capturing these extraordinary events while they were still fresh in my mind.

I have now discharged that obligation and will also find sleep with the last image I saw before I set aside my pen being Allsassring’s back, stern and sturdy as he kept watch on the door.

Dollano 22, SP~4,909

Hazzen’s Cave

My previous entry was written very late last night, or, perhaps more accurately, early this morning. We’d spent the night running and had finally found our way here to this sanctuary. I had a chance then to write, but was too exhausted to tell the whole story. I’ve now had a few hours of sleep, so I can tell the rest of the tale.

Breaking through the doors was not difficult. They were held on their hinges by little more than rust and the brittleness of old age.

We had left behind the folk from Tellin Town, and Allsassring led the rest of us (the nossring and me) through the building. He seemed to know the passageways. I’m guessing he had a talk with Donnessling or Sheshoffiss, or both, who had in turn gotten information from some ally or informant in Berimandry.

At one time, very long ago, the building must have been home to someone very wealthy. Now, though, it had fallen into disrepair with many parts beyond recognition.

Donnessling and Sheshoffiss took up the rear to defend against the constant attacks from the tall malevolence that had followed us into this place. We could see flashes of green light or white light accompanied by loud cracks as the Energy behind the lights snapped into existence. These lights were quickly followed by a grayness that dimmed the other lights and the lights of our torches.

Allsassring led us on, through hallway after hallway sometimes following stairs down, but more often following stairs up.

Suddenly, Allsassring shouted out to Donnessling that we had reached “the door,” and Donnessling soon appeared at our sides. We could hear the battle between Sheshoffiss and the gray creature behind us. Donnessling motioned to a number of the fighters and they scurried back to aid Sheshoffiss.

Donnessling was exhausted, his clothing torn in several places with gashes along his chest and side. They seemed freshly gouged from his form, but I could see that, even as I watched, they were healing themselves with a soft green light along their lengths.

The green light stopped and Donnessling winced, and drew from his pocket the purple stone that he had taken from Begkragk. I could see Allsassring looking at him with great concern, and seeming prepared to hold him up should it be necessary.

Donnessling drew a breath, closed his eyes, and raised the Eye of Zanyr in front of him. He recited the words of an ancient tongue and as he did the purple stone grew in brightness. Just as the light was reaching out to the surface of the wall at the end of the corridor, we heard a hard thud and felt the jolt of something powerful. I looked back and could see three of my nossring friends lying on the floor in pools of their own blood. Four others had surrounded Sheshoffiss who was casting forward a white light with both of his hands. The white cloud was violently mixing with a grayness that seeped into it, distorting its shape and diluting its brilliance. With a cry of outrage Sheshoffiss suddenly forced the cloud of white light to envelope its gray foe to swallow it whole, and, with an explosion that shook the walls and floors of the building around us, it hurled the tall gray creature back down the corridor.

The nossring around Sheshoffiss started to move toward the creature, but Sheshoffiss held them back. “It is only stunned for a moment or perhaps two. We must run.” He then collapsed into the arms of two of his protectors who ran back to the rest of us, with the other two backing toward us, vigilantly watching for whatever might happen at the other end of the corridor.

At that moment, we heard a different cracking sound, but this one was more mechanical. I turned to see that a door had opened in the wall revealing a passageway cut through rough stone.

Donnessling croaked to us, “Go! Safety lies down this way.” He looked at Allsassring, and without hesitation he commanded us to follow him into the darkness.

Once everyone was through, Donnessling once again raised the purple stone in his hands and softly sang another ancient chant. As the door was closing a bolt of sharp gray, like a dark silver lance, flew through the door and buried itself deep in Donnessling’s chest. He slumped and the nossring warriors near him caught him as he fell to the ground.

We ran down the stone tunnel and could hear the shrieks of the gray creature behind us and its attempts to break the door we had just come through.

A short run led us into the expanse of a domed cavern with a small lake that brought a freshness to its space.

“Hazzen’s Cave,” Allsassring told us, “We are safe in this place,” and we laid Donnessling’s body at the water’s side.

Dollano 21, SP~4,909

The Red Nossring

Donnessling and Sheshoffiss arrived not long after dawn. They were tired and rushed. They told us to gather up our belongings and follow them. Most of us were awake; or, well, most of them were awake. I’d finally managed to fall asleep about an hour before they arrived, so I was a bit slower than others.

There was no time for breakfast. Allalling passed around some kind of tough biscuit. It tasted like stale dirt. I was about to say so when I saw the Nossring around me eating away and loving it. Clearly, an acquired taste.

We moved through the town, but hid ourselves as best we could, pulling our hoods over our heads as per instructions from Donnessling. I was used to walking without rest, so that wasn’t so bad. The really hard part was when we passed a bakery and a couple of carts with spicy meats and fish. My stomach complained when we didn’t stop. I promised myself that I’d go back and eat my fill (and then some) when this was all over.

We walked through the length of Berrimandry and found ourselves standing at the doors of an old three-story building that abutted a stone outcropping of the mountains that surrounded the northern half of the city. The building was boarded up and barely standing. It looked like no one had been in this place in decades, and the wooden double doors of its entrance were covered in old posters and nasty cobwebs.

Sheshoffiss reached for the two doors, but before he could there was a deep clap like thunder coming from above us. It was a dreadful sound and we all reflexively ducked as if some great bird was about to dive into us.

We looked up and there stood a tall creature, slim and black, in dark leggings and jerkin that fit close to its body. On closer inspection I could see there was a dark red-gray hue to its skin. Its eyes had been closed, but when they opened they were like a blaze of fire. I couldn’t look, I’m embarrassed to say, and I had to look away. When I saw the Nossrings around me I could see a profound hatred in their eyes and, I think, a small amount of dread.

“A Red Nossring!” gasped Sheshoffiss. “But this cannot be. They were destroyed centuries ago!”

“We thought that as well, my friend,” replied Donnessling, “but we have suspected for some time now that we were wrong.” Then he turned his gaze to the creature above us, who was carefully inspecting our number. It raised its arms in some kind of threatening motion, and I saw that in addition to the two arms I expected to see at its side, it also had several more arm-like appendages rising up from behind it. Each arm ended in a bony black hand, and each hand held a vile looking weapon of strange design. The weapons looked very old, and very deadly.

I could see that Donnessling was about to call up to it, but before he could it spoke. It had a rasping, dark voice. It seemed unused to forming speech, or at least the kind of speech that folk like us could understand.

“Give me the Eyes that you carry!” It was directed at Donnessling and Sheshoffiss, and it was not a request. “If you do, I will promise to make your deaths quick and painless.”

Donnessling didn’t move a muscle. I couldn’t say the same for myself, but what this hideous thing just said got me pretty damn angry. I don’t like being told what to do. Or how to die.

Then Donnessling spoke. His words were even and displayed no hint of fear or hesitancy.

“Be away with you, old crow!” That got its attention, but not in a good way.

“You should fear me, you fool!” it threw back, and then it was Sheshoffiss’ turn.

“The Eye of Dey calls you to be silent,” and he thrust his hand toward the dark creature while muttering some other words, in some language I did not understand, but words that had a lot of their own power. A white, swirling cloud of light snapped into existence in front of Sheshoffiss who flung it toward our enemy. , reaching it before it could raise its hands in defense. The white cloud reached the creature before it could raise its hands in defense. The white cloud enveloped the dark creature suddenly stiffened, its movement frozen in place.

I looked over at Sheshoffiss. He was concentrating fiercely, exerting all his might on the cloud wrapped around the thing above us. Finally, Sheshoffiss’ hand dropped and his face eased. The white cloud continued to swirl about the tall, thin creature and hold it in place.

As Sheshoffiss began to smile, we heard a soft crackling sound coming from above us. We could see dark cracks in the smooth outline of the cloud, and, slowly, the brilliant white dimmed and became a dirty gray.

There was a splitting sound as the remains of the cloud broke away. Instantly, Donnessling waved his arms wide and a thick, purple blanket of light appeared inches above us. At the same time the gray shards of Sheshoffiss’ cloud flew at us like a hard rain of icy knives. Most of the tiny blades broke against the purple covering or were stopped by it, lodging themselves in its thick skin. But some of them sliced through the barrier and struck against several of our number. Two nossring and three of the town folk fell to the ground, with grave gashes that were gushing enormous amounts of blood.

Sheshoffiss himself was struck in several places, but what hurt him more was the taunt thrown at him by the dark creature above, “You must conjure more than that, my dearest Sheshoffiss, if you wish to contend with those greater than yourself!”

Donnessling yelled to us, “Through the door,” and we broke open the door and ran into the dark innards of the ancient building.