17 Lharvion 998 (Alex)

The Flame I have at my home burns brightly day and night to remind me of my duties to the order and to Thrane. I was contemplating the flame, looking for guidance and forgiveness when suddenly it dimmed and went out.

Panic gripped me for a second, then suddenly I was elsewhere. As I stood motionless (or was I walking I could not be sure, my surroundings didn't seem to move) the sun seemed to rise and set three times. (It looked like i was moving west) but the third time it rose it was different. Twisted, distorted and with it came long arms of Chaos. Within seconds it was over and I was staring at the flame. I stood outside staring at the sun and the world around me. Nothing had changed. I was perplexed and puzzled and then Saffron was here (somewhat unusual, though we had exchanged pleasantries in the last week we had done little together since the spiders) I invited her in at which point she told me of her visit. Apparently to the west, 2 days hence, a strange bonfire was found with the remains of a body which had had its skull caved in. Nothing too unusual around these parts I have to admit, but the fact of the matter was its too the west.

I was about to recount my vision (The Flame spoke to me!) when I heard a knock and the voice of the local House lackey. Zebadire. He was excited, waving around that damn broken compass and claiming it was working. Sure enough it was and pointing the west. Coincidence? Probably not. I recounted my vision to them both. Then the door shook under the strength of blows. For a moment I thought we were under attack but it turned out to be the Shifter. He had received a message from Dale (A ranger of the town. I had spoken with him once but rarely saw him) that Saffron would need help. It seemed we had been brought together by the flame to deal with chaos to the west.

We left an hour or so later, with Gereint leading. It is a shame the quiet Heron was out of town, I imagine his blade would be missed, though our Shifter friend seems more than capable of fighting.

We found a good place to camp for the night. I had retired for the night after my watch when we were awoken to cries from Gereint and the sound of battle. Grabbing my shield and axe I join the fray. Strange rat like things (later identified as Horrid rats by Zebedire) the seemed to change into amorphous beasts of Chaos as we fought them. After we had fought them we returned to our bedroll for the night, a little more wary of anything that might come out of the darkness.

The journey continued, heading further west into the great Eldeen forest. Eventually we stumbled across a long charcoal burner. He was dead, his sould had gone to feed the flame. However he had been brave and fought off one of those horrid rat things. Upon investigation though it seemed his daughter had been kidnapped so we continued westwards another day.

Eventually we arrived at a strange stone building - small in nature and surrounded by brambles - we cleared the brambles and headed in.

Stairs took us downwards, but not far inside Geraint was attacked by an arrow fired from a trap of some kind. At the bottom of the stairs just before a stone door lay the remains of my brethren. A Silver flame cleric, given the nature of his items. Saying ashort prayer for the fallen (whilst my companions defiled the corpse and divested it of any items of note) we continued forwards.

More rats and then, in a final chamber a strange sight. Creatures known as Dolgrim, foul things created (or so legends and the flame speaks) by the Daelkyr. But that wasnt what scared me. In fact I have not felt fear as such as i did that day since my company returned from the dead, animated by the Karnathi, to attack our position during the war. No, the thing that scared me was the Mindflayer. It left, why I do not know, a greater child of the Daelkyr as it was it would have easily dealt with us, yet it chose to allow its minions to deal with us whilst it left.

Deal with its minions we did, and quickly, though I feel the flame deserted me and allowed me to feel some of the chaos i saw in the dreams as very little of my normal inspiring words of command seemed to work from the moment I set foot in that strange ruin. Perhaps the Mindflayer has somehow managed to work an enchantment against the flame. Or perhaps the flame showed its anger at the desecration of the fallen, I know not. All I know is much of my skill left me that day.

Oddly we found, at the end of the battle, a portal opening directly to Xoriat. Zebadire was able to close it using the strange broken (or not) compass, which immediately stopped working again. Perhaps this thing points somehow to these portals. I hope, having seen a single glimpse into Xoriat, that was the only one but somehow I doubt it.

The girl was rescued and taken back to highbarrow. The innkeeper graciously agreeing to take her in as her own.

I returned to my home and pondered for a while on the flame and the holy symbol i had discovered. I will keep this in rememberance of the fallen and to remind me that looting the body of my comrade and brother is an evil thing which will lead me away for the goodness of the flame and down into worship of the evils.