Dear Journal,
The game is afoot! First thing in the morning, we aid the people of Moraldrum in preparation for war. The threat from within has been neutralized. Now our focus shall be turned towards defense, for we are far outnumbered, according to Corath. I do not doubt this, after seeing the poor condition of Moraldrum's fighting force. Tomorrow begins preparations for what will prove to be the 42nd's greatest challenge to date.
Our first task this day was to conduct a thorough investigation of Moraldrum. It seemed Diesa had slipped off in the morning, and we were unable to find him as we devised our plans. Without, Talos, and I were to interrogate Krull, who had been acting suspicious from the moment we arrived. Alyana, Elwoz, and Corath decided to scour the infirmary and kitchen for clues to the illness plaguing the dwarves.
Krull made his home on the grand tower in the center of Moraldrum's massive cavern. This column, to be more accurate, formed over millenia, was painstakingly sculpted with levels of finely crafted railing and spiral staircases connecting them together. Surrounding the tower was a beautifully arranged rock garden. Shimmering crystals and brilliant gemstones jutted from the cavern floor, encircling the tower completely in a colorful and breathtaking spectacle. Though dedicated to my quest, I count not help but linger as we walked a cobblestone path through the garden. This was apparently where the most decorated and wealthy citizens of Moraldrum were housed. Within each level was carved at least six rooms. Krull dwelt within a room on the sixth of nine stories. A helpful city guard was kind enough to lead us all the way to his door.
Talos pounded thrice, announcing our presence and calling for him to answer. After a brief moment, the door cracked open, revealing Krull's little angry head which poked around the small crack in the door. Before Krull had the words to question our purpose, Talos had shoved the door open and barreled into the room, repeating Thonin's permissive orders to search as needed. Krull, nearly toppled over at our paladin's rude entry, grumbled and obliged, moving to a circular table in the center of the room where he had modeled the fortress and surroundings on the surface. As we moved to the table, we noticed these were battle plans Krull was forming.
Needing no further provocation, Talos began reviewing Krull's plans, pointing out flaw after flaw, and rearranging the placement of the little stones used to represent dwarven emplacements and fortifications. Annoyed at Krull's apparent unwise plans, Talos stopped for a moment and sniffed the air, looking disgusted. Looking down at Without, I could see he, too, had caught wind of some foul odor. In fact, as Talos returned to berating the now agitated commander, the malodorous scent assaulted me as well.
Talos first questioned Krull about the odor, which was beginning to become quite unbearable. Without pointed to Krull's bed against the side of the room, indicating he had found the source of the stench. Becoming more agitated at our persistence, Krull demanded we leave, for he claimed to have provoked no further need for investigation, claiming his time is best spent reflecting on the coming battle.
Talos would have none of it. His requests turned to commands, and Krull hesitantly complied. Without moved to push the bed slightly to reveal what was underneath, but his current affliction left him with bursts of forceful energy, which caused him to accidentally send the bed skidding across the floor, knocking over a small table. Ignoring the crash of the glass which set atop it, and Without's bashful withdrawal behind Talos, the paladin and I turned our attention to a small wooden box which laid beneath the bed. Within the box were a few bottles of preserving fluid and a corked vial with grayish flakes. At closer inspection, I could tell these were patches of dwarf skin, perfectly preserved.
I recognized this practice as one committed by members of flesh cults. I believe it is used in some sort of ritual, but that is the extent of my knowledge concerning their practices. Flesh cultists, however, are typically followers of the Raven Queen. These dangerously demented followers, though dedicated to battling forces of the undead, do so with the aid of abominable monstrosities equal in horror to any undead beast.
My face must have revealed my understanding of this object, and as Talos and Without pressed Krull once again, he began to relent. He began explaining how he has had the urge to cut himself and store the skin, an urge he cannot explain. It began when he and a squad of his men encountered a group of Dreknar soldiers.
His eyes went wide and a black shadowy streak shot across the room away from us just as Krull fell dead to the floor. The others did not see, but a dark magical aura remained, leading into the wall. Whatever it was that struck down Krull fled through the wall.
"To arms!" I cried, drawing my sword, as Talos and Without drew theirs. We stormed out onto the balcony and kicked in the door to the next room, which shared a wall with Krull's chambers. A lone dwarven nobleman cowered at his table, spilling his wineglass as he curled into a ball. Talos began interrogating the poor dwarf, but I could detect no magic about him. The aura I followed was fading, but led through yet another wall. At this rate, the killer would be long gone before we regained our heading.
I yelled for Talos and Without to notify the guards as I conjured the arcane guiding hand which has served us well in the past. As the ghostly hand appeared, I asked it to guide us to the killer. Following its pointed finger outside, we three followed the floating form down the stairs and back onto the streets.
As we ran down the streets, shouts of "Assassin" echoed through the cavern, and a deep bellowing blast sounded from a distant unseen horn. Alyana, Corath, and Elwoz came running around a corner, following several guards attracted by the commotion, just as we came upon Moraldrum's armory. The hand outstretched its palm, indicating it had led us a step of the way towards the assassin. Wasting no time, Talos, trailed closely by myself and Without, stormed into the armory, between two very surprised dwarven soldiers. I again beckoned the hand, which floated to a large chest amongst piles of torn armor and broken weapons.
Flinging open the chest, which spanned the width of both Talos and I, we begain tearing through the contents. Without, leaping into the chest, began digging around the bottom until he presented us with a dark red gem fragment. The hand once again outstretched his hand.
Talos recognized this stone, saying it resembled a relic used by Kalarel, an agentsof Dreknar, in his effort to raise an undead army within the Shadowfel Ruins outside of Merkemia, where I was commissioned to help clean up the lingering undead that didn't face the 42nd's wrath. The assassin must have some connection to the Shadowfel, and presumably Dreknar as well.
Once again, I asked the hand where to search for the creature who killed Krull. A few nearby soldiers had gathered, curious of the three strangers rummaging through their things. The hand outstretched its palm to the closest soldier, then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Talos practically pounced on the now nervous soldier. He told us they found the gem on a Teifling warlord killed by Krull and his men on a scouting mission. Since that night, the soldier said, Krull had begun acting strangely, wearing bandages in different places each week and wandering off into the mountains some nights instead of sleeping. He told us of a tunnel Krull often used which led up into the mountains above. The assassin had escaped, but we now knew a good place to search.
Alyana, Korath, and Elwoz asked that we stop along the way to speak with a dwarven general named Groth. They explained how they discovered tainted food during their investigation of the fortress kitchen. Alyana determined the food was poisoned by blackthorn, a toxic plant found abundant in lands controlled by Dreknar. The herb was strong enough to kill an elephant in days, but the iron-stomachs of the dwarves have held death at bay much longer. The majority of their food had to be destroyed.
They then visited the infirmary to see how many were affected. At least 400 dwarves have fallen ill from the poisoned rations, but luckily Elwoz knows a cure for the sickness. However, he claims it will take him at least four days of constant care to nurse them back to health and needed Groth to lend him manpower for the task.
We arrived at General Groth's meeting room, and were ushered in immediately. Groth was eager to speak with us, immediately assaulting us with questions regarding our battle plans. We agreed to meet with him later, but insisted we had to investigate the tunnels to the surface. Elwoz quickly recounted their findings, and convinced Groth to spare him 100 men to tend to the sick. We then thanked him and hurried off.
We crept along the dark tunnels for over an hour before we came to an entrance to a natural cavern alongside the meticulously carved tunnel. Talos held the only lit torch, for we did not want to alert any hostile company and, if we did, we wouldn't want them knowing our numbers. Alyana set foot into the cavern, with Talos standing at the entrance. I had a very eerie feeling as Alyana appeared back into the tunnel. To confirm my suspicions, Alyana told of several figures hiding in the shadows, apparently convinced that we did not detect them. Expecting an element of surprise, we timed ourselves and then snapped into action. Alyana quickly drew her bow and fired an arrow into the darkness as Talos flung the torch into the cavern, illuminating the moist, sticky surfaces of the room.
Revealed, though some slightly concealed in the shadows were flesh cultists, our shadowy assassin, and two abominable organ wretches, which are living constructs made of discarded or "obtained" body parts. The assemblages of dwarven flesh had a difficult time getting through Talos's thick plate armor, and were quickly dealt with. Unfortunately, the assassin, a shadow puppeteer, and several acolytes fought incredibly well against our attacks. We were relieved when the last of these creatons fell to a random blast from Without's magically conductive dagger.
Upon the fallen cult leader we found a note from Krull. Clearly dominated by dark magic, Krull wrote an acknowledgement of plans to create a flesh cult within Moraldrum and take over as leader after Moraldrum had fallen to the Dreknar invasion. Curiously, the note was peppered with praises of Orcus and, as I mentioned, flesh cultists were typically no fans of the undead, of which Orcus was king. Since I had not mentioned this fact to the others, I was pleasantly surprised when Talos pondered the same aloud as he reread the note.
We ventured back to Moraldrum to meet with the king. As we entered his chamber, we caught the end of a conversation he was having with Diesa, who had been missing this day. From what I overheard, is seems Diesa's lineage continued and branched into the clan which now inhabits Moraldrum. So Diesa, physically younger, though ancient in years, is a direct ancestor of King Thonin! He had fought in a great battle among the citizens of the Empire of Nerath, who had allied themselves with the dragonborn leaders of Arkosia. It was Bal'Tarath, the empire which saw the beginning of the Teifling heritage, which stood where Dreknar was now. Diesa had fallen in battle alongside the forces of Arkosia against Dreknar's (and Corath's) ancestors.
After we let Diesa finish his tale to the king, we explained at length the events of the day. Lamenting his friend Krull's demise, he thanked us for ending his suffering, for he understood that his trusted commander was gone long ago. He asked us if we planned to stay and fight alongside the dwarves int he coming battle. We eagerly pledged our support.
There was much to be done to prepare the outnumbered dwarves for battle. In the morning Talos, Alyana, and Without would take the ship, along with our new crewmen, to Northwarden to warn Stovokor of the coming battle and perhaps enlist his aid. Thonin summoned a guard from outside and told him of this plan, and ordered the guard to find men to help work aboard the ship for the trek to Northwarden. A brilliant plan this was, and it would only take them a few days by air. We would have reinforcements in time for battle if the quest proves successful, and from what I hear of the acclaimed Stovokor, it shall be.
Elwoz and Diesa will be working with Groth's men to tend to the sick dwarves. Recalling the incantations taught by Avandra's cleric the day before, I pledged my aid to their cause. Surely I can assist the replenishment of their food supply.
Corath offered to train Thonin's men in the techniques employed by Dreknar's army in battle. He said he would work on a training regiment and drill schedule with Groth while the sick were being healed. Thonin was very pleased with Corath's offer. What an advantage we will have!
I know, however, there are still many challenges to surmount. How many dwarves will we lose to Dreknar's poison even before the battle? Will our allies reach Northwarden safely and in time to enlist aid from Baron Stovokor? Will the dwindling numbers of dwarven soldiers be able to fend off an assault from the full might of Dreknar's army?
My heart tells me yes. By Corellon's grace, we have beat back the flames of evil at every turn. Tomorrow begins a lengthy trial of preparation and training. It is my wish, nay, my belief that, with the guidance and blessings of the Divine, we will be prepared for the task ahead of us. May Corellon guide my hand as I aid the people of Moraldrum in their time of need, and may my allies travel swiftly and safely to Northwarden.
