Diary of Gallanor Orren: Entry 35

Dear Journal,

I had hoped to expose my friends to the grace and beauty of the Eladrin way of life. Instead, I am met with old wounds, disillusionment, and embarrassment at the state of Mithrendain. I should be standing proudly above my people, as a beacon of truth and hope in their time of trouble, but I am here in the dismal catacombs beneath the gorgeous city, at the edge of the Feydark.

My involvement, innocent as it may be, with Thesselonious and the demise of poor Tari are known upon the surface, and so we are forced to hide among thieves in the dark as my own people plot to undo the ancient magic which keeps the city safe from the threats of the Feydark.

At least there are some here that trust me; whose reasoning wasn't not completely lost to the lies and wickedness  permeating throughout the high council of Mithrendain. I have managed to gain the trust, and hopefully the forgiveness, of Flayorn Marnon, one of the wiser council members who happens to be the uncle of the late Thesselonious.

We are guided by Sephrinia, a council member who we saved from a band of ruffians immediately upon our arrival through the portal.


----

Diary ends here

Diary of Gallanor Orren: Entry 34

Dear Journal,

We find ourselves again safely camping in the depths of the Luminous Body after a victorious celebration among the peoples of Big Root. Now that we have faced down and defeated a monster of inconceivable horror, the portal to Elwoz's homeland is closed, and we will depart for the Feywild after the others have slept.

We left our hosts in the morning to track down the spirit linked to Koba's sinister implement of bone. Pointed in the general direction of the boneyard, we trekked for many miles, leaving the swampland for a dusty and hilly stretch of arid land. Thankfully, this mostly barren landscape allowed Alyana's keen eyes to detect a large figure tearing across the earth in our direction.

Not too far ahead, we came upon a narrow ravine which was directly in the figure's path. We decided to take cover here and face whatever it was when it met us. Fortunately for us, Alyana was able to see that it was, in fact, the boneyard itself, raised up as a terrible monstrosity which slithered towards us at great speed. Surely this creature would have ravaged the people of Big Root had we not been there.

Diesa devised an ingenious plan of ambush for our foe. Talos laid traps at the bottom of the ravine made from explosive concoctions found after previous skirmishes. I beckoned to the land to send me a messenger with which I could trust a message of warning to the people of Big Root. From the dusty recessed spouted a curious little insect which Elwoz reverently referred to as the "panda mantis." I whispered to him a message to the people of Big Root, that they should take up arms and prepare themselves if we fail in our attempt to subdue the beast.

Through cooperation and a visit from the arcane and ghostly hand, we determined it was in our best interest to focus our divine energy upon the monster, and the ghastly bone totem Elwoz wielded would be of critical importance. It was evident that this was no natural beast, and that if incapacitated, would most likely rise up again if the magical energy within it was not extinguished.

So we lied in wait for the monster, hiding in nooks and sparse foliage until it caught itself up in our brilliant traps. We lashed out mercilessly against the monster, which shrieked and hissed with every volley of divine magic we assailed it with.

I should point out that I saw a nearby peacock strutting about before our ambush. I did not ignore the signs. This was an omen from The Divine. How right it was, too, for we cast spells and chanted incantations upon the beast which left lingering and debilitating effects upon it. We burned and prodded it while it swung its bony tendrils futilely at the angelic warrior I again summoned to battle beside us.

How desperately I wished to have Without here with us, to turn this undead abomination into a harmless fish or a bleating sheep for our amusement!

Before he struck the blow which laid the beast down into a bony pile, Elwoz held out the bone totem as his eyes rolled back and he spoke a curious riddle in a voice not his own.

As the beast dropped, his enormous skull still teemed with undead energy. We knew time was of the essence. After arguing for many moments, it was I which deciphered Elwoz's channeled riddle and, taking the totem myself, struck the skull in both of its eye sockets. With a chilling and defeated moan, the defiled presence receded, and a beautiful ring fell from the depths of the skull which Elwoz rightly claimed for felling the beast. The totem, too, he took, as the vile energy it held was also gone, and a new, primal magic within seemed to have awakened.

We returned to a shaken Big Root, which was expecting a terrible battle. The thankful people praised Elwoz as the rightful chief and savior of the region. It was as an act of celebration that Elwoz and Talos commemorated our success with tattoos from the tribe's master body-artists. After a night of feasting and song, a portal back to the Luminous Body appeared, beckoning us to return to our quest.

So now we rest, eager though I am to return to my homeland, that of the gentle Fey. It will be a warm and comforting feeling to be among my people once again, and to set foot in the grand city I was never able to visit. We are destined, no doubt, to meet some vile threat here, as the portal shows wicked creatures of the Feydark prowling the splendid streets of our most cherished city.

Whatever the threat, I am confident that the Divines, which have watched over us for so long, will bless us and ensure our victory.

Diary of Gallanor Orren: Entry 33

Dear Journal,

Morale is surprisingly high at the moment, in spite of yesterday's failings. I suppose it is due to today's success and the warmth and hospitality of Elwoz's people. We are in Big Root, a vast area of swamps and marshes which are home to a nomadic tribe of various folk. Never before, save for the streets of Merkemia, have I seen such an assortment of races living together in peace. Shifters, fey, orcish, and human folk here behave as one people, wary of outsiders and protective of their land.

Our arrival, however, was anything but pleasant. As we stepped through the portal to this land, we found ourselves in complete darkness, submerged in filthy water in the dead of night, surrounded by a thick fog. The putrid stench of still swamp water, though completely natural, left all but Elwoz scrambling for solid ground, while gagging from the rancid odor.

We shook off the muck as best we could and set out into the darkness, Elwoz's questionable sense of direction being the only guide. Silently, for Elwoz warned us of dangerous swamp donkeys, we crept between the trees, at the best of times submerged only to our ankles in the mud.

Eventually our silence paid off. The telltale sign of Alyana freezing in her tracks and crouching low told us that she had heard something. Whispering only "voices", she silently disappeared into the fog as we waited motionlessly for her return. When she reappeared, she told us of several half-orcs and gnomes gathered nearby, and described their attire. This put Elwoz at ease, for he recognized them to be members of the Order of the Summer's Shield, a collection of nature's wardens whose mission is to preserve the wild lands and defend them from any threats.

Unfortunately for us, the Summer's Shield were not very welcoming of our shaman friend. The shaman cheiftain in Elwoz's absense, Koba, had been hard at work tarnishing Elwoz's name. There has been turmoil in Big Root since Elwoz's departure, and Koba had convinced the tribesmen that it was a curse set upon them by a crooked and corrupted Elwoz. A half-orc met Elwoz as we approached and accused him of all manner of treachery, claiming he now returned with his own personal henchmen to sabotage Big Root and bring about further calamity.

With that, two gnomes wielding battle axes charge Talos, swinging wildly. Only one managed to land a glancing blow, thoroughly annoying our paladin. Feeling a bit indignant at being called a henchman, and not at all eager to slaughter these poor, misinformed creatures, I stepped forward to address the orcish spokesman of this band, tossing my sword to the ground as a show of my desire to talk our problems out. The brute failed to recognize the religious insignias that Talos, Deisa, and I carried upon our person, and began to accuse me of trickery and evil magic. This was the last straw.

I warned him that a battle with us is a battle against both the forces of nature and the gods themselves. When he claimed I knew nothing of nature, I gave him a little demonstration. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the world around me. I spoke with the trees, the muck, and the croaking toads, and the buzzing insects. A dense cloud formed around me, and at once the lights of thousands of strange lightning bugs flickered on as they flew out from around me, slapping and stinging the warden, filling his nose and mouth. In his flailing and fighting, the simpleton struck himself about the body with sword and shield, nearly killing himself. Fortunately for us, this convinced the Summer's Shield that we were in communion with the natural forces and not a threat.

They told us that we would not find Koba if we continued our path to the Big Root encampment. Koba had embarked upon a vision quest, so he said, to devise a way to cleanse the swamps and defeat Elwoz's evil magic. Our best bet was to head south, but they did now know where he would be.

On our long journey south, we trudged through mud and slime until we came to a runic circle over which hovered a maggot-covered corpse. Knowing there isn't a goodly force in all creation which would require this kind of spectacle, we immediately set upon the circle with full force. Sure enough, the maggots took shape to form a disgusting mage who called several wrights to flank us. I almost feel sorry for the undead which face us. As always, these abominations were quickly and mercilessly dispatched, though Diogi suffered serious injury which required our attention.

We pressed on as the muck began to feel more soupy. Elwoz noted that this swamp water was unusually dirty, like sewage. Suddenly, we came to a row of thick vegetation which Alyana and I gazed over by scaling a nearby tree.

An eccentrically-dressed shaman, much like Elwoz, but human, stood in a raised clearing, shaking a totem stick made of bone as he chanted and danced. Around him, several winged demons were busy pushing barrels of putrid liquid into the swamp.

Elwoz recognized this figure as Koba, and was enraged that he would participate in such vile destruction. Joining with our comrade, we scaled the vegetation and charged in to battle.

Koba summoned an ethereal gnoll spirit, much like Getty, which seemed to bolster his power.

The battle was further complicated by the arrival of a vicious and angry nature-spirit which lashed out at us and the demons alike. It was as it was foreseen in the portal vision. Nature itself had awakened and was quite upset with the goings-on.

We found hard as Koba stubbornly clung to life, siphoning healing energy from the World Serpent, as Elwoz explained it. I called upon the angelic forces of Avandra to aid us, and was again blessed with the arrival of an angelic warrior. Together, we turned the tide of the battle and Talos was able to slay the treacherous Koba, allowing us to focus our attention at the wild beast which remained.

Though we were badly beaten and Talos nearly drowned, we managed to defeat the monstrosity. Elwoz warned, however, that nature was still angry, and our troubles were not over. To some degree, Koba's plot had been foiled, so it was decided to travel to Elwoz's village to tell them the news and search for more answers.

Amongst the destruction, we were able to find a scroll case with strange abyssal writing which Diesa translated as a corrupting ritual which was being cast upon the swamps. It also noted that the bone totem Elwoz was now inspecting was bound to a terrible spirit.

Before we left, Elwoz assisted me in a ritual to invoke rampant plant growth in the area. This, we believed, would help to counter the corruption already brought upon the area.

We are now in the care of Ash and Thorn of Big Root. These two halfling friends of Elwoz's listened to and believed our words of Koba's wicked acts and gave us shelter for the night. They also spoke of a boneyard, which Elwoz recalled, where might hold the spirit bound to the bone totem. Tomorrow we shall embark on a journey to the boneyard, to disperse the cloud of evil hanging over this land.

Diary of Gallanor Orren: Entry 32

Dear Journal,

What have I done? I had one task. One simple task! Now I must suffer the guilt of seeing Castle Denmok buried in a white sea of snow.

Our hearts guided us to our first portal. Naturally we chose to come to the aid of our friend Corath who appeared to be in immediate and mortal peril. We said our prayers and took the plunge into the Denmok portal, appearing on a balcony of Castle Denmok, formerly Castle Dreknar, hundreds of feet in the air. We quickly barreled into the castle through a large set of ornate double doors which led directly to the throne room.

Here, poised for a fight and listening to the distant cries of battle echoing through the castle walls, stood Corath and Lim'Shargoth, along with a scattered few soldiers, most of which held shut another set of double doors which led into the castle. Something on the other side of the doors was trying to bash their way in.

We told the soldiers to line up on either side of the door and let them swing open. We were here to protect the castle and we elected to face this threat head on. Leading the charge as the doors opened was a rock elemental, tumbling in and flinging rocks and debri in all directions. Following this creature were a few blood fiends and a fearsome glabrezu. As they roared into the room, they must have sensed the ease in which they entered and set upon the waiting soldiers first, cutting them down.

What followed was a very difficult battle. It took a series of failed magical assaults for me to realize we should focus on attacking their weak spirits with soul-penetrating spells. I first unleashed my radiant flames against the glabrezu to no effect.

The stone elemental kept us on our heels, too, as his hardened form repelled the swings of Talos's vicious longsword swings. An assault of stones left my head spinning and Elwoz unconscious for a moment while the others struggled to contain the monsters. As I struggled to regain my composure, I began to call out to the heavens for aid. As if I had been doing it my entire life, I called forth an angelic servant of Corellon to fight beside us. The golden form appeared in a blast of light, stinging the demonic beasts, and immediately setting in against them. Eventually the stone elemental remained, focusing his unforgiving attacks on our helpless shaman, but with our focused efforts and the divine healing magic of Talos, we were able to defeat the monster and help Elwoz regain his senses.

It was apparent that I was the link which held my angelic accomplice to this plane, and could no longer keep him here, so as the stone elemental crumbled to bits upon the marble floor of the throne room, the angel faded away, returning to his divine domain.

Corath and Lim'Shargoth accompanied us as we tore out of the room and through the castle halls, striking down the occasional wandering beast, but we saw through the windows that the fight had poured into the courtyard from various points in the castle.

A frightened soldier passed us on his way to the fray, telling us the creatures seemed to have come from the quarters of someone named Galwaz, presumably the court wizard or another guard, and pointed us in that direction. In Galwaz's room, we came upon a demonic gate in which stood a portal to the abyss. In communion with the arcane spirits and council with Diesa, I determined the only means of closing this portal was from the other side. Sure of myself, I lept through the portal, ready to close it down behind me. The others followed, however, determined to join me in oblivion if it meant saving the Denmok lands. It was a good thing they did, too, for fiendish creatures soon set upon us as I attempted to close the portal.

The usual song of the flowing magic of the planes was silent, though. I was clumsy. I attempted to force the portal closed, but drew a blank. The portal rejected my magical probings, triggering a permanent fissure between the planes. I had failed, and failed miserably.

So we ran. Behind us, the portal unleashed more creatures into this world, but we just ran. Finally we arrived at our portal to the luminous body, but it repelled us before closing up. Corath and Alyana called for an evacuation. The call to retreat echoed throughout the castle until we heard the deep ringing of bells, signalling to the soldiers that it was time to abandon the castle.

Through the hallways we ran. Through the courtyard, between howling beasts and the terrified soldiers, some trembling, some laying wounded, some torn asunder. We ran still through the outlying village, up the mountains which flanked the Denmok capital. As we ran, the abyssal hordes were in tow, and slowly gaining on us. Through careful observation of our surroundings, we were able to create obstacles for our pursuers and find safer footing as we climbed the mountain. Our new plan was to bring the mountain down upon the city, for it was the only way to stop the outpouring of demonic creatures.

For hours we ran. In desperation, I summoned a small sparrow, sending with it a message to summon the airship which brought Corath back from Moraldrum, but it was in vain. For nearly a day later, we topped the mountain range, and Alyana blew hard into her family horn. The avalanche that ensued was a destructive force the likes of which I have never seen. For miles and miles, as far as the eye could see, a wave of white rapidly rushed down the surrounding mountains, filling the valley. Though many of the outlying homes and businesses remained, much of the city and the castle itself was covered, with only its five spires poking out from the thick snowy mound.

As we stood upon the mountain, gazing down at Alyana's ruined kingdom, a portal to the luminous body appeared, though Corath and Lim'Shargoth could not see it. We offered to let them join us, but their inability to see the portal suggested their inability to pass through it as well. We could only tell them to contact Stovokor and Moraldrum, and let them know of the disaster. Perhaps they, too, are under threat, or they could come to Denmok's aid. With that, we left in shame.

We did not speak when we settled down for our rest. I suppose each of us carried the burden of today's events, but it is I who should carry it all. What began as a valiant charge to the aid of our friends ended in a shameful retreat and the destruction of a grand city, and it is all my fault. I know my prophetic gift is at work, leaving me hints of our next journey, but it is drowned out by my sorrow as I look to the portal we took today, now an empty space beneath a small stone arch.

Perhaps this day has not yet happened. Perhaps we will leave this place and return to a utopia. Perhaps this is only a possible future. We do not yet understand the luminous body or how it relates to time or reality. Perhaps this is just wishful thinking, and I have made the first of many mistakes which will inevitably bring about the end of days.

May the gods have mercy on me.

Diary of Gallanor Orren: Entry 31

Dear Journal,

What an exciting day! Words cannot express the wondrous sights I have experienced today, but I suppose they will have to do. I sit now, having tended to my meditations and prayers as the others finish their much-needed rest. Startling ghostly forms appear and disappear, apparently tending to the job of excavating this cavern. At first I was fearful, but these apparitions, if that is what they are, pay us no attention as they silently swing their pickaxes and carry away bits of stone.

I must pace myself, for much is to be said of today's events. The wicked Tear of Ioun is no more, as is the sickness it had inflicted upon me. My hands appear pristine and smooth, free of those wretched boils. My hair, too, has returned to its previous golden splendor, now falling below my shoulders once again.

For we have stood in the presence of the gods themselves, and they have cast their blessings upon us. While these blessings and the destruction of the tear are a fantastic turn of events, they did not come without a hefty price.

We embarked early through Estevan's portal to the Elemental Chaos, appearing on barren, cracked soil at the foot of a flaming mountain. In the distance, all around us, stood molten pools of lava. The sky above us appeared tumultuous and dangerous as lighting darted amongst swirling, colorful clouds. Though the thunder boomed every few seconds, the atmosphere was relatively calm compared to our first venture to this dangerous plane. Far beyond the magma pools came a lumbering, but active thunderhead whose thunderous emanations became louder and louder as it approached. Alyana was the first to tell us that the ominous formation was making a beeline for the fiery crag upon which we now stood and the compass's needle was following the cloud as it approached.

Hastily we made our way up the steep slope, making clever use of our rope to support each other. Lucky for me, I have my boots which cling to surfaces with ease, and my connection to the Feywild persisted, allowing me to slip from ledge to ledge along this treacherous path.

We later came to a wide ledge, allowing us to take a moment to sit and catch our breath, but it appeared we had stumbled upon the home of a fire giant. Our smoldering foe called out to us in a language we did not know, brandishing an enormous sword in an obvious attempt to intimidate us. We would have none of it. Our attacks came too quickly for the giant to gain the upper hand, and eventually, with a forceful ray of radiant light, I managed to knock the behemoth from the ledge, sending him crashing upon the stoney outcroppings below until he came to rest beside a large cave mouth, which I assume must have been his home. As the crippled giant began to drag himself into the cave, Alyana fired a single shot which sent our injured adversary to his final resting place.

As we topped the crag's peak, the thunderhead rolled in right over us. Winds howled and lightning crashed as we clung to the rope which held us all together. The tumult was brief, though, and as the wall of cloud swept past us, we were left staring at an immense, floating orb which shone as bright as the moon through a thin cloud of shattered rock.

Surprisingly, the object began pulling us towards it, lifting us gently from the mountaintop. As we neared the sphere, it quickly grew larger and larger, exposing a scorched and barren landscape as it quickly stretched below us as far as the eye could see. Whatever force drew us to this body reoriented us to land safely on our feet. The Luminous Body, as it turned out, was quite ironically named. For the object shone in the swirling sea of elemental energy, but once on its surface, the terrain was bleak and grim. Petrified trees and an assortment of small, grey stones lay scattered about the landscape along with the occasional skeletal remains of a large beast.

We decided to travel towards an area of ruined stone structures in the near distance. Upon searching these ruins, we came to a darkened shaft guarded by a single stone statue of a frog-like creature. This statue turned out to be a creature under magical influence, slowly succumbing to petrification. We attempted to stave off the magical malady, but were unsuccessful. At the last instant, the creature shrieked loudly, echoing all around and down into the shaft, leaving us startled. We stood for a moment, weapons drawn, ready for whatever would be alerted by this petrified beast, but nothing came.

Our descent into the shaft led us to the battle we expected above. More large frog-like beasts set upon us as we set foot in a darkened subterranean room. It was now that Talos recalled that these were Slaads, plague-carrying toad-beasts bent on spreading chaos about the realms. Unfortunately these beasts caught us by surprise, and seemed unaffected by the lack of light in the room, so our ensuing skirmish was difficult, but we managed to scrape by.

The Slaads were attempting to get into a large set of stone doors, whose intricate carvings had eroded over centuries, or even millennia, of wear. Upon inspection, Elwoz was again stricken by celestial visions, saying that he could see divine power concentrated into a orb. The door was magically warded, but stood no match against my arcane spell-casting. Channeling the natural magical energy of my surroundings, I was able to dispel the locking spell.

A thick mist, teaming with necrotic energy, boiled out of the chamber as the stone doors slowly slid open. Within the large chamber, the walls caught our attention. One had the skeletal remains of what we think is Torhana Inksole petrified and embedded into the smooth stone surface. Opposite this wall was a reflective surface which emitted conflicting magical energies, seemingly good and evil at once. The third wall, facing us as we entered, was but worked stone, but had four framed arches which seemed to have been excavated from the earth.

Talos boldly approached the reflective wall, reaching out to investigate its surface, but was rendered unconscious as he made contact, and a petrifying force began crawling down his arm. Frantically, Elwoz and I attempted our healing and arcane magic to reverse this process and were able to rip Talos free from this peril.

It was then that the wise paladin, now conscious yet barely shaken, reached within his pack and drew forth the Tear of Ioun. Quickly, Talos pressed the tear against the mirror wall and tore his hand back before the magic crept up the tear to his hand. We then stepped back and watched as the tear was overwhelmed by the reflective surface, then shattered, filling the chamber with glittering shards of dust. As I fell to my knees in joy and the others cheered, Without stepped up to the wall. Before we could ask him what he was doing, he held out his dark orb and hypnotically held it to the surface just as Talos had with the Tear. Without stood motionless, eyes blasting forth rays of light which illuminated the room fully. We squinted both from the instant rush of light and the anticipation of the orb, too, shattering into dust.

No such explosion came. The orb sank into the wall, turning the reflective surface into a rippling silver fluid which turned to an image of four figures. Instantly it was obvious who these four figures were.

The first figure, a beautiful female human clad in a white tunic stood before us, looking down with pleasant, but stern green eyes. Her blonde hair, tied up in beaded braids, floated around her as if she were submerged in a gentle current of water. This pleasing image was clearly that taken on by the goddess of the wilderness and sea, Melora.

The next image, one of an equally striking female elf with beautiful blue eyes, stood in a blue flowing dress. Her brown hair, held with a modest green headband, fell behind her,disappearing behind her thin frame. This gorgeous elven avatar was that of Sehanine, patron deity of the elves.

Standing beside her was an image I recognized quite well. The same eladrin male figure I saw so many years ago in the forest. The lightly armored soldier, with longsword on his side and chainmail sleeves poking out from the sides of his star burst tabard, wore his sapphire-gemmed circlet crown in sharp contrast to his solid gold-colored eyes. His snowy white hair was cut modestly at his shoulders, perfectly framing his pensive countenance.

The last of the four stood proudly, towering over the other three figures. The plate-covered dragonborn's visage was hard to discern. Only his piercing eyes, their thin pupils flanked by an even thinner orange iris, were revealed by the thick covering of armor that obviously hid a mighty frame. Bahamut, son of Io, stood before us, leaning upon a massive battleaxe.

As I and Talos fell to our knees in reverence, the four spoke to us in perfect unison in the language of the gods, appearing to me as clear and fluent elvish. They show us an image of Orcus, sitting upon a throne in Icaria, ruling over legions of undead, all roaming freely about the material planes. The prince of the undead sat next to an immense primordial being, obviously displaying an alliance between the two. They warned that a war will come, and the gods defeated. Worst of all, Sehanine will fall. The land on which we were brought within the luminous body is a vestige of an apocalyptic possible future, existing outside of time.

They explain that Orcus will attempt to trigger chaotic and destructive events upon the mortal realms, distracting agents of the deities, leaving them vulnerable to the plans of the demon prince. He aims to take over the underworld, taking the souls from the Raven Queen and ruling all of existence with an unending army of the dead.

We were given the task to defend the planes against these attacks, and warn the Raven Queen of the impending disaster. They explained that their power is weak, so they had to channel it into a material being, Without. His birth and course of existence, including the orb he carried, was a plan to gather us chosen warriors together and guide us to this location. Unfortunately, his mission was completed and must now return to the celestial realm with the gods.

As the image of the deities disappeared and the wall turned to cold, blank stone, Without exploded in an eruption of divine light and energy, which we all felt channeled into our bodies. All that remained of our dear friend was his last, lingering word, "Ow."

It was then I noticed my hair had returned, and the four stone archways lit up, each holding a portal with a repeating image.

The first portal we recognized as a temple of Bahamut. Around it stood soldiers wearing Talos's symbol of the Vanguard of the Dragon. Though the image was silent, they were obviously shouting to each other, drawing their weapons, and filing into position in preparation of something. Then, the image flashes and shows demons pouring in on all sides of the fighters, overwhelming them and tearing them apart. After that, the image repeats.

The second portal showed what I recognized as the city of Mithrendain in the Feywild, the pride of eladrin civilization. The image of the city council members arguing with each other, pointing fingers and yelling as a few storm away fades to that of eladrin soldiers fighting foulspawn and feydark creatures in the streets, as they burst forth from the ground below. The image then faded to these creatures roaming the streets among corpses of my people before starting over.

The third image was that of undead thralls burning and poisoning a swampy forest while staving off a futile resistance by a primitive and tribal assortment of creatures Elwoz recognized as residents of Big Root, his home. This image then shows spirits of nature, emerging from the waters and attacking every living thing in sight, natives and undead, before that image repeats itself.

Lastly, we see Corath and Lim'Shargoth among others in what appears to be the Denmok palace, standing around a map, shouting orders to soldiers that run in and out of the room. That turns then to demonic and undead creatures pouring in from the windows and doors as soldiers are cut down, and finally Lim'Shargoth and Corath, fighting back to back, are consumed by the wave of monstrous abominations.

Shaken by these images, we talked at length about what portal to take first and what the consequences may be of the order in which we take. We concluded from our meeting with the gods that they would aid us in our ability to travel to each of these lands and save these people. It stood to reason, then, that we should take our rest, and when we arise, pick a portal and aid whichever peoples we encounter first.

I doubt the others are sleeping well. I know that I am apprehensive, but I am also honored and excited. The gods themselves summoned us to aid them in their divine battle. There is no doubt that we will be successful, knowing that we are chosen warriors of the gods. Though I am sure of our abilities, my mind is plagued by images of snow, fleeing, and regret. Perhaps it is the emotional toll of some of these images or perhaps the loss of our friend, Without, but I must retain my determination and faith.

We shall begin our journey soon, travelling to these lands and protecting these people from the evil, vanquishing it and thwarting the wicked plans of Orcus and his primordial allies. Praise be to Corellon; praise be to Sehanine; praise be to Melora; and praise be to Bahamut! They have trusted in our might and we shall not let them down!

Diary of Gallanor Orren: Entry 30

Dear Journal,

Whatever it was in that bizarre concoction Elwoz devised is doing its job well. I happily gulped down another bottle of it this morning. This, coupled with the fact that we are closer than ever to destroying the Tear of Ioun, has left me feeling as good as I have since we found the tear. I still have these damned blisters on my hands, but I am rejuvenated. I can feel the stubble of my hair growing back. I may speak with Elwoz on how to speed up this regrowth process later. How awful it is that a vessel of His divine power appears so weak and sickly!

Our first order of business today was to appease Elwoz's spiritual needs. He spied a garden on the city map and wanted to commune with nature. When we arrived, we saw that this was perhaps the only place in the entire city that was not overrun with the razor vine. Instead, about a dozen warm and friendly centaurs tended to a garden which stretched a little less than a city block. Now I have met centaurs before, but they have typically been reserved, surly, or downright aggressive, so I was initially apprehensive. Elwoz, however, wasted no time talking about spirits and potions, much to the centaurs' enjoyment. I suppose I should no longer be amazed at the sights I see in Sigil.

We sat with them and engaged in a ritual, meant to open one's mind and commune with the natural spirits, which consisted of smoking a sacred herb and sitting around in a circle. We sat for quite a time, gazing off into the distance and enjoying the lush foliage so alien to this gnarled and twisted landscape. Somewhere amidst the giggling and exclamations of disbelief of the size of his hands, Elwoz claimed to have made direct contact with the spirit world. He described at length his experience, but I feel the ceremonial herb we inhaled dulled our memories, for the rest of our visit with the centaurs is a complete, though pleasant, blur of fragmented images. One such image, mentioned again and again by Elwoz is that of a barren wasteland covering a distant plain.

After our commune with nature, our band elected to venture out in search of the Lady's Library, which Estevan suggested as a lead on our quest to find the Luminous Body. It was, after all, the path of least resistance, as our other two leads seemed to suggest inevitable contention. The library was not to be paid. The library was not to be convinced. It simply offered all that it had to anyone with the time to sift through the sea of tomes contained within.

The library was staggeringly large for such a cramped city. We learned that the Luminous Body was a mystical world, floating alone somehow within the elemental chaos. Its location, however, is ever changing. As I poured over a series of notes written by a Torhana Inksoul, I learned that there existed a magical compass which, imbued with arcane energy, linked to the pointed out the location of the Luminous Body as a compass would point north. Unfortunately, the library had little information on this subject, so we were forced to continue our search. Oh, how I'd love to spend a century in this place discovering what in the nine hells Sigil is. Who or what made this place? Who or what is the Lady of Pain? What happens when you dig straight down, or can you? I'm afraid these questions would have to wait, for once we had exhausted the material by Ms. Inksoul and the other relevant books, we still needed more information.

Opting to seek out one of two contacts Estevan, we decided to head to the Stick's Oarsman where we were told to find The Rule of Three. As we walked the streets, a voice beckoned to us in our minds, drawing us to a dimly-lit alleyway. As Sigil's ubiquitous rain fell around us, rats scurried out from every nook and crevice to assemble into a form of a brain. A voice emitted from this form into our minds, warning of the rise of Orcus and pleading with us to ride to the task of defeating him and keeping his army of undead in the abyss. Little more was said before the entity scattered into the sewers. Alyana followed silently for a while, but returned, fearing dangers which may lie in the dark depths of the sewer systems. The entire ordeal was quite confusing, but I suppose it's a noble quest given to us by the brain-rat-creature. First, though, we must destroy this damned Tear of Ioun.

We finally arrived at the Stick's Oarsman. It was here that Talos, Alyana, and I decided to enter together, to reduce the odds of an altercation because the Stick's Oarsman was quite the questionable establishment. Daggers, knives, and glass protruded from the wall, tables had broomhandles and bones as legs - no doubt shoddy repairs after brawls - and most patrons, though spanning the cosmos in origin, shared a similar gruff and battle-worn countenance. Though little attention was paid to us other than a few disapproving sneers, we were able to navigate the crowd easily to finally arrive at a corner table where sat a sagely, smirking Githzerai. It was almost as if he was expecting us.

We explained to the Githzerai that we were seeking the Luminous Body, and mentioned the information we dug up in the Lady's Library. It was clear that he was already well-versed in the knowledge we had just recently accumulated. At first, The Rule of Three's smirk widened and he refused to help. Getting impatient, we explained the dangers of the Tear of Ioun, and how, in the wrong hands, this could be used as a tool to shake the planes to their very cores. Such chaos would inevitably spead to Sigil, beckoning the wrath of the Lady of Pain.

At the invocation of that name, the tavern went silent and all eyes turned to us. With a wave of his hand, The Rule of Three dismissed the stares and sent the patrons back to their boisterous conversations. He pulled from his pockets a compass, saying he would be willing to part with it if we were to complete three tasks for him. The needle of the compass just spun and spun, emitting a slight hum. As he explained his requests, he pocketed the compass and stood before us. It was obvious he felt very safe in this establishment.

After his explanation, Alyana, who had until now remained silent, refused his requests, grabbed us by the arms, and left the tavern hastily. Once outside with the others, she confessed that she had picked the pockets of the cunning and quizzical Rule of Three. Our key to the Luminous Body was in our possession! How proud I was of our brave thief! I shudder to think of the disaster that would have ensued had she been caught in the act.

With that, we made haste to Estevan's office, for it wouldn't be long until The Rule of Three discovered his loss and took action. He was excited to hear of our

acquisition, and promised to talk to his contacts within the city to keep The Rule of Three off our tails. Estevan asked for the compass and took us to a room adjacent to his office where a neatly etched runic circle was drawn upon the floor. He claims he would like to go to one of his favorite surveying points near most of Sigil's portals to the elemental chaos. Elwoz elected to remain in the office as we went through to accompany Estevan and see what wonders the elemental chaos held.

What wonders, indeed.

As Estevan activated his portal, we again found ourselves flung through the ether, appearing upon a floating chunk of rock during the most vicious and turbulent storms I have ever witnessed. Estevan held strong as he squinted and watched the compass needle as it slowed. All the while, we gazed out at crackling clouds and floating chunks of stone and dirt, some almost stationary, others flinging in and out of sight amidst the surrounding storm clouds.

Winds assailed us, knocking several of us off our feet. Lighting crashed upon our floating island, and severe bolts of cold energy slammed into us. Truly we were humbled by the incredible power held within the elemental chaos. Just as we were nearing exhausting from our constant dance to avoid the barrage of ice and lighting, Estevan shouted that he knew where the compass pointed and gathered us back to the safety of his offices where he returned the compass and offered his help in the coming day.

I feel this is it, Journal. We are to stay again tonight at the Battlements, care of Estevan's coin, and guaranteed the safety his reputation offers. Tomorrow he will show us the way to the region of the elemental chaos which will lead us to the Luminous Body. Here we shall encounter the entity or tools needed to destroy this damned tear once and for all. Who knows, perhaps this is the wretched implement needed to bring about the reign of the Demon Prince we are being continuously warned about. It then should be a good thing that we destroy it and thwart his alleged plans. I can feel the voice of the Tear of Ioun quiet, its hold on my mind and body weakening significantly. By His grace, Journal, we shall bring about an end to this evil relic which has plagued me all these days. Then, we shall return to our homes triumphant and hailed as heroes, or chosen again to cleanse another land of its evil stain!

Diary of Gallanor Orren: Entry 29

Dear Journal,

The release from my trance this morning was quite violent. I sprang to my feet and flew out to the deck where I nearly toppled over the railing as I heaved up all that was within me. To top it off, as Mia attempted to hold my hair back, it came out in her hand in clumps. The tear has stricken me with a grave illness, it seems. I have previously dismissed the boils it has brought upon my hands and the constant barrage of disturbing and mocking thoughts. I should have taken action sooner, I admit, but I had thought myself doing well to fight off this malady on my own. Elwoz took it upon himself to concoct some bizarre elixir after watching my condition deteriorate over the past month. He gave it to me several hours ago as we took our rest. He offered to explain the process of its creation, but after witnessing the churning and bubbling liquid which emitted a foul odor, I politely declined and muscled down the thick sludge. Curiously enough, it tasted like cheese. He says I must take another dose tomorrow and we shall watch my condition closely.

We caused quite a stir as our unconventional airship descended upon the city of Merkemia. Our ship, though repaired and flight worthy, showed obvious scars from battle and was still adorned with the severed head of an unfortunate fomorian, which has been stripped almost to the bone by birds. Guards scurried about like little ants below us, and we watched as they prepared their ballistae and catapults. It was not until Talos was within shouting range that he called out, settling the distressed guardsmen.

As soon as we disembarked, Talos and Alyana made our intentions to meet with the king known, and we were ushered off to the palace, down side streets so as to not cause a commotion, finally coming to the palace tower where we made our way up, expected of course, for word had been shouted from messenger to messenger before we left our ship. I was somewhat excited, for the highest ranking officer I had met in this city was Commander Joka, the abrasive dragonborn who commissioned me to purge the remaining undead from the ruins far outside the city walls before I met the 42^nd.

We were led to the tower’s uppermost chamber where stood King Argamir and his advisor Zydrathis. This chamber must have been where Zydrathis studied, for the walls were covered with bookshelves which held tomes, scrolls, vials, and curious artifacts. Argamir was dressed quite modestly for royalty, his garb hinting at his military discipline more than his social status. Zydrathis, of course, wore the more ostentatious, colorful linens of magic-wielders who find themselves in these types of prominent positions. There is something comforting in the realization that this is not a behavior reserved for humans alone.

Both men were kind and genuinely pleased to see us. Word of mouth, and a bit of scrying magic, no doubt, had made our exploits known to the king far in advance of our arrival. He was quick to congratulate and thank us for dealing with the Dreknar threat.

Zydrathis was eager to see the artifacts we had gathered in our journeys. We followed him to a nearby table where he had cleared room and etched intricate runes. Within the runic designs, he gathered our crystal fragments and began to carefully and deliberately rearrange them several times. After a few silent minutes, and numerous pauses to reference a few books upon his shelves, he managed to arrange the pieces in such a way that they melded together, creating a strange, incomplete raven skull-shaped figure. Noticeably relaxed, which confused the nine hells out of me, Zydrathis began discussing with us the pressing need to destroy the Tear of Ioun as he sprinkled pinches of colored dust atop the artifact and periodically mumbled incantations from a book he carried as he circled the table. He told us that we must seek out the city of Trade Gate, which Talos recalled to be a distant town made famous by an enormous stone archway where, historically, many traders met to peddle exotic wares. An inter-dimensional trader named Estevan would be able to give us advice on how to do this, he claimed. We were to find him somewhere in the city. He claimed he wouldn’t be hard to find, for he always finds out when he is being sought out, and should realize our peaceful intentions.

His work finished, Zydrathis handed me the newly-formed raven skull, a magic wand, and a scroll. He said this skull is a vital tool in the fight against the forces of evil, and that the wand and scroll were to be used if the artifact saw the effects of a corrupted force.

We spoke with Argamir, indulging him with tales of how the newer members of the 42^nd came to find themselves here. As we began to say our goodbyes, expecting to be dismissed, Argamir insisted on a final word. He thanked us again for what we had done for the kingdom, but claimed there is no reasonable excuse to demand more from the 42^nd. After all, the only current citizen of the Merkemian kindgom and its lands is Talos. He pledged his support for the fledgling Denmok nation, and his alliance with Deisa’s Moraldrum dwarves. Our endeavors, Argamir claimed, now reach beyond the borders of Merkemia, and we should be released to do good as we saw fit over all the lands. With that, he officially dissolved the 42^nd Adventuring Company, but admitted the name was now that of legend, and would not be easily shaken. As a last gesture of support, and gratefulness to Talos for his continued support for the kingdom, Argamir presented Talos with a beautiful pair of diamond-studded bracers in addition to the monetary compensation he offered to us all.

After we were dismissed, I felt it necessary to relinquish the Tear of Ioun to Talos, for I barely made it down the tower’s winding staircase, and I could hear the mocking glee the wretched stone felt at my suffering. Thankfully, my reptilian friend took the burden without a moment’s hesitation.

We had barely stepped foot beyond the palace gates before we were approached by a young and strikingly attractive teifling girl with a curious accent. Nira, as she claimed to be called, delivered to us a message from her employer, Estevan. He wished an audience with us at the Wild Boar, a reasonably civilized tavern within the city. She promised us there would be much “jink” to be made and “chant” to be heard (terms we would be quite familiar with by the end of the day). Her brief mission complete, she took her leave, only looking back to catch our stares as she moved her hips and tail provocatively.

Zydrathis did not lie. We agreed that our next move should be a meeting with this Estevan, who was looking for to a meeting with us as we were with him. Talos, though, wished to stop by the Temple of the Vanguard to visit his order. I elected to follow him while the others went about their business, agreeing to meet at the Wild Boar.

We met an old and wise clergyman named Draco or Dragos or something like that. I have met few dragonborn in my life, but they all seemed to name their offspring some derivative of the common term “dragon”. It’s hard to keep their silly named straight. Oh, what a joke it would be if we bred little “He-“ and “She-ladrins”.

Talos elected to leave the tear in their care, making me quite nervous. After all, the allure of the tear’s power may be too much for all but the most iron-willed. Even then, the tear may exact its wrath upon them. They took it to their clerics for observation to determine if they knew a way to destroy it. They agreed to keep it in good hands until we returned from our meeting with Estevan.

We met later with the others at the Wild Boar where we were directed down a long hallway to a small room where say the largest and blue-est ogre I had ever laid eyes on. According to his messenger, Estevan was an oni, and a powerful mage at that. I had never met an oni before, but I knew them from ancient texts and stories which described them as a demented and evil race. This oni was quite strange in that regard, as he wore a soft smile and greeted us warmly. He told us he ran an operation known as the Planar Consortium. Making it clear that he knew us and what we did, he got right to the point. His deliveries have been disrupted by bandits and sabotage for weeks. His organization is providing supplies needed for the Festival of Doors and he was expecting something very bad to happen. He claimed this disruption of the festival would doom the City of Doors to the wrath of the Lady of Pain. In his desperation, he asked that we investigate by meeting with his associate named Fesdon Crale at his shop in Merkemia. The eccentric, yet pragmatic, oni then tossed a few of us an astral diamond each, claiming the answers we seek and more payment like this await us once his worries are put to rest.

So as quickly as we entered, we were back out in the city with instructions to the Arcane Emporium, Fesdon’s shop of magical goods. A short walk later we stood face to face with this alleged friend of Estevan, a short, grinning, grey-haired human. For merely 100 gold pieces, a discount he claimed, he would give us a map and a key to Sigil, where we would learn more about the trade disruptions. He quickly went over the map with us, pointing to the location of the portal to Sigil which would be activated by this key, a plank of wood with runic carvings. Seeing our dismay at the isolated alley pointed out on the map, Fesdon reassured us that the portal must be hidden, for we wouldn’t want just anyone wandering between the planes. At that, he eagerly sent us on our way.

We were conveniently located near the airship and the Temple of the Vanguard, so we let our crew know we would be tied up here for a few days and to make themselves comfortable. We then stopped by the temple to retrieve the Tear of Ioun. The elder dragon told us to seek out the “Luminous Body” which held the power to destroy the relic, but this was all the information they were able to determine from their readings.

Finally, we arrived at a dark and dirty alley. As we neared the dead end, the key pulsed with energy. Suddenly, we found ourselves in complete darkness. Alyana, sensing the air pressure, determined that we were far underground. I fumbled around in my pack for a sunrod, which I tossed out at our feet, illuminating the small room we stood in. This room had only a small fountain upon the wall behind us, but the room opened out into a crypt of some sort ahead. As our eyes adjusted to the light, we saw several sarcophagi towards the end of the hallway, beyond a row of columns.

A figure, covered in tattered wrappings, stood at the opposite end of this room, and held up a talisman of Zehir, a well-known evil deity of serpents. Talos looked back at us to identify the creature, muttering “Yuan-Ti.” As he began to hiss his vile prayer, I took action. A divine light blinded the beast just as plague beetles began digging their way up through the sand at our feet. Luckily, he hadn’t the concentration to complete the incantation, and the insects scurried away as we burst from our small chamber into battle. Unfortunately, Talos slipped into a crack in the sandy floor and was trapped.

Ghostly apparitions entered the fray from two hidden side chambers, one spirit appearing as a giant spider. Though Talos struggled to free himself, we still held the advantage over these monsters. The undead to not last long against the cleansing light of Corellon, and ethereal beings are, at the very best, on par with the hordes of spirits Elwoz calls forth, or the unpredictable energy Without wields. In a few short moments, the spirits were cast back into the void and the Yuan-ti mummy lied in a heap.

After freeing Talos, we sensed a magical energy building slowly in the fountain near where we arrived. With Diesa’s help, we determined it was a portal back to Merkemia, but the power to transport us had to build back up, and would take some time.

Searching the rest of this tomb turned up the body of what we determined was the real Fesdon Crale. The man at the Arcance Emporium was an imposter, meant to dispose of us. On him was a note describing the attempted disruptions of the festivities in Sigil. Since we had time to kill while the fountain recharged its magical energy, I elected to speak with Fesdon’s corpse. Conjuring the arcane magics, I commanded the body to tell us what it knew.

We learned that Fedson had discovered the conspiracy to disrupt trade routes through the city of Trade Gate by a shapeshifting being made of beetles named Arthani, which we determined was most likely the imposter we encountered at the Arcane Emporium. The corpse told us the key to Sigil would be the phrase “The Center of All Things”. With that, the magic left the corpse.

After the fountain had recharged, we returned to Merkemia where we rushed back to Fesdon’s store in hopes of catching Arthani and avenging Fesdon’s murder. However, we were too late. Arthani had long since abandoned the store. We scoured the building for clues, but came up empty-handed other than discovering a ritual amongst his wares that might prove beneficial in the future.

From here, we made haste back to Estevan to tell him what we had learned. Thought distraught at the loss of a colleague, we convinced him to come with us to Trade Gate to put an end to this threat and avenge Fesdon’s death. Luckily, Estevan frequently travels using portals and guided us through one to Trade Gate.

We appeared next to a humble, rickety tavern where I proceeded to throw up violently. The sickness had not left me, and the journey there upset my stomach quite a bit. Beside the tavern door, paying no mind to our arrival sat a sleeping man. After unsuccessfully attempting to wake the man, Estevan peered inside the tavern to see all patrons asleep. We concluded that someone came here and drugged the people of Trade Gate, either with potions or magic. Scouring the area, Alyana caught a glimpse of a dim, pulsing glow in the distance, coupled with random crackling lights. We hurry down the street to a long dirt road where we saw the great stone structure described sitting out in the distance.

Hastening our pace, we came upon scattered and ravaged wagons, upon two of which each sat an Eladrin male. Along the trail to the arch were a series of poles which eminated the crackling lights, each of which were guarded by a small group of cyclopes. Directly below the arch stood a female eladrin in a beautifully flowing purple gown, reading from a scroll.

As we approached, one of the Eladrin, a face I recalled from my past as that of Thesselonious, attacked Talos with necrotic energy, warning us to turn back. As we retaliated, the other Eladrin rider and the cyclopes joined in the fray. Instantly, Without held out the orb which, not surprisingly, flashed with a light brighter than the brightest star, blinding every living thing in the vicinity.

When our vision returned, Thesselonious was upon me, and I had to flee from his attacks. There was nothing more I would have liked to do than to strike him down, but my usefulness in this battle was severely hampered by my illness, and I was not able to stand evenly against him. He and the other Eladrin rider were what we call “Lurkers”, undead fey creatures who ignore death while clinging to an old grudge. Unfortunately, I shall not entertain you, Journal, with this particular grudge. Suffice it to say, it is over.

The battle quickly turned in our favor as Talos called out to focus on the female who, as it turned out, was a lamia, a shape-shifting fey creature comprised of insects. This was Arthani, the one who killed and impersonated Fesdon and sent us barreling into a trap. She tried desperately to continue reading her scroll to finish a spell, no doubt. She seemed to be feeding from the poles surrounding the area and emitting a sinister magic. So I took it upon myself to rip one out of the ground, which disrupted her spell completely, bringing her nefarious plans to a halt.

Alyana disposed of Thesselonious, Talos dealt with the other lurker through a protective ward he placed upon me, and the cyclopes lay scattered about when Without convinced Arthani to surrender. She claimed her hand was guided by Tarvos, “The Demon Caller”. Unfortunately for her, magical fire still burned around her from the battle and overtook her.

Taking a minute to recover from the battle and the shock of seeing an old adversary, I rested beside a broken wagon as the others searched the grounds. Unfortunately, Thesselonious called out to me by name and I was forced to appease Without’s curiousity by telling my story. Perhaps, given the time, I may tell it again. I am blessed to have been so occupied over the many years since our last meeting that I did not reflect upon the event often.

Alyana found a clue amidst the fallen enemies. A flier for a place called The House of Song lay beside some of the lamia’s things, and upon it was written the name Tarvos.

Estevan nodded to Elwoz who spoke the words “The Center of All Things” which activated a portal within Trade Gate’s stone arches, like a thin, lavender curtain had been dropped. We stepped through, one by one, and as my boots touched the cobblestone of Sigil, vertigo once again took over and left me heaving. Estevan thanked us, but left for Sigil’s guild district to check up on his operations, but told us to seek out Tarvos and we would be repaid.

Of all the places to travel while I was ill, Sigil was probably the worst imaginable. I would have preferred to be upon the bobbing airship with Elwoz at the helm, slinging us from cloud to cloud. The ground here sloped upward until it made a ring above us, and did the same at a wider arc in the parallel direction. This city was a giant ring! Within the center of the loop orbited a thin mist and scattered dust from which it seemed to trickle down rain upon us. From cracks in the buildings and courtyards in this city grew an ugly greenish-brown thorny vine that seemed to be just as much a part of the architecture as the stone. Taking in this sight, I again went ill. It took all of us a minute to gain our composure in this whimsical place – all of us except for Without.

The halfling set off with us in tow. The city was crawling with creatures from all planes, simply going about their business. I witnessed a water elemental offer a friendly wave, answered by a Shadar-Kai necromancer who held three ghouls at the end of a leash. Elf and drow walked the streets without as much as a glance at each other. These sights, and countless more, were almost more dizzying that the bizarre terrain. Yet Without led us with a nonchalance which I found both comforting and terrifying at the same time. Elwoz, too, seemed less than surprised, though I imagine this may be the way he sees his surroundings at any given time.

We found a human man standing at a map kiosk outside an entrance to an inn built to look like a small fortress. The sign outside read: “The Battlements”. The man greeted us in the same strange accent as Nira, the teifling girl. The man was a guide, and told us there would be several guides scattered about the city in case we became disoriented or were in search of something specific. He told us we would find this House of Song in the Night Market. Apparently awestruck travelers like us are all too common in Sigil. So we grabbed a map and set out through the throng of creatures, none of which gave us more than a passing glance. For a few coins, the guide accompanied us to our destination, but found the House of Song deserted and dark. Confused, we began questioning the guide until Alyana stole our attention to let us know we were being followed by a shadowy figure, darting in and out of the crowds.

When we told the man we noticed we were being tailed, he became quite nervous. Pressing further, we were able to learn that it was Tarvos who was responsible for the tail, but he would say no more. Without tried to coax out more information with a charming lie, but when the guide refused, he lost his composure, leaping up in the guide’s face, screaming and shaking the terrified man and startling several passing bugbears with a thunderous bellow. The quivering man blurted that it was Tarvos that was behind the disruption in an effort to destroy Sigil by invoking the wrath of the Lady of Pain. He continued, saying that Tarvos, onto our efforts, abandoned the House of Song and was on his way to sabotage a shipment of cave fire wine to be used during the festival.

Satisfied with his confession, we dismissed the frightened guide. We were not about to take any rash actions in this unfamiliar place, and Without’s theatrics already attracted a number of uncomfortable stares. So we set out in search of Tarvos.

For a short time, we wandered the streets, gazing at the strange sights around us until we noticed a shifty-looking balgura standing in courtyard. As he gazed over the crowds, he saw us and shouted out a warning to Tarvos that we had arrived. We had stumbled into an ambush. The balgura, two demons, and two ogres burst into the courtyard, sending pedestrians fleeing in all directions. Some cast illusionary magic and slipped away, some floated up until they came to rest on the streets above us. Others cowered in vender stalls. Among the enemy stood who we discerned to be Tarvos, commanding the others to attack and protect him.

Throughout our fight the people and visitors of Sigil fled. Alyana and I were able to dance atop the buildings surrounding the courtyard, staying clear of the battle while Alyana and I distracted and confused the enemy. Eventually we prevailed, but Tarvos was able to flee in the confusion.

We acted quickly, Alyana and Diogi tracked Tarvos to a nearby warehouse. She broke in to have a look around, seeing Tarvos preparing several runic circles, obviously conducting some ritual to taint the goods within the warehouse. Alongside him stood an Immolith, a Needle Demon, and a couple of Vrocs watching while Tarvos spoke his dark incantation.

We stormed in, and immediately set ourselves upon Tarvos and his minions. Understanding the severity of the situation, we acted quickly to dispose of Tarvos and prevent him from completing his ritual. The other creatures fell quickly afterward.

Feeling satisfied, we decided to rejoin Esteban in the guild district. As we made our way there, we were passed by what the guides referred to as the “Daibus”. They are statuesque, floating humanoids who work for the Lady of Pain. We witnessed them head for the square where we first battled Tarvos, and very swiftly set to work cleaning the area. They righted spilled vendor kiosks, picked up scattered goods, and repaired buildings which took damage during our fight.

When we returned to Esteban's office, he was elated to hear that we had saved his business and saved Sigil from the wrath of the Lady of Pain. He offered us a night of rest at the Battlements, near where we entered Sigil, promising our safety there.

We inquired again about our urge to venture to the Luminous Body. Esteban said that he knew of three leads in our quest. First, we could go to the Stick's Oarsmen, a notoriously rowdy tavern, and seek out the Rule of Three. He may know about the luminous body. Second, Shimeshka, or “The Maurader”, whos information will cost us dearly. Lastly, he suggested that the Lady's Library may contain some literature to aid us in locating the Luminous Body.

We thanked him and set out to the Battlements where we now rest. I was in a hurry to write this day’s notes, so I have yet to see to my own rest. Tomorrow, we seek out the Luminous Body, and hopefully set out to destroy this blasted Tear once and for all. I shall have another dose of Elwoz’s medicine in the morning, so I hope I will fight off this sickness so that the tear may see my health return before it faces its destruction.

I pray until then that the guiding light of Corellon finds me in this place, wherever it is.