Kethra’s Journal

I begin my journey at Grallis Tower, situated to the north-west of the Dagger Range, very close to the Great Stoney Desert.

Grallis was a great wizard master who I learned so much from. She always seemed so calm and powerful. But Grallis seemed to have such a dark side and the more I progressed, the more this darkness seemed to appear. I began to feel I was on borrowed time as Grallis became more and more irrational. She kept to her workshop for days at a time only to emerge at any hour to accuse me of subverting her work. I felt almost abandoned by my master and I worried that Grallis was becoming dangerous to remain near.

I began to prepare to leave.

Having the courage of desperation, I ventured into Grallis’ chambers looking for anything I could use in my journey. Grallis had left a tome open on her desk. The page was stained with dried, black blood and a quick look was enough to tell me that I definitely needed to be gone and away from here. The open page was entitled “Creation of the Eye of Death”. Much was written in a script that I was uncertain of. No, I thought, I need to take this. Grallis can no longer be trusted and if I take this, she no longer has access to it.

I quickly closed the book. Upon doing so, the book changed form. No longer a dark unpleasant tome, it was now a small, pleasant looking red and blue book dedicated to the history of cartography. I quickly pocketed the book and replaced it with a random tome from Grallis’ shelves. no sooner did I exit the room when Grallis returned, passing me in the corridor. She was in a fury. Things because very intense as Grallis, finding the tome not on her desk, began furiously searching and then seemed me out to accuse me. Grallis cast a hold spell on me and searched my possessions. I denied doing anything, fearing for my life. Despite Grallis’ magical means, she could not locate the tome. Grallis then trust me out onto the street, warning me that I was no longer welcome and to be-gone.

I first had to cross the Great Stoney Desert to the east. The desert gradually formed after the catastrophe that so wrecked this world. Originally it was a bountiful kingdom famed for its great farms. Now, it is a waterless expanse with scattered ruins. My first lucky break was when I found a stone tower. Abandoned by all but the caretakers, I barely escaped with my life. But, I managed to gain some clues to the location of a mage settlement in the foothills of the Dagger Range, and mention of a great Master Adventurer in a town called Parabor.

The tome that I still carried had once made mention of “The Eye of Death”, yet since I obtained it, no matter what I did, it now only refers to cartography. I decided that I needed to seek assistance with this tome, and I set off for the mage settlement that I had heard of before coming to Parabor.

I eventually found the ruins of the made a settlement. It had obviously need attacked some years earlier and much was completely destroyed. Most disturbingly, among the many traces, I identified the remnant of a decapitated mind flayer. It seems the attackers did meet some resistance. Further investigation of the ruins indicated to me that it may have once been a place of learning. I was able to locate a few items to aid me. A dark amber orb, and a rotting journal that mentions the ‘Great Golden Woods or Rastrich’, an Elven forest city twinned with the human city of Elderbourne to the location of a tower. Finally, a destination!

I journeyed through the Dagger Range. Finally stumbling, near death, to the ‘Temple of the Winds’. The monks and priests here were able to provide me with much more information. From the monks I learned:

The powers of chaos are now those that rule this world. Somehow all the non-chaotic deities have either abandoned Pol or been cut off from it.
Only the most pious, and dedicated followers of non-chaotic deities can still draw on their powers and that, sporadically.
Even so, those who wield the powers from chaotic deities seem to be limited, just to particular groups.
Many temples have failed, and worshipers are abandoning them.
This, they believe, is related to the great cataclysm.
They warned me of one group – “The Proselyte of Chaos”. This group is an order/allegiance of clerics and others with a chaotic view of the cosmos. They do their utmost to keep the world in chaos. They prefer to remain secluded and secretive, so the general populace know nothing of them. But they are certain that the Proselyte are responsible for the lack fo progress, why kingdoms fail, why leaderships fail, and whey anyone espousing old lordships die.
They then suggest that I seek out the Abbot at Saint Mon, the Monastery of the Saint.

I find it strange that they think that this information is secret and new. After all, I had discovered the existence of the Proselyte of Chaos some weeks in Parabor. However, I did not disclose my knowledge to them to prevent the monks being embarrassed about being so far behind the times. I spent a number of years here at the Temple of the Winds developing my craft. I became quite friendly with the old Abbot here, and many of the other residents. Deciding it was time to leave, I said my goodbyes and started my journey anew.

I reached Saint Mon. But something drastic has recently occurred at the monetary. It appeared that it had come under some form of arcane attack and been utterly destroyed. Groups of various unsavoury types of creatures patrolled its bounds, each headed by a mind flayer, Whatever was here was now too dangerous to explore.

With no other clue to drive me, I journeyed to Newfeld – the last remnants of Elderbourne fled here, maybe here I could find something.

– Bathinday –

I arrive at Newfeld early one morning, the market is just setting up and people seem friendly. No one pays me any mind. The Great Fortress rises up in front of me, its gate open, water carts moving in and out.

I wander the city, getting a feel for it, eventually finding myself at “The Chambers” (The Town Hall), the meeting place of the rulers of this strange place. There is no one on guard and its still too early for it to be open. “Interesting building” I think to myself. I approach the door to read the signage, and I begin to notice a pleasant, warm feeling in my pocket. I draw out the old amber orb which has faintly started to glow. ‘Til now, I hadn’t given the orb much thought. Now, the orb was faintly glowing with a deep, red warmth, softly pulsating. Something had started to affect it. I become faint. The world seems to spin. My stomach clenches, and just as I think I am about to empty my stomach due to the vertigo, it stops. I am still standing in the same place, but drenched in cold rain. The streets are all but deserted. It is now getting late, it is getting dark and there is a chill in the air. The orb no longer glows. Confused, I pocket the orb and head for shelter.

– Present Day – Whatever that means….

It appears that it is the festival of Last Night, ending the harvest season and marking the beginning of Glade. After appearing at this time, and standing in pouring rain, I make a dash for shelter. I make for what appears to be a local Inn establishment, and stumble into a gathering of revellers celebrating Last night. One of them, a cleric named Tucker, invites me in and offers me food and shelter, to which I happily accept. I am introduced to the group and join the festivities. The group comprises: Slay, a Human Fighter; Wetiko, Forest Spirit Druid; Marius Greyscale, a Warlock/Sorcerer Tiefling; Ehrman, Halfling Rogue; Floki, Human Monk