Respected Master;
I have cast a teleportation spell for the first time, calling on the power given me by the Ancient Tree to transport myself, Runa, and Jesker Helton to Drezen. This seemed the most expedient option, as I am not yet strong enough in my magic to convey us all, and traveling back to the town on foot might have proved too taxing for the suffering priest. While Runa and I were away, our comrades would work to clear the chapel and remove the desecration it had experienced at the hands of the shachath demon.
As Drezen is now a familiar locale to me, it was not difficult to transport us there. We arrived just outside so that we would not startle the Crusaders within the Citadel. The paladins we met upon our arrival at once recognized that Jesker's period under the control of the demon had caused his nature turn toward evil. For this reason we had an escort as we entered the Citadel. We had thought to meet with Anevia first, but we learned that she was away when Aron came to greet us. Aron took us to the tent where Joran Vhane had been questioned. We were offered simple refreshments. Runa attempted to persuade Jesker to at least drink some water, but even that made the poor priest ill.
Aron Kir
Irabeth soon arrived, and Runa explained to her what had befallen Jesker. Irabeth's demeanor toward Jesker was firm, perhaps even a bit harsh, but not cruel. When asked if he had brought anything she should know about, Jesker offered up his journal, confessing that he had not been the only one to write in it. Irabeth handed the journal over to Aron, who read it while she continued to speak with Jesker. When she asked Jesker if he wanted to reform, he agreed. Irabeth then told him that it would be possible for him to be given atonement, but that doing so would not make his reformation an easy process. She then asked Runa and I not to share this information with anyone else. I believe that this is to prevent the news that a priest was turned to evil from affecting the morale of the army within Drezen.
Irabeth Tirabade
I left the tent then, while Runa remained to give her support to Jesker. Before we departed from our friends Jiro had asked me to see if the enchantment of his morningstar was complete, and Runa asked for me to see if any letters had come for her. I found one letter awaiting her and fetched Jiro's weapon from the enchanter, then sought out Aravashnial to learn any news. There was little that differed from what we had heard on our last visit. I also briefly visited one of Horgus Gwerm's people to find out whether they had acquired anything of interest, but because the Citadel and the town have now been thoroughly investigated new items are less likely to be discovered.
Aravashnial
After I rejoined Runa to return to the chapel, she told me that Aron had found in the journal news that Jesker and his unwelcome passenger had visited Drezen prior to the cleansing of the town. The demon, whose name is Quinarch, knows our names and seems to have been observing us. This is concerning, as the journal did not indicate whether Quinarch had shared its observations with other demons.
Runa and I returned to the chapel to rejoin our companions that same day. The others had been taking turns resting and working on the chapel. After we arrived Runa was able to restore the damaged statue of Erastil. Jiro had used a scroll to consecrate the structure, which had made the disturbing aura of the place vanish and made it feel comfortable enough that Runa's eagle Phon was unafraid to enter. Jiro then used his magic to create a subterranean shelter for us to rest within during the night.
As I meditated I experienced a vision of the lava-filled chamber in which Delamere was laid to rest in her crystal casket. The casket melted away, as though it was made of ice. I felt a sensation of a spirit being at peace, of gratitude directed toward me, and then I saw where the casket had lain several objects lying upon the ground.
When my companions woke they began to speak of a dream they had all experienced, and I realized that my vision was the same as theirs. We speculated that the sense of gratitude had come from Erastil himself, thanking us for rescuing Jesker and restoring the chapel. We all felt that the objects left behind when Delamere's casket melted were actual items that had been bequeathed to us as material rewards.
Jiro volunteered to fly down to the chamber where we had fought with Quinarch and recover the objects. He returned to tell us that the disappearance of the casket had left Delamere's mummified corpse, but he felt that there was no need to do anything else with her body. He brought with him her suit of armor, a talisman, and an enchanted longbow. Jiro determined that the armor will allow the wearer to fly several times each day in addition to providing protection. Zero was persuaded to take it. The talisman proved a challenge to me, but Jiro found that it was a very powerful object that could cause the earth to swallow an evil creature, though it could do so only once more before all of its magic would be consumed. Runa took charge of it. The bow was designed for a strong person to wield and would further enhance the strength of their shots. Though Zosta is more focused on fighting with her fists, she took the bow as she is the only one of us besides Runa who is strong enough to draw it.
When we had dealt with Erastil's gifts, we discussed what we would do next. Our original intent had been to continue searching for the Ivory Labyrinth. But we recalled that there is another location within this wasteland that we have overlooked in our explorations, a place called Eagle Rock. It was once a Crusader fortress, but at the end of the Fourth Crusade it was taken by the enemy and destroyed. Demons still lurk there and often take prisoners there to torture them. Of course we must ensure that they are holding no captives there and rid the place of their foul taint.
Eagle Rock is a plateau standing some fifty feet high which once held a fortress, though all that remains is the ruins of five towers protruding like fingers. The path that had once led to the top of the plateau had fallen into disrepair. Before we began our ascent I joined my mind telepathically with Kirara, Jiro, and Runa. While Jiro, Runa, Zero, and Zosta climbed up the remnant of the path, I cast a spell of flight upon myself and kept pace with them from the air.
Eagle Rock
Our approach had not gone unnoticed, for a swarm of wasps suddenly appeared and began to distract and sting us. Their poison made me feel sluggish. The wasps were followed by a second swarm, then rats that ran underfoot of the climbers and bit at them. Fortunately no one fell. I realized that these creatures had been summoned rather than occurring naturally, and the wasps had been brought there by a spell that would not allow them to move about of their own will; they were held in a single area by the summoning.
Runa cast the spell that grants her five angelic wings and flew over the top of the plateau, while Zero bounded up the cliff and vanished from sight. Two creatures appeared that resembled locusts, but these were the size of horses and were unmistakably demonic in nature. Jiro identified them as one of them flew past Zosta, stabbing her with its long stinger. They emitted a loud droning noise that affected our minds, causing me to mistake Jiro for an enemy and I hurled a blast of flames down upon him. I am ashamed I was unable to withstand the effect of the noise, but the flames also disposed of the summoned rats.
Jiro moved away from me and sent a swarm of dragonflies at the demon. Runa then rushed it, stabbing it viciously with her holy blade. Zosta grappled the second demon and pinned its wings, tumbling off the edge of the plateau with the creature wrapped in her fierce embrace. I could not see Zero, but I could hear him performing a stirring oration.
The demon Runa faced stung her, its stinger nearly piercing through her body despite her armor. The confusion left my mind and I thought to Kirara that she should assume her mist form for her safety. Jiro's healing relieved some of the pain of the wasp stings I had suffered. Runa slashed the demon twice and finished with a stab to its abdomen. As the creature collapsed it vanished.
I could not see Zosta at this time, but she too had been affected by the droning sound and released her grip on the demon, which teleported away while she began to furiously clamber back up to the plateau. While no foes were in sight Runa swallowed an antitoxin potion and Bohgong took out a wand and used it to heal some of Jiro's injuries. Then the second demon reappeared and once more I was affected by its droning. It took a moment for that to affect me, however, enabling me to use the technique of channeling positive energy to harm it that Aravashnial had shown my in my Riftwarden training. Jiro suffered the demon's sting. I lost my capacity to understand what was happening and struck myself with my own wooden sword, while at the same time Kirara clawed and bit at herself. Runa found herself surrounded by a swarm of bats the demon had called and began to swing her sword at them wildly.
Zosta reached the top of the plateau, her mind now free of the droning's effect. She saw that Jiro was badly wounded and charged the demon. Jiro had stepped closer to it, and he now looked up into its insect-like face and told it, "I survived because I am a righteous man. Now you face an angry woman." He said later that he saw fear in the demon's eyes at those words. In response it teleported away a second time.
After it had gone I recovered from its droning once more, but the demon was not done with us. It returned a third time. This time we were all able to withstand the sound and we turned all of our strength on it at once to destroy it. It did not disappear when it died, for this one had summoned its fellow.
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