FINN'S JOURNAL
Finn's Journal #16 – Sep 4 – 2017
Hiding behind trees near the road, we knew we were almost defeated. Only one option remained - run down the road and get out of range of those damnable darts! Uphir quickly moved to grab Ismark and began rushing down the road, dodging from thick tree to tree for cover. Janlynn hefted Ireena and did the same. Tetsuo dropped his backpack and scooped up both Nim and myself. (Nobody thinks to discuss anything with the smaller folk, they just pick us up and carry us like children).
We dashed down the road in a bid for gaining the town far below. I situated myself upon Tetsuo's back and began firing fey blasts back at any pursuers. Soon giant bats with these tiny undead humanoids upon their backs erupted from the copse of trees and screeched after us. I soon earned their ire for my magic blasts and they attacked me vigorously. Nim deftly aided in my defense by shielding me from the worst of these clawing attacks.
undead hands. One of the bats tried to make off with Nim, grabbing him about the shoulders and lifting him up. That bat did not make it far and soon Nim was on the ground defending his friends once more.
Janlynn used her healing capabilities to get Tetsuo to his feet and managed to stave in the skull of one of the enormous bats for good measure. Soon the immediate threats were either killed or driven off and once again we were racing down the mountain to whatever refuge it may offer. When we got to the spot where Ismark and Ireena were, a dark truth was revealed to us - Ismark had succumbed to his wounds and breathed no more. Ireena was devestated and reluctant to get to her feet, but as Uphir grabbed up the body of Ismark as her burden, Ireena soon followed.
We could still hear some pursuit when we finally stopped for a moment to catch our breath and take time for Janlynn to cast a complicated and powerful healing miracle upon us all. All of our spirits were uplifted sligtly from the warmth of that healing coursing through our bodies, and this gave us the strength to once again get to our feet and run the rest of the way down the mountain to eventually come to the palisaded and gated town of Vallaki.
A deep sadness had settled into my heart even as we approached the gate, for I had never lost a friend to violence before in my life. Singing the songs of valiant heroes and their epic and meaningful deaths was not the same as witnessing it and being a part of it in real life. My thoughts were heavy upon our dear, lost Ismark, and this set the stage for my outrage to come.
Exhausted from an afternoon of fighting for our lives, and losing one of our own, made the scene at hand absurd at best and outrageous at the worst. The guards proclaimed that the gates were closed and would not open after sundown. We eight, no seven, weary and frightened travellers would not find solace from the grim shadows that haunt the night in this land!? What kind of place was this that they treated others such?
We needed to treat with this uncouth guardsman for several moments before he eventually capitulated, but he refused to let our "monster" into the town. This was confusing to us at first as we sincerely did not realize that he was speaking of, and maligning, our brave Uphir. How dare this coward of a human deign to speak of our Uphir this way! Never in my own life or his will he ever be graced with the presence of a more honourable, loyal and brave hero, Dragonborn or not.
I could spit, I was so incensed. Well I was not going into this bloody town if good Uphir was not allowed! Janlynn, Ireena and Nim formed an envoy to go to the church and see about gaining entry for our friend, and to give Ismark's body over. Not one other of us would enter the place without Uphir. They spoke with the head priest and eventually they sought audience with the Baron of this place, with Ireena as spokeswoman for our group. Out of deference for Ireena, the Baron agreed to allow Uphir into the town.
Soon we were gathered at the church, where the priest Lucian Petrovich was beginning their nightly vigil. I could tell Uphir was trying to stay out of the way and not be noticed, lest she frighten some of these... parishoners. I was in no mood to be the happy go lucky diplomat this night. As surprising as it may seem to the rest of my friends, I am not always chipper. Usually I make a point of trying to raise others' spirits, but let them find cheer within themselves that night, for I had none to give.
Death, terror, uncertainty, insult, and dishonor were heavy upon my mind as I grappled with my own thoughts, while Nim and Janlynn worked towards actual solutions. I stayed at Uphir's side in the hopes that even as small as I am, I could somehow give her comfort. Nim tried to encourage me, but I was not having it. Later on I walked amongst the dark and shadowed houses of Vallaki alone, thinking of all that has transpired and what is yet still come.
Nim and Janlynn found out from Lucien that the church and it's property were no longer sanctified (Nor were they desecrated as all other places have been). The bones of a Saint were once buried beneath the altar, but have recently been stolen, and with them the protections it once gave the church. The priest was keeping this information away from the faithful, lest they panick. If Ireena and all the other humans of this place are to be at least somewhat safe, we should locate these saintly remains.
Feeling a little more clear headed upon my return, Nim mentioned that the young boy Yeska, who helps at the church, had been interrogated and they had learned that the boy had told one other person - Milivoj. This other boy was orphaned and was doing everything he could to protect his siblings and to just survive. I at once deduced that the most likely location for the bones would be at this boy Milivoj's house. He had likely taken them so that they could offer protection to his family exclusively.
Unfortunately tetsuo was hit and finally succumbed to his many wounds and both Nim and I were deposited unceremoniously upon the dirt track. Akkiir, bleeding from several deep wounds, did not think of his own safety at all as he charged back into the fray to defend Nim, Testsuo and myself from the vicious bats, his uncanny blade swinging and arcing through the air.
Seeing this, Uphir set down Ismark and drawing her bow, began to send arrows towards our enemies. Janlynn set down the now conscious Ireena and moved to see what help she could give. We were all attacking and severely wounding these strange creatures and the bats were retreating from our attacks. Some of them dropped off their riders, who began to viciously rake at us with their clawed,
Finn's Journal #17 – Sep 11 – 2017
Nim had located the lads home and deduced that the area was not now sanctified by any holy bones, but that likely if the bones were truly there, they would do nothing as they probably needed the connection with the church to have any power. Nim was put to the task to find out what he could from the young man, Milivoj. Janlynn led the Vallaki parishoners in prayers to the morninglord before we prepared to rest. We settled down in the church to sleep for the night with some trepidation, for we knew that the increasingly painful dreams would come again for some of us. Uphir, once again, decided to forego a second nights sleep.
Entry 15 - Day 11
The night was long and full of terrors for some of our troupe. These nightmares were becoming more powerful and having a more dire effect upon us all. My pain had been constant since last I slept and I knew that my turn would come the next night and I could barely contain my anxiety. Mayhap I should follow Uphir's lead at least until we kill those damned Night Hags and escape their supernatural dream control.
The villagers within the church were startled and frightened by the violent nightmares of my friends, perhaps thinking them possessed by the Dread Lord of this land. On his watch, Nim spent some time with Milivoj, getting to know him and feeling him out for information. This went fairly well at that time. When early morning came, some of us got up and attended the funeral of our friend Ismark. I felt very deeply for this experience. We had come so far, and through so much hardship to get Ismark and Ireena to Vallaki, only to lose Ismark when we were so close. I said a few short personal words over his coffin, just for myself. I still did not have it in me to give him the Eulogy I know I could have, and should have.
Nim had asked Milivoj to bring in his family as some of his siblings were ill and in need of healing. Janlynn checked the children over and Nim was able to heal one of the children of their disease and promised to help the other.That morning we all felt pressed for time - we wanted to find the holy bones for the priest Lucien, but knew we must confront the Hags as soon as possible before the effects of their nightly corruption of our dreams began to take our very lives. Nim was somewhat more blunt with Milivoj, but this did not bring him any closer to finding out where the bones were. Milivoj was defensive and swore he knew nothing of which he spoke. Nim had also let him know that it was Yeska who told him.
Following Yeska and Milivoj through the village as they fetched water brought some more queer information to us about this place. Apparently the Baron and Baroness of this village were completely mad! We witnessed a person being arrested for "Malicious Unhappiness". Apparently it was a crime that could be punishable by death to say negative things about the town, it's leaders, and the festivals going on in the town. More likely, the Baron has them thrown into the stocks and taken to his manor to "Purge them of their evil". The Baron only wants to see fake smiles upon his people's faces even though they live in fear. This land is truly proving to be more horrible at every turn. It is becoming hard for us to remember what not seeing insanity everywhere you look used to feel like.
Having not achieved any further leads on the stolen bones, we set off to the battered windmill in earnest, knowing that we would have to pass by the same area as our previous ambush from the bats and miniature blow gun firing terrors. Tetsuo impressed us greatly by using some of his mysterious abilities to pass on some of his stealthy capabilities to us all, shadowing our movements in silence and shadows. I believe it was Janlynn who concocted the cotton and candle wax solution to plug our ears against the sound of the Siren Bats. We trudged up the mountian trail trying to be as inconspicuous as possible and were not attacked again.
Soon we followed the trail that led down to the battered windmill and positioned ourselves within a copse of trees several hundred feet away, just as Tetsuo's mystical eastern powers diminished. Nim once again showed his wisdom in that situation. Some of the group wanted to rush at the windmill and kick in the door to confront whatever lay beyond, but Nim demanded at least to observe the situation first.
A Raven sat above the doorway and up on high cliffs could be seen a cave entrance with some more of those Siren Bats. The raven flew directly to our position and perched itself upon a branch above. I once again called upon what gnomish talent I possessed to speak to the Raven as best I could. This had never been the greatest of my skills (Unless it is for squirrels of course). The raven proclaimed “Beware!... Bone Grinder!... Witches!", and then flew off. I will say this - the Ravens in this land are quite articulate as far as birds go, if not necessarily the friendliest. Sparrows were always the friendliest to me. They would often tell jokes as they flitted above the trees. How I wish to see sparrows again.
As the raven flew off, one of the large bats peeled off from the cave entrance and raced off after it. After terse discussion, it was decided that we would quickly, and as quietly as we can, cross the distance and make it to the door of the windmill. No sooner had this plan been put into action than a dozen or so of those great bats dove from their cliff perch and headed to intercept us. We could feel their siren call once again, but I truly believe our makeshift ear plugs gave us protection, as none of us succumbed to their beguilement this time.
They were not heading towards us, but rather to intercede between us and the windmmill. We approached and began to attack them with ranged attacks, but they just retreated closer to the windmill. We would have to rush them and defeat them before gaining entrance. The major down side to this was that the Hags within would be warned of our attack.....
friends brought the creature down and freed Tetsuo, who deftly dodged back to catch his breath before jumping back into the fray.
The battle continued for several moments before we had two of the great insects dead and one severely wounded and withdrawn back into it's hole. The Bats took this moment to swarm towards us, their leathery wings filling the misty air with a shuddersome sound. We loosed ranged attacks against them as they closed the distance, with Nim especially excelling at archery with his crossbow.
They were upon us in mere moments and brought their savage attacks against our front ranks at first. I had managed to enchant about half of them with green faerie fire, aiding my comrades in their attacks against them. It quickly became obvious that the bats had a diabolical plan to try and carry off the smaller folk in our group. First Nim and then I became the main target of the bats' aggression. Both of us were severely wounded and almost carried off by the evil creatures and it became a desperate battle to save us from certain doom.
We needed to be healed once our brave friends managed to save us from their claws. Uphir bravely stepped over me to shield me from attacks and for this I cannot find words enough for thanks. Being drawn upward to the bats' dark cave to be devoured was not something I looked forward to, but could readily imagine. The battle lasted only a few more moments as the last of the bats were either dead or severely wounded and fleeing back to their cliffside lair.
With so many of us wounded from the two consecutive assaults, we felt it wise to rest before continuing on. Nim called for a tactical retreat back up the long track to just beyond a natural obstruction in the terrain so that we could not be seen by the Windmill, but could watch it if needs be. It is a strange feeling - stopping to catch our breath after a desperate battle with the knowledge that our enemy must have been alerted and now has time to impliment more plots against us as we are gathering our strength for the next assault. It is an uneasiness that borders on terror waiting for something to happen.
Finn's Journal #18 – Sep 18 – 2017
We had no other option but to rush forward to engage the strange bats and then try to gain entrance to the imposing windmill. Rushing forward did come with it's own set of problems, for directly in front of Tetsuo, three giant insect-like creatures erupted from the ground. They viciously attacked Tetsuo, severely wounding him and capturing him in a chitinous grasp. Furious battle erupted as all of our troupe fought intensely to save Tetsuo from a gruesome fate.
I managed to call upon my power to blast the assaulting creature even as I cast a minor curing spell upon Tetsuo in the hopes that he would find the strength to escape. It shrugged off my attack but the combined assault of all of my
We were not forced to wait long, however. Soon enough about a dozen strange, loping, half-bat half-monstrosities were coming up the dirt track into the mountains after us. Akkir spoke knowledge of these creatures and named them as lesser fiends of the underworld! Our wounded and sore members formed into defensive ranks and used ranged attacks to good measure as they approached our position.
The track was just wide enough for Akkiir and Uphir to stand abreast, with a high cliff to one side and a deadly drop-off to the other. Akkiir began his elven Blade Song, Uphir gripped her mighty axe, Nim readied his shield to protect Uphir as much as he could. I used my fey blasts as best I could - angling them to send these strange creatures off the cliff if I could.
This battle went much better than the last. Uphir and Akkir were untouchable as they brought death upon our attackers. Janlynn kept a steady watch upon our back trail and was prepared to heal any who should need it at a moments notice. Tetsuo weaved in and out of the battle as agile as ever. Strangely, these netherworld creatures dissolved into brakkish ichor upon their deaths, perhaps banished back to their own dark realm. The battle was over almost as soon as it began with no new wounds falling upon any of the group.
We rested some more but soon another assault was brought upon us. this time from our rear - not from the windmill directly. Half a dozen Lost Wolves (Veggie Dogs) charged us and we set up ranks once again to fight them. We used roughly the same tactics as our battle with the fiends, with as much success, if not as quick a battle. We remembered that unless fire is applied to these creatures, you could kill them multiple times and they will always come back to attack again.
I managed to knock a few off the cliff during the battle, with the force of my fey blasts. Oil was thrown upon them and the mystic fire of Akkir's precision sword attacks caught many of them on fire. The terrain certainly played to our stregths once again and we prevailed. One Lost Wolf broke off from the pack and was pursued by Akkiir, whose magical attacks finally finished off the last of them.
Having rested, we felt revigorated and strong once again. We were ready to face whatever awaited us within the Durst's Windmill....
Finn's Journal #19 – Sep 25 – 2017
We decided the next course of action would be to just move directly upon the windmill, as stealthily as we could, but still rushing to get across the open land. A tense jog brought us directly to the base of the windmill. There was a small walkway around the second floor, so Nim climbed up to have a look inside the dirty windows. Using his paladin senses he detected that there was a hag in the room on the first floor and two more hags were somewhere below underground and moving away from the mill.
I climbed up to cast my faerie fire spell into the room, as the hag seemed to be invisible. We did not follow through with that plan because Nim detected that the hag seemed to have moved down below the mill as well. We opened the door and a group of the eerie Shadow Mastiffs charged at our front ranks in the doorway. We very quickly moved into our standard defensive posture. The creatures were defeated quickly with no wounds falling upon our troupe. Uphir's mighty axe strikes were notably devestating against these beasts.
Investigating the room, there was a stairway leading up and a door to a dank tunnel leading below. Worst of all was the knowledge that this was a kitchen - the Hag's kitchen. There were pastries burning in the oven, a cupboard filled with strange and macabre ingredients, a crate filled to the brim with frogs and a cage of chickens. The whole room was ramshackle and dirty. There was a barrel filled with a noxious liquid that reminded the group of the smell of the fiends they had just fought on the roadway. I set the poor frogs free to escape into the landscape.
Our dreaded suspicions were proven true as we continued to investigate the upper floors. The second floor held the large millstone and my heart twisted inside me and I almost dropped to my knees. The stone was covered in bone dust with small bits of children's bones laying about. The wretched hags captured children, slew them, and ground their bones up like wheat into flour as ingredients for their cursed pastries! I am not prone to outbursts of anger, but I am sure the rage that was building within me was noticed by my comrades, as I noticed it in them as well. We will avenge these poor children.
The third floor held a rough looking bed, the machinery of the mill in the center, a ladder leading up to a trap door, and a closed closet to one side. The shock was no less than it had been below, to find the tattered clothing of countless children stuffed tightly into the closet. We were somewhat stunned to see them there, with our previous discovery still sinking into our hearts - this drove it home even more. We knew we were in a rush, as the hags were escaping, but we had to continue searching the attic area in the hopes of finding at least one child still alive!
The small attic was almost filled with the machinery of the mill, and could only accomodate Nim and myself, with Uphir and Janlynn peering up from below. There was little to search in this cramped space, but a strange glass bottle was found sitting in a birds nest in this area. Nim lifted it up to examine and within the bottle rested the queerest creature I had ever seen. It looked like a large tadpole almost too big to fit in the confined space it was in. It had a singular evil looking eye, which it fixed upon Nim, even as it's strange almost human mouth twisted into a sinister grin.
Soon this creature was speaking to us in our minds, introducing itself as Snelb. Initial questioning of this creature was very trying, as we were in a rush and it was not very forthcoming with answers. We quickly decided to
put this creature in my pouch for now and deal with him after we have cought up with the hags. Squeakers was not happy to be evicted from his home, and he tore quite a strip off me for that. I promised I would make it up to him. For now he will attend to my shoulder and try and stay out of the way. Squirrels are very tempermental you see.
Down, down and down we went until finally we were ready to proceed into the dark tunnel leading beneath the mill. Our plan was to go cautiously, with Nim scouting ahead and the rest of us following some ways behind. Nim lamented not being able to see in the dark as Akiir and I can, and upon hearing this, the strange creature in the bottle spoke to Nim, offering to grant him that ability for a price.
He would grant Nim this power and all he had to do was give Snelb a drop of blood every ten minutes or so. Upon hearing of this proposition, Tetsuo stepped forward and bluntly proclaimed that he could give Nim this ability through his mystical monk training, and it would cost Nim nothing.
Calling upon some eastern power I will never comprehend, Tetsuo became very calm as his hands came together to form a specific gesture. His breathing seemed to slow down as he closed his almond shaped eyes and seemed to be meditating. When his eyes opened again, he brought one hand forward - thumb out with the middle and index finger extended and the others curled into his palm. He touched Nim on the forehead and it seemed an unseen energy passed between the two, as Nim's head twitched backwards. Nim had gained the abilty to see in the darkness of the dank tunnels. Tetsuo is constantly surprising me with his mysterious powers.
We advanced, Nim thirty feet or so ahead of the main group. To remain stealthy, we decided that those of us who could see would lead the others through the absolute darkness of the tunnel - Janlynn ready to provide light when needed, in an instant. Soon the rough tunnels led to a three-way intersection of sorts. One of the passageways was covered in webs, the other looked like a dead end, and within the one Nim thought would lead to the hags, strange sounds and movements could be heard.
It was decided to light a dim torch at this point as Nim headed down the tunnel. It was not long after that, that death came for us all. Charging out of the tunnel that Nim had begun to go down were half a dozen (Alright maybe only four) gigantic scorpions. At the same moment, Akkiir was stealthily attacked from the dead end corrider by a sticky web and drawn into the tunnel and up out of view.
Nim retreated and Uphir stepped bravely forward to meet the rush of scorpions to try and hold the end of the corrider, breathing dragon acid down the corridor to wash over them. This worked for a brief moment when finally Uphir was captured in a mighty claw. The other scorpions began pouring out of the corridor into the intersection. Nim, hearing that Akkiir had been taken, swiftly lept into that tunnel and could see Akkiir dangling from a sticky strand and fighting for his life against two strange insect looking creatures.
Janlynn and I sent our energy, both divine and fey, towards the advancing scorpions. Tetsuo was a blur as he deftly attacked the scorpion who had captured Uphir, doing considerable damage. Even as Janlynn and I were both captured in their constricting claws, Tetsuo managed to avoid capture! His precision strikes brought down the scorpion holding Uphir, and I could see she was bloodied by these attacks, but was in a furious rage of hatred towards these creatures. Her axe dripped with blood and ichor.
I could feel the life being crushed out of me in the claws of this creature as it stabbed at me with it's poisonous tail. Mighty Uphir would make more use from my small healing powers than I could, as I felt my death imminent, so I cast a rejuvenating heal at her and smiled, knowing she would make these creatures pay and avenge my demise. Obviously my death did not come on that day, thanks be to the gods of luck and to the Morninglord Lathander.
The battle continued furiously with Uphir's axe hacking mighty gashes into the scorpions and spells blasting away. I blasted the scorpion crushing me and used all of the force I could to try and get it to let go. This did not work as all I managed to do was toss the creature, and myself, about the room. In the confusion, Uphir, standing upon the collecting corpses of the scorpions, was buried beneath one in the scuffle. This did not stop her long as I witnessed her incredibly hefting one of these giant arachnids off of herself and swinging her axe to help Tetsuo kill the Scorpion who had me.
We battled on, sorely wounded and desperate, as the bodies of fallen scorpions piled up about the area. The scorpion who had captured Janlynn had almost squeezed the life out of her. She swooned as it retreated with her back down the tunnel. Tetsuo took off after her while Uphir finished off the last of the other scorpions. I rushed forward, through the treacherous battlefield and managed to cast a healing spell upon her.
All this time, Akkiir and Nim were in a desperate battle of their own. Two "Cave Fishers?" were trying to kill them. Akkir was dangling from a web line and using all of his weapon mastery to damage both creatures. The other Fisher was spitting line after line at Nim in an attempt to capture him in it's sticky clutches - but Nim was too nimble and launched dagger after dagger up at the beast with good result
As the battle raged on in the intersection, both Nim and Akkiir did tremendous damage to these strange insectoid creatures. Soon the one holding Akkiir dropped from the ceiling to crash into the floor below, Akkiir dextrouly dodging out of the way. The second one, wounded as it was, backed up and into a tight crevasse to hide.
Tetsuo met the scorpion holding Janlynn with a leaping attack, both staff and feet crunching into chitinous armor. He had managed to attract it's attention and it brought it's full attacks upon him, crushing and rending into his slight form. I could see the dramatic effect of the attack as life seemed to drain away from his once determined eyes...
FINN'S JOURNAL
