From the journal of Lythande Syldorei
3rd Lamashan, Toilday
The ancient watchtower we have stumbled upon in the forest has suffered much in the unknown number of years it has stood. The tower on the northwestern side is the most fallen, with the other four outer towers also showing much age and decay. Everything is covered in overgrowth of greener, and when Chahana peered through one of the gaps where the outer wall had crumbled, she described the courtyard within as full of trees.
We spread ourselves out to look at all sides of the structure, Chahana, Reislin and I going one direction and Maria and Zander the other.
Maria and Zander found some tracks near the tower that resembled those of a creature like ourselves rather than a bear or wolf, thought they could not make out whether those tracks were of a shod being or a creature going barefoot. They have been able to determine that this creature or person must have left the tracks within a week of our arrival at the tower, but whoever or whatever passed by might only have been passing. There was no way to see if it had entered the tower, only that it had come and gone.
Closer examination of the walls revealed that they have some runes or symbols carved on their surface, so there are too many vines and patches of moss covering the stones to easily make out what the symbols are.
Zander climbed up the wall to find that there is a walkway along the top of the wall. When I climbed up myself I observed that curiously there are no doors leading out of the towers onto the walk. Perhaps there were ladders or steps of wood that have since decayed.
Zander then climbed down a tree that had grown up in the courtyard. There he discovered that in the lower level of one tower the vines were twined around many skulls like those of people. Then one of the vines reached out and attempted to grasp hold of him. He looked into the tower and spied a creature he at first took for one of my kindred, clinging to the wall like a spider.
Zander stepped away from the menacing vine, warning us that it was a kind of plant known as an assassin vine, which was slow-moving but would attempt to choke us if it could gain a hold on us. The mysterious being climbed up toward Maria, hissing at her, while the assassin vine attempted unsuccessfully to reach me. Maria took flight under the influence of a spell that Reislin cast upon her and attempted to identify what the creature was, but it withdrew out of sight before she could determine that. I foolishly wasted some of the Dawnflower's might on the vine, forgetting that such a creature cannot choose its nature. The other creature reappeared and slashed at me with long claws but they slid off my armor.
Zander meanwhile was wounded sorely by a third creature that moved very rapidly and could scarcely be seen. He was obliged to heal himself. Chahana had also been granted flight and now flew up to fire her bow at the wall-crawling creature, her arrow piercing it deeply. Reislin had managed to clamber up onto the wall herself and now the creature turned its attack on her, wounding her so badly that she fell from the wall onto the ground below. The creature then climbed out of reach. I slashed the vine that was still attempting to grab hold of me, and Maria struck it a final blow. The creature, which we had by this time assumed to be one of the dark fey, descended to the courtyard and disappeared among the trees there.
Chahana and Maria heard something give a sinister laugh from the courtyard, but I heard nothing. Zander climbed up the tree to get out of range of the swift and nearly invisible attacker. A small voice called out to him, "Come back! Let's play," but the creature, likely another dark fey, did not reveal itself. Reislin prepared to cast a spell to deprive it of its near invisibility should it reappear, while Chahana threw a flask of alchemical fire into the area the voice seemed to have issued from. Maria then had to put out the flames that threated to harm a nearby tree, at the same time casting a spell upon herself that she hoped would allow her to catch a glimpse of the fast-moving fey.
When at last the fey reappeared Reislin did cast her spell upon it and it stumbled away. We all tried to converge on the fey, but it vanished from our sight again and no matter how we fast we ran we could not match its speed.
With both of the fey fled, we began to explore the interior of the structure. In the center of the circular wall stood a much taller and more ornate tower which was also in better repair than the four towers that were connected to the wall. This tower still bore its many-pointed roof and had an intact door. But before we sought to enter it we checked the other four towers. One of them had a strong door that was barred from within, but because the wooden floors inside the tower had fallen into significant disrepair, Reislin was able to fly inside and have her invisible servant remove the bar such that we could enter. Inside Maria found a chest containing several items of jewelry, a sword, and a moonstone.
The other three towers proved less appealing. One appeared to be thoroughly infested with rats, and one had suffered a partial collapse and was filled with rubble. The fourth tower had evidently been the home of one of the fey. It was disturbingly decorated with the carcases of small animals attached to the walls, or so we thought, until Chahana realized they were actually scalps. Stored on the broken floor above was an urn filled with gems.
When we had satisfied ourselves that the outer towers held no enemies waiting to emerge against us, we turned our attention to the central tower. Reislin and I chose to enter first, being attracted to this relic of our people from long ago. As we stepped inside a violet mist filled the entrance. It had no effect on any of us, and we continued, Reislin eagerly ascending the ornate filigreed staircase past murals of our ancestors engaging in various pleasurable pursuits such as dancing and hunting.
At the top of the stair we found a beautifully decorated chamber, its windows still set with glass. Then the clawed fey we had encountered below or one like him slashed at Reislin and she fell insensible to the floor.
Inside the room stood a woman, who at first resembled one of our own kind but when I spied her claws and fangs I realized she was no kin of mine. Chahana came running up the stairs behind me, and a moment later Maria also rushed in, warning me that the woman was yet another dark fey who would attempt to entrance us with her dance so she could drink our blood. Yet if we slew her she would curse us.
This fey woman attempted to cajole me into bringing the fallen Reislin to her with a promise to heal her, but I did not listen. I bent and let the Dawnflower's healing rays flow from my hand into Reislin's still body, but this did not revive her. She was not breathing. "You cannot deceive us with your lies," I said to the fey woman. She began to move about, attempting to enthrall us with her dance, but Maria engaged with the other fey, a grimstalker. I girded myself with Sarenrae's battle power and moved on the dancer. Zander joined me. Maria slew the grimstalker. The room filled with vines, which tried to wind about my legs and hold me fast. I struck the dancer several times, until I missed my aim and the vines trapped my limbs. Praise the Dawnflower, the dancer could not bite me. She tried to flee down the stairs but Zander leaped down ahead of her and blocked her escape. I broke free of the vines and set my blade into her flesh once more and that was the last of her. As she died I felt a wave of some force pass over me. Something is amiss with me, but I do not know what it is.
And Reislin is dead.
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