The Cradle of Souls - Chapter 11: Passage to Salvation

My time is running out. I can feel the pull of magic tearing at my insides. The pain in my chest comes and goes and at times I am at a loss for where I am. The cosmos stretches for miles, or whatever you'd like to call the milky white void that fills my mind. Other moments my world falls into a grayscale, like the one we experienced in Persyfn. Altheron... it seems I will be joining you after all.

- Mutterings of Ulias Brend as recorded by Holland Oak, Court Stenographer

The group arrived in Castle Norhearth two nights after the incident. Ulias ventured forth for an audience with the Shal'tan to deliver the grim news while the rest of the group settled in to gather supplies and learn what they could about gaining access to Resonn. Their urgency soon melted away as they found themselves back among the general populous. Their worries allayed for a short while. Several members of the group set up camp outside of the city to relax.

Those that didn't had bigger matters to settle. Arden Krueler and his faithful assistant Kaden approached the tower of wizardry inside the castle walls. There they secured the resources necessary to preserve the body of Altherton Forman, in the hopes that the healing artifact they sought would prove to shatter even the veil of death. Successful in their attempt, the two gained control of a wand imbued with the power to preserve the dead.

Kaden then attempted to speak to Temple druids to learn the passphrase that would allow them beyond the guardian barrier of Resonn. While talking to one of them, he made the mistake of divulging that he was a wizard in training. The druids did not take kindly to this, believing that the arcane arts promote destruction of the natural world as opposed to its preservation and relying upon it. They shunned the young apprentice, leaving him confused as to what to do next.

It was fortunate that they had brought another druid with them. Learning of Kaden's failure at the Temple, Katniss ventured there as well, and with little time to spare managed to secure the passphrase. When she returned to the group, Ulias was already prepared to depart, though looking much worse for the wear this time around. As they headed for the port the effects of the Xirsz Phasygn on Ulias began to take their toll. His body began to phase out, leaving the older man in excruciating pain. In moments several fingers had been severed, vanishing into the planes beyond. As his arm began to shift, Krueler quickly cast a dimensional anchor on the man, hoping to keep his essence in place and prevent further loss of limbs. The anchor succeeded, but it was not enough to save the limb. Bleeding and broken, Ulias collapsed into a coma. During the ensuing voyage, he too would pass on.

It is a burden that we shall keep our own. If we are to be the silent keepers of this world then we must deal with this threat on our own as well. The spread of the disease moves faster than we are able to contain it. All surviving orders have been advised to place barriers around the holy places and keep them secured. Communications shall be passed by wing only. May the lords of Nature guide us in this time of need.

- Savus O'Reil, Archdruid of the Conclave

The journey by boat took the group near to the boarders of Resonn. Hoping to skip the wrath of the druid storms that roil the waters around Resonn they took to land early, opting to venture by land to the borders of the Guardian Forest. Within a week they found themselves standing before a vast wood that swayed gently in the wind. The land was devoid of the songs of birds and the buzz of bugs, and unearthy creaking moans seems to whisper out of the darkness.

Katniss settled into a ritual that would allow the group to pass beyond the Guardian Wood without trouble. Once the ritual was complete, they made their way silently through the groaning forest, watching with trepidation as the forest moved and spoke of its own accord. Then, just as quickly, they were through.

Had they know that the sinking feeling they felt once they broke past the barrier was a sign of worse things to come they would not have pressed on, opting instead to succumb to the soul-thirsty powers of the Xirirsz Phasygn. Instead the days passed with ease, but the pit in their guts continued to grow until the eve when they first heard the unholy cry of the beast.

Wolves sounded in the night, distant to them, but drawing nearer. Filled with unease, the group opted to take to the trees. Those who could not climb were forced to remain on the ground. Time passed and the howling grew louder, approaching slowly but without a doubt to where they were; and then they were there. Tawny wolves with a hungry fire burning in the pits of their eyes; the glow a strange violet and filled with malice.

The wolves attacked quickly, striking down Sharina who had tagged along with the group. She fell with a cry as the wolfs surrounded and bit her. The group was certain that she would be dead in little time. Glorving was unable to watch a helpless victim fall to such creatures, and let loose a mighty roar and dropped from the trees, his armor crashing through brand and brush. The noise caught the wolves attention and they lunged at the dwarf.

Glorving masterfully evaded the attacks, stopping them flat with his shield and returning the favor with mighty counters. Knowing more had to be done, Katniss turned her magics upon the ground, turning the it to mud. It was followed with masterful timing by Kaden who caused the roots around the creatures to draw them toward the ground. Krueler siezed the opportunity as well, casting a set of magical tentacles that began to draw the beasts into the mud.

As their victory appeared to be drawing imminent they were assailed by an uninvited guest. Pixies with the same strange glow in their eyes poured out of the woodwork and began wreaking havoc. One of the tiny creatures caused the liquid on the tree Krueler clung to transform into a slippery grease. Thinking quickly, Krueler opted to wrap his arms and legs around the tree rather than fall to the wolves below.

Pressing himself against the tree in an effort not to fall, Kruelers situation only became worse when another pixie appeared in front of him, fire filling its hand. The pixie glanced at Krueler, then at the grease of the tree, and revealed a sinister grin. Its rows of sharp teeth only added to the intimidation, but it was the last action the little creature would muster. A wooden shaft grew suddened from its mouth, bearing it onward into a nearby tree. Katria smiled Kruelers way, loosing another shaft on one of the flying fiends.

Hoping to deal with both pixie and wolves at once, Katniss let loose a furious assault of ice upon the area, calling the water in the sky to condense and freeze. The ice shards pummeled the ground, coating a nearby area as the druidess was careful enough not to strike her traveling companions. As the evaporating mist from the ice began to clear, several creatures remain stuck in the now hardened ground and were swiftly dispatched. This provided time for the group to check their losses and heal their injuries. Sharina's injuries were perhaps the most dire. The bites on her body would heal, but unbeknownst to the adventurers the damage had already been done*.

*Dan was unable to attend any of the games here after, so Sharina's fate is unknown at this time. It is most likely that she was unable to pass by the barriers protecting Qu'an Re Sool, leaving her with no other option than to transform into one of the beasts terrorizing Resonn.

There are places in the wild that remain unaffected by the disease but they Fey that guard them may not be the most welcoming. Warn any passerby to avoid the watery places unless they are seeking an early grave in the deep. The water nymphs do not suffer uninvited guests.

- Yuriel Ophain, Order of the Red Winged Hawk

They ventured deeper into the land of Resonn, greeted only by the bugs and wildlife, careful to leave the lands undisturbed aside from their footprints. Dry rations and berries provided sustenance but were becoming old flavors for their pallets.

Soon the land around them began to drop away, descending into a valley. The demon's finger pointed them in the right direction, but slowly began to shift as they walked. Krueler took note of the strange occurrence. So far the finger had been very specific as to where they needed to go, but it was pointing a different direction from the course they were now on. Try as he might, he could not get them to head in the direction that the finger pointed. It was then that they discovered the barrier, immense in its size, and pointing them in a new direction each time they tried to enter. Try as they might, only Katniss was able to breach the barrier. Her success lead way to the others for the magic had been broken by their sight.

Beyond the barrier the land sloped, moving down to a shallow lake. The crystal clear waters beckoned to them, begging to be sampled. They approached, dipping their flasks into the waters, ready to taste of fresh water for the first time in days. The ripples spread over the water, reaching a tree in the center.

A figure began rising out of the water, a woman clad in little more than beads of water that clung to her like lucid pearls, slowly drawn down by gravity, outlining her every curve.

“Thieves, wicked men!” the woman cried. “Give back my water!”

She pointed at Glorving and motioned for him to come. “Or come to me and all will be forgiven.”

All the men felt that she had called to them, but it was Kaden and most of all Glorving who tried to go to her. Those who were not captured by the womans allure restrained their friends, though the dwarf made a valiant effort to resist them, nearly making it to the waters before Anya-Star managed to barter the return of the water and a promise of departure without further harassing the Nymph.

The group moved out again, more wary of yet another encounter with the Fey of Resonn. It was far from the last of their tribulations. Days later, and several close encounters with the wolf beasts of the forest they came across a seemingly mad gnome. The creature muttered about a key to pass beyond yet another barrier before suddenly casting itself into its own fire. The group watched in surprise, helpless to save the wretched creature.

At the creatures death, the Xirisz Phasygn began to vibrate, asking Krueler to absorb the soul. While tempted, Krueler resisted, opting to use the device to learn more about the key to the barrier. Sure enough, the gnomes spirit was held in place by the Artifact. The gnomish spirit claimed to know where he had hid the “key” and could take them there. Unfortunately he did not realize he was dead.

Moving away from his body proved to be problematic, and the gnome placed the blame on Krueler. While the little one was not looking, Krueler took the opportunity to snatch a finger bone off the charred corpse, enabling the spirit to travel with them. It proved to be a source of both frustration and entertainment. The spirit prattled on, much as it would have were it still alive, finally bringing them to the place where the “key” was located. The Key turned out to be a small necklace, woven with grass. It emanated magic, but was so fragile it looked as if it would fall apart before they could use it.

They quickly pressed on to the next barrier, each taking care to use the necklace so it would not fall apart on them. Fortunately it did not, and at long last the adventurers had arrived at Qu'an Re Sool, the Temple of Penance, and with any luck, the place where they could finally free themselves of the sinister Xirisz Phasygn.

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