Journal #52: Longest Four Days of Our Lives

One long year and three months, that is how long Celuriel and I were in The Boneyard. Currently, this journal entry is being written from the icy continent of Iskaldhal four days after we dove into that pool that leads us to the banks of the river Styx. In some tavern, in the veiled kingdom Naarim. Four days, while I am happy, the time difference is negligible, there are some issues that the past day and a half caused. That is something I will mention near the end of this entry. Where to even begin.
 
While our morning started in The Boneyard getting ready for the rest of the day, it quickly changed to being in a tavern masked covering our face. I assume Pharasma had just placed us there, one second in the Boneyard. The next an inn with new masks. It was like we shifted realities like we blinked and were there. With the rest of them who were at the entrance not even noticing our odd return.
 
Sidenote, I found the choice in masks rather odd and interesting. Celuriel masks cover just around eyes, it was dark but fit her well. Though the mask covered little, her hair covers most of her face at any given time. The stand out feature was the crown of darker purple-black flowers if I had not been so concerned with how we got there. As for mine, it covered most of my face, but when I had the chance to look at it. It looked or at least felt familiar, it was dark in design. I just could not place where I had seen it before. Tangents aside, I cannot even call this trip to the losing time.
 
Renting a room, I was quickly brought up to speed.
 
~ Kraia was training with her goddess.
~ Dragon pantheon is a thing, Kazric is the champion of the moon dragon. He landed on his new patron when he was taken from the void.
~They found a vampire. Named Lucas, a self-proclaimed 'nice' vampire. Which means he pays people for their blood.
~ They had a vision in the temple of the beginning, which was originally behind the door.
~In Nialnir vision Sonja spoke with Jinne (maybe, knowing our luck it is), while I am unsure of a solid connection it cannot be discounted.
~Found somebody in Cid's Vision, a woman that was single-handedly dealing with an adult dragon.
~Licia had told me to never let Syrin, and her be alone.
~ We were currently attempting to find Syrin, Licia's former lover and his traveling companions, which is why we ended up here.
~ The Harp is already affecting us, it wants the best story possible. As if we directly tried to destroy it, it would destroy us. By sending another group to stop us or get in our way. Hoping the two group's destroy themselves in the process. These shards need to be removed from existence.
 
Back into the life of an adventurer.
 
I can not say I am surprised by this, just tired of it. To show you how messy this is. Syrin and Sonja the two we wanted to find the most are floors above right now. There was much debate on what we would do with them. While killing them now would be helpful for the simple reason. One being we could get information from Sonja, and deal with Licia's former lover, and that creepy pale elf. Who had an affinity ice-based magic?
 
Doing this would have caused problems, though. The Shard would have found another group on a single entity to deal with us as soon approached it. So knowing the enemy would benefit us when it comes to our fight for the Shard. Killing them, or more specifically Sonja, would make it difficult for us. Being that her mysterious other group would have more of an eye on us. Though like us I hardly think that if we killed her, her 'friends' would not bring her back.
 
It's just a mess, but we will deal with it.
 
We realized this when walking through for Licia. We were looking for a magic shop to find martial components. A scrying spell that would get a better picture on Syrin. It had worked. Worked too well. As we watched them from the shadows, thankfully we choose to scry at the right time. They spoke of control collars and changing them into something less easy to stop on the neck. They left that house, only to find a portion of our traveling companion. Zalni, Lukas, and Talinde who had not followed us, had crossed paths. Being that they were loud and activity The Icy Elf and Syrin thought to would nice to help them, gesturing to the collar in one of their hands.
 
We quickly attempted to find them with some success. Syrin and the Elf had blocked off Lukas in some back alleyway with a wall of ice. Agreeing that it might be better to have Licia hide, she turned invisible. Thinking quickly, I dimensionally slide onto the roof looking down upon the scene. I spoke to them as if they were normal strangers. We spoke little asking the regular question adventurers do, what brought you to a place like this, where are you from. The best way to lie is, to tell the truth. In a roundabout way, I did. I spoke to Lukas and Talinde, asking if they were claimed down enough to return to the tavern. When they agreed they would be at each other's throats, I asked the icy elf if they could lower their spell. They did.
 
We went our separate ways.
 
Nothing bad had happened. As we quickly teleported back into our rooms, we continued watching the Scrying spell. As our luck would have it, they noticed Whisperbreath. A drow in this city wasn't uncommon, and the veiled contrary had slavery. We saw it in the market square, we chose to look away from that as doing something would be reckless. A drow near a Ratfolk that is not a combination you find quite often. As we continued to watch, those two strolled in the tavern we had been staying at. Followed by the rest of the party at some point, then Sonja. They spoke on a few things, but what mattered was they were living tomorrow. Having done something within the city.
 
It had almost worked.
 
Eventually, some of us grew bored of this, and since we had a funeral tomorrow, I went to bed.
 
First off, normally I would be okay with a vampire waking me. Usually, that was Celu, but given that now she was an elf again. It was not her. I had heard a noise and given who was in the tavern I reached for Silver and silent approach to door in our common room. Celu had woken up for a second mumbled something. Probably some Infernal curse, then quickly fell back into a mound of pillows and blankets. I slipped into the common to find Lukas attempting to sneak out had tripped Talinde's trap. As Talinde knew he would have tried to sneak out, he had laid a trap in advance. He waited for Lukas, springing out of his room. As if he had caught some villain about to slit all of our throats.
 
These guys, I swear.
 
Somehow after telling Lukas if he did not behave, Talinde was going to kill him and explain that if he had not done anything to warrant killing him than Talinde had no reason to bother him. I felt like a mother chastising children bickering over nothing. This only ended with Lukas dragging Talinde for a night on the town.
 
 
I watched them go and climbed back into bed. Hoping that would be the end of it.
 
When the door slammed open in the morning, I woke up mumbling something in Undercommon. Honestly, I could not tell you what it was because it was overshadowed as Talinde was yelling at Lukas
 
"You shouldn't be seen fraternizing with somebody dressing like that!"
"You shouldn't be commenting on how a lady would choose to dress!" Lukas had replied.
I pulled the cover over Celuriel and me. She had shift indicating she had been woken up by the two's midnight stroll.
"can we go back to the boneyard."
"No next time we try your patron's realms."
"you want to go to the fey?"
"No, but I'm not ready to get more bones broken from Skein."
"You could have joined us in the garden."

"Something tells me I wouldn't have been able to."

As we spoke, it became clear that neither of us was going back to sleep. We would be leaving behind certain people, as they did not have anything to do this funeral. We dressed for the funeral, had gotten something to eat, and Licia had teleported us the gates of Alethia. As we did not want to get sent to jail when we meant to mourn the loss of our friend. In retrospect, I thought Celuriel and I had missed the funeral, while I was sad that I thought I could not make it. The Boneyard had plenty of things to keep my mind off of it.
 
Dressed in black, the town guard had let us in. As it was clear why we had shown up. With some hastily scribbled notes to Ashlyn, we found the room we were meant to be. A room for family and close friends had been put aside for the funeral. We said our greeting, Midna Ashlyn's Adopted child was as cheery as ever. It was clear a face she was putting on. She must have been watching Ashlyn as her expression and mood was about the same. Just more spacey, more than usual anyway. Mery could barely get a word in before having to leave, the High Priestess Aetha went to I assume, console her. As Alysia Undri was a close friend to Mery.

I will speak very little of the proceedings as even I do like having to explain why I was a bit distracted.

Her immediate family spoke to the crowd at large, I took special care to note Cyne was looking healthy. His speech as 'The Emperor' was unsurprisingly distance and cold. Makes sense as the leader of an empire should not be seen crying or weak. I felt bad for him while I cannot imagine what he is feeling. I think I might understand it more than my companions. As losing somebody you love, a sister, a wife, a child. Whatever the case is, losing family is always the hardest.

Licia, Celuriel and I had checked on him for a brief moment, Drinking and dealing with the loss his way, we left. We ask Ashlyn if she could order the guard to not let anybody but Immediate family in to see him. Thankfully agreed to do this. Celuriel somehow had stolen another book. Again proud but for all the wrong reasons.

Returning to our friends, I asked some questions to the guards outside of the room. Some of the nobility had come around looking for Cyne, and I was curious as to who they were. While poking at the nearly uneaten cake, Celuriel had hidden behind me.

"There is an elf in the shadow," She said. Her golden eyes bore into some curtains and somebody in the shadows.

Given her sister, I understood why she might be hiding. Approaching the curtains, I place the plate of cake on the table. Being that it could be anybody, I still was not ready for Kazric. That being said as soon as I saw him, he kind of stood out. He flung a piece of cake as I exposed his hiding spot. He missed, or I was quicker than he thought. Regardless of that, we spoke on little things, he avoided the questions about his patron, which Licia had to cause him to say his now-famous line of 'Moon Dragons.' Which is a clear sign we would not be getting any information out of him.

It was a somber day all around.

There was one last thing about this day. When we went back to the elf gate, as we had to take several teleports to get back to our rooms in that Tavern. As Licia had used her one Greater Teleport. In the process of doing this, we ran across one Mad Alchemist. It seems he is back in Ilendras. As we went through the Elf Gate. The same guard as before finally revealed as to who he truly was. Elias the Mad Alchemist.
 
Our return to the tavern was nearly uneventful, Lukas and Talinde were shirtless boxing for some reason. I swear we will find them one of this day naked in bed together. I chose to go to bed or just to count these events.

We are far from the days of traveling across Alethia watching the forests, mountains, and stars go by.