2. Go West Young Men

Signs and portents. They come in signs and portents. Dale had left me a message. A large bonfire had been found two days to the west. Within its embers was a body charred beyond all recognition with its skull crushed and parts of the skull evidently missing.

Not the kind of thing you want to investigate alone. So, knowing where she lives in Highbarrow, I went to find that Crusader, Alex. Good thing I did, she had just had a vision in which, she told me, she saw the sun rise and set three times. The third was the charm, the sun was twisted and distorted and with it came the long arms of Chaos. Coincidentally, she felt as if she was moving west.

I’d hardly digested this, when there was an insistent banging on the door. That evoker, Zebadire, was in an excited mood (at least by his standards). Apparently the compass (remember the magic artifact?) had suddenly started working and was pointing to the west, whichever way you held it. Something told me there was a pattern developing here. And then, believe it or not, that shifter, Geraint, turned up looking for me, because Dale had told him I needed help. (I took that to mean with this stuff to the west, not personally).

I had left Buckthorn just outside the village (I don’t like to alarm the locals too much), so in the short time it took to fetch him, we were ready to go, as it was only midday, although, apparently Heron was out of town, which would weaken our fighting capability. The rest of the day proved to be uneventful, so we were well into the forest by the time it came to set camp.

It was too good to last. During Geraint’s watch the camp was attacked by very large rats, which, at one point transformed into weird waving shapes (or is that mis-shapes?). They took some time to destroy, and Geraint was badly bitten, but it was the only interruption during the night, and at least I was able to staunch the poison.

All the signs of Chaos, despite the majestic beauty of the Forest, brought home further when we chanced upon the remains of the local charcoal burner. I’ve met him a few times in my wanderings, but now he was recently dead. Still, it was clear that he had put up a strong fight against what appeared to have been more of the rat-like creatures, which Zebadire claimed are horrid rats (well I think we knew that). Unfortunately, there was clear evidence within the remains of their home that his daughter had been kidnapped by the creatures. As their trail continued to the west, where we were already going, we continued on our way.

Finally, we found ourselves outside a small stone building entirely surrounded by thorns and brambles. It was easy for me to pass through these to locate a door, but the others had to laboriously clear a path for themselves with their weapons. I love the outdoors, such challenges.

The shifter, Geraint, triggered some arrow trap on the stairs inside, so the rest of us were more cautious going down, especially as there was a long-dead body there pierced by an arrow. According to Alex, he/ she was a cleric of the Silver Flame. I expect that pleased the shifter. Not unexpectedly we encountered more rat/ chaos hybrids, but this time we dealt with them more effectively, knowing what they are capable of.

At the end of the corridor, we entered a chamber and immediately knew we had reached the end of our search. The woodburner’s daughter was tied up in one corner, and three other people appeared to be lying dead in another. An imperious creature with tentacles extending from its face was working feverishly on some symbols on the wall. I had heard of its like: an illythid, also know as a mind flayer in the common tongue. It was taking no notice of us because a number of aberrations, headless with mouths in their chests and four flailing arms or tentacles. Alex, as she does, led the attack, and we prevailed. I learned after that the creatures were Dolgrim. The illythid fled leaving what appeared to be a portal to another place, a place of madness. We surmised that it must be Xoriat.

After much discussion about how we might close the portal: I have heard of them and know that they should not be allowed to remain open, Zebadire hit on the idea of using the compass and his House tattoo to close it. This was partially successful, but Zebadire had to give up some of his own life-force, not permanently as it turned out, to complete the task. Perhaps there is courage in him yet, and not just arcane ramblings.

Our final task was to take the woodburner’s child into the village where the innkeeper promised to look after her and bring her up as her own.

I was left to reflect on a Gate to Xoriat evidently unknown to my people the Gatekeepers, and the first I had seen. I resolved, at the suggestion of Dale when next I saw him, and with the agreement of the others, to inform Finsceal the druid in the grove. He would surely know what to do….