Journal #20 - Many Warnings

Through the emotional ups and downs of the child Arlo, we made our way to Tamalir. I didn’t think about the absurdity of our vessel to commoners, and we approached the docks as usual. It was only when they tried to tie off the living elemental that it occurred to me, and I told them off. As we disembarked, I set the creature free.
The dock workers remarked about the lack of travel from the south, and I delivered the frightening news of the cause. They called the guards and we spoke to Captain Falor in the barracks. He sent out scouts, and told us unfortunately that Myra had left for Nerekhall five days past.
 
Scouts were dispatched to warn the free cities, and a pair of guardsmen who hailed from Nerekhall were consulted. We had magically spoken to Myra, and the town seemed okay. Many troll-sick refugees, but nothing out of the ordinary. She wasn’t told what was occurring. As far as anyone knew, Nerekhall still stood and did not appear to be openly controlled. Thus, whatever the Ogre general was implying, perhaps it was not yet too late. It could be that the city was simply ready to fall, and not yet utterly compromised. The guards surmised that the sewers of Nerekhall, called the Bile Halls, are the foundation of the city, which was built on one of the oldest foundations of the free cities. The guards think the army may be hiding in these sewers. They volunteer to take discreet news to the city.
 
The guard captain warned us, we must leave the city by nightfall or be locked in for the battle to come. It pained me, but I felt we must press on - the free cities are well armed, and must fight their own battle. If we don’t face the evil of the Red Witch to the east, then any victory here would be for naught, and time is pressing – her ritual could already be under way. I suggested we move on, and tell Myra the truth to prepare as best as she can. Ghiravont had initially wanted to go rescue her from Nerekhall, but I argued her stubbornness to leave wouldn’t be changed by us going, and we’d be roped into fighting the battle here. I managed to convince them, so we prepared to journey east.
 
Before we left, we stopped by the lab above the Silken Bow, Firefly had to pick the lock. We recovered some prepared potions, and gathered supplies. We also reclaimed our stored carriage and draft horses, and then proceeded to Forge.
 
On our way, I helped Firefly write a song about our journey, which our friends aptly named Another Orc in the Wall, about the struggles of Pylanthia and the disreputable actions of the Quikhands.
 
Malastar communicated to us that he would return to Tamalir after his business in the Valdari Marsh, but surely prior to the conflict. He will not give so easily to the Manbreaker, they would have to break him instead. I worried he might be playing into their hand, but it was not my business. He is dispatching another group of adventurers to investigate the Bile Halls for trolls. He additionally warned us, the closer we draw to the Ru’Steppes, the stronger the pull will be on Domino from whatever she encountered in the Applewood mountains, and on Ghiravont from his blood alchemy with the Red Witch. This is the most dangerous effort we have yet attempted. He also told us to leave the traitor Surrindo the White to him.
 
17 days after departing, we reached Forge. I took the guise of my dwarven self, and wandered the city with Lug in the shape of a dog. He was a good boy, and I successfully commissioned an amulet with my Topaz from the wizard’s tower so many months ago.
 
The tree that haunted my dreams was dead, though still standing. I wonder if Lug could replace it for the city, perhaps one day.
 
There was a big meeting of Nothric, and I am told Ghiravont was reprimanded for abandoning his post without any communication to the head office. He was able to explain the necessities, but they wouldn’t buy that he couldn’t at least send a letter. They agree with our course of action, but demanded that Esmerelda from Office #722, and the kiss asses who reported what happened in Forge when last we were here, from Office #891 led by Buerig Croft. I heard whispers of a small Vault of Voladryn located in the Sunken Summits.
 
We pressed on, and took a south-easterly course past Riverwatch and into the Elvish woods, approaching Vynevale, hometown of Korrigash. Before Riverwatch, Domino and Lug split off to take care of some personal business in the Applewood, they planned to meet us at Vynevale, taking the long way around.
 
We heard many troll sightings were being had in the area, and crossed the river three times on our journey. Each time the woods seemed more under the impact of the Aymhelin. As we crossed the third, Korrigash knew we had entered the land of his people, and shortly thereafter their guards stopped us.
 
We continued on to Vynevale, and a ranger led us to the gate, a living thing growing out of the ground like tree roots into a living spiral of wood, magically opening before us. The walls of the city are like a bowl digging into the ground, again as a living tree. Waterfalls rim the bowl, and inside is an elven city with towers climbing high, a city and a lake.
 
It seems Korrigash comes from nobility, his family lived in decadence. We were happily met by Amber, Sunay, and Tanabraya - I was surprised that they were still here, months later. It turns out, they used this as a base of operations as they scouted the Sunken Summits. They have been investigating the Red Network, with the aid of Leon, a deep elf witcher. They think they know where Red is being kept.
 
Leon apparently specialized in the Drev, the undead horde of the Deathyard to the south; as well as Lychans. He has recently been investigating the Red Network. The Witch is powerful, and for all intents and purposes she is a necromancer. She is able to take the form of many other people and things. She does not necessarily physically change or move herself - she exerts control from afar, a sort of mind control, like she performed on Ghiravont. Deep within the Dorndepths, where the Vault of Voladryn was discovered, they saw her.
 
If we infiltrate this area, it will not be a daytrip. We will be spending months underground. An entire region, entire civilizations, have been changed by her. She has enslaved my people, and those who cannot work are slaughtered, or made soldiers if they are exceptional. What was originally pure slavery, has turned into something more dire. Now, using her dark magic, she imprisons their very consciousness while leaving their bodies under her spell as automatons, thralls. And not just the local tribes any longer - she has allied with the Goblin King, who has pledged fealty to her.
 
The goblins serve until death, and then are resurrected into her dungeon. The king swore to her, but rumor is that may not be worth much. He uses her magic as well, and they seem to work together. This has allowed her control to spread - raids happen on towns and villages, their inhabitants enslaved. They are always on the lookout for those magically adept - those are set aside for the Witch, to be a part of her hundred-count ritual.
 
There is a storage hub of sorts, holding the real souls of those trapped. This must be why the goblins in Aubrador did not care if they burned alive. They were thralls as well. If we destroy this vessel however, the souls would be free but not sure to find their bodies, it would be mayhem. Perhaps better than nothing, but not the ideal outcome. Many would die, and those that lived would not be within their own bodies.
 
Leon did note to me, a tribe of orcs who did not appear to be thralls – working of their own volition for their own ambitions. This must be the Broken Plains or the Deepbloods, long have they served her willingly. I curse them.
 
It was mentioned that there must be some sort of File, that could match identities to bodies. This seems above my pay grade frankly, but he seems to know what he is talking about. We were also warned, if a thrall bites you, you could turn into a thrall yourself. Someone surmised that maybe each of the Black Kings has an accompanying spellcaster. Surrindo the White with the Orc King, Magdalena the Red Witch with the Goblin King. That seems interesting.
 
Ten days we spent sharing information, awaiting the arrival of Domino. I spend the evenings with music, and before I left Firefly acquired for me an Elvish lute, made from sung wood, a masterwork instrument. I was quite touched, he had clearly seen my envy of the locals. As I had been playing, I heard some rumors as well. The king of the elves in Aymhelin has apparently been debating walling off the Aymhelin from Terrinoth. That seems like a foolish idea to me personally.
 
Our time in the elven city was drawing to a close. On the evening of the tenth day, we prepared for an early departure.