Respected Master;
I write now to tell you that we have departed from Drezen. We are making a survey of the Marchlands territory surrounding the town, seeking any resources the town can use, as well as any threats to our forces there. We spend six or seven nights out, then return to Drezen to resupply before venturing out again.
Before we left Drezen for the first portion of our survey, Irabeth asked us to look out for a priest of Erastil by the name of Jesker Helton. This priest attends to a shrine to Erastil that lies to the southwest of Drezen, but he has been reported missing.
In addition to the sightings of drake riders, we have heard rumors of a blind six-legged dragon or a dragon accompanied by barbarians carrying out raids against the few who still dwell in the Marchlands, and also of a creature called a woundwyrm. These last are of particular interest to us as we have learned that Xanthir Vang was an individual who died and was reborn as some manner of wyrm.
The cavern where we encountered the vescavors continues to be considered dangerous territory, for there remains within it the portal we found there that appears to connect the Marchlands to the Abyss. We do not intend to explore there, but it was Zero's suggestion that we begin our investigations in other canyons that lie near to Drezen.
The cavern where we encountered the vescavors continues to be considered dangerous territory, for there remains within it the portal we found there that appears to connect the Marchlands to the Abyss. We do not intend to explore there, but it was Zero's suggestion that we begin our investigations in other canyons that lie near to Drezen.
For our journeys Runa has acquired a pet eagle, which she hopes to use to send messages back to Drezen should we have need. She states that it was the treekin in the garden who helped her to acquire the bird. The treekin has now chosen a name for itself and desires to be addressed as Gami. Runa has named her eagle Wenchurch. She says only that the name sprang into her mind of a sudden. Wenchurch was initially hostile toward both Bohgong and Kirara, but with time has become more indifferent to them.
At the beginning our explorations were uneventful, leading us only to find the occasional remains of some poor local resident or Crusader who had died there. But that state could not last. The land is too infested with demonic influences. Our first dangerous encounter following the retaking of Drezen came as we were making our way through a series of shallow ravines. A swarm of maggot-like grubs suddenly burst from the barren earth beneath our feet and began to clamber up our legs as they attempted to burrow into our flesh. Runa flung a flask of alchemical fire into the swarm attacking her, splashing herself and Zosta. Some of the creatures began to chew on my limbs, distracting my mind from all else but escape and relief from the pain. I scrambled up out of the ravine in an effort to escape the other grubs.
Runa was particularly badly affected by these awful beasts. Many of them began to bite her and no matter where she went they pursued her. When she managed to get free of them for a moment I had the presence of mind to send a ball of flames into them which swiftly dealt with the group nearest to her, but soon enough another group found her. She retreated down a side ravine out of sight of the rest of us and we did not know how hard-pressed she was.
Zero had also managed to retreat around a turn in the ravine and thus avoided being found by the grubs. He began to sing an encouraging tune to us from his position. A bolt of lightning shot from somewhere behind me, which I was told later came from Bohgong, though even Jiro does not know how how he came by that wand. I was startled when the grubs that had first attacked me found me again, burrowing upward through more layers of earth with astonishing speed. I ran toward Zero to escape them.
It was a struggle but we were able to eliminate the horrid things. It was Zero who realized how to be rid of those that had infested our bodies. I submitted myself to having Zosta pummel me with her fists in order to destroy them. Jiro then took out his wand to heal all the hurts we had suffered, especially Runa, who had very nearly been consumed by the grubs. What an ignominious end that would have been after all our success in Citadel Drezen. I wonder how many other travelers have succumbed to such monstrosities.
When we were recovered enough, Jiro took flight to assure us that there were no more grubs awaiting us when we forged ahead. He discovered the remains of a body near where they first emerged. All of this person's flesh, clothing, and possessions had been destroyed, perhaps consumed by the grubs. Only an enchanted ring remained. Runa gathered up the bones and took them to bury beside the lake that lies to the north of Drezen. The water in the lake is not entirely useless, but it carries a measure of the demonic taint that infects this land.
On the following day we made our way back to Citadel Drezen. While there, we learned that someone had sent a message to our comrade Aegronius, who has been separated from us for some little while. The message came from his mother, with whom he had not spoken in a long period. This message was meant to inform him that his relatives had discovered there was a family crypt in the Marchlands, containing the remains of relations that Aegronius had not been aware of. This information intrigued us and we decided when we ventured out again that we would seek out this crypt and assure ourselves that it had not been violated by the demons or their allies.
At the beginning our explorations were uneventful, leading us only to find the occasional remains of some poor local resident or Crusader who had died there. But that state could not last. The land is too infested with demonic influences. Our first dangerous encounter following the retaking of Drezen came as we were making our way through a series of shallow ravines. A swarm of maggot-like grubs suddenly burst from the barren earth beneath our feet and began to clamber up our legs as they attempted to burrow into our flesh. Runa flung a flask of alchemical fire into the swarm attacking her, splashing herself and Zosta. Some of the creatures began to chew on my limbs, distracting my mind from all else but escape and relief from the pain. I scrambled up out of the ravine in an effort to escape the other grubs.
Runa was particularly badly affected by these awful beasts. Many of them began to bite her and no matter where she went they pursued her. When she managed to get free of them for a moment I had the presence of mind to send a ball of flames into them which swiftly dealt with the group nearest to her, but soon enough another group found her. She retreated down a side ravine out of sight of the rest of us and we did not know how hard-pressed she was.
Zero had also managed to retreat around a turn in the ravine and thus avoided being found by the grubs. He began to sing an encouraging tune to us from his position. A bolt of lightning shot from somewhere behind me, which I was told later came from Bohgong, though even Jiro does not know how how he came by that wand. I was startled when the grubs that had first attacked me found me again, burrowing upward through more layers of earth with astonishing speed. I ran toward Zero to escape them.
It was a struggle but we were able to eliminate the horrid things. It was Zero who realized how to be rid of those that had infested our bodies. I submitted myself to having Zosta pummel me with her fists in order to destroy them. Jiro then took out his wand to heal all the hurts we had suffered, especially Runa, who had very nearly been consumed by the grubs. What an ignominious end that would have been after all our success in Citadel Drezen. I wonder how many other travelers have succumbed to such monstrosities.
When we were recovered enough, Jiro took flight to assure us that there were no more grubs awaiting us when we forged ahead. He discovered the remains of a body near where they first emerged. All of this person's flesh, clothing, and possessions had been destroyed, perhaps consumed by the grubs. Only an enchanted ring remained. Runa gathered up the bones and took them to bury beside the lake that lies to the north of Drezen. The water in the lake is not entirely useless, but it carries a measure of the demonic taint that infects this land.
On the following day we made our way back to Citadel Drezen. While there, we learned that someone had sent a message to our comrade Aegronius, who has been separated from us for some little while. The message came from his mother, with whom he had not spoken in a long period. This message was meant to inform him that his relatives had discovered there was a family crypt in the Marchlands, containing the remains of relations that Aegronius had not been aware of. This information intrigued us and we decided when we ventured out again that we would seek out this crypt and assure ourselves that it had not been violated by the demons or their allies.
Aegronius
When we returned to the lakeshore, Zosta and I glimpsed a path there. Following this path led us to a small town near the lake by the name of Seeker's Gully. It had clearly been abandoned since the Second Crusade. On the far edge of the town we found the family crypt. The family name carved above the door to the mausoleum was spattered with blood. The doors were broken. Jiro and Runa observed large tracks, and some also from a smaller creature, but these did not appear to have been made recently.
As they were looking at the tracks a ghostly figure appeared floating from within the damaged structure. It bore the semblance of a human man who had a slight resemblance to Aegronius in his features. This apparition began to complain to us, berating us as others who had come to defile its resting place. The information we had received was that Aegronius' ancestor who was buried here had been a minor hero of the Second Crusade, but his spirit lingered, unable to pass on and forced to witness how the enemies he had combated had defiled his burial and that of his family. Now he was understandably bitter and angry that the Crusade he had served had not protected him.
Jiro was able to reassure this fallen spirit that we meant him no harm and would endeavor to right watever wrong had been done him and his crypt. He then told us that some creature festered beneath the crypt. He was still angry and resentful and threatened that if we did not do as we said he would hunt us, but Zero had realized that he was unable to leave the confines of the crypt. Zero was eventually able to tell him about his descendant Aegronius and this seemed to placate him somewhat. When asked to provide more information about what lay below, the spirit changed his form into an image of the creature. We recognized it as a nabasu.
Nabasu demon
Once this information was revealed, the spirit then attempted to compel Runa to consecrate the crypt, but she resisted the compulsion. Despite the spirit's hostile behavior, we chose to enter the crypt with Runa leading us. We paused a moment for her to seek Iomedae's blessing. Inside the crypt was decorated with images of Iomedae on each of six doors. On each door was inscribed a name. Three statues of Iomedae also occupied this chamber. The interior was chilly.
Statue of Iomedae
But our attention centered on a creature which stood before the tombs. It screeched at us and rushed forward to slam into Runa. Its scream left me feeling weakened, but I had the presence of mind to surround us with a protective circle against evil creatures. Zero began to sing an inspiring song. Jiro warned that this creature was undead, then summoned a spirit to attack it with its ghostly tetsubo. Runa advised that the creature was similar to an undead creature called a bodak. She slammed into it herself. Zosta's fists burst into flames. It attempted to slam Runa again but failed. I called out to the Ethereal Plane and brought an archon to aid us. Zero began to fire his bow at the undead thing. Then Jiro's spirit ally swung at it again and it was vanquished. Runa bowed deeply in gratitude to this spirit. We had eliminated the undead menace, but now we would have to face the nabasu and whatever allies it had.
Bodak
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