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Fri 13th Oct 2023 04:35

Journal #33 - The Swamp in the Sky

by Umak Bonebreaker

After sending my letter, I slept. At dawn we proceeded to the docks, and our ship awaited. It was quite large and heavily laden, Posh was there and indicated he was proceeding north to Terrinoth after dropping us off. We sailed to the edge of the swamp on the Noswald Bay side, it had advanced several miles since last seen. It tested us we navigated through it, toxic air and water challenging our constitutions.
 
A white raven landed and mocked us, and eventually turned into a giant slime raising corpses of the Noswald military to fight us as zombies, and a huge mossy plant-creature. Luckily, plants yield to axes. We fought those off, and kept going.
 
Ghost of what I assumed was Madam Farosia appeared and taunted us afterwards, tried to get us to take her power and join her as lieutenants, but we ignored her. The spews of toxic gas in which she appeared didn’t aid in her persuasiveness.
 
We were barely on pace to make it in time, when the whole swamp levitated into a floating island; it was so high I imagine the very walls of Almstead Castle would be visible in the far distance, but we were far from the outer edge. I could feel the air growing thinner, yet still a dank swampishness - conflicting in terms perhaps.
 
Right then we saw a beam of energy just like we did with the ritual at the Sunbrace, while we were still a day away from the Sparrowed Long-Oak that was our destination, so we continued a forced march in all haste.
 
As we arrived, we were greeted by the tortured soul of Lord Brevon (who was a man of some significance to my fellows before I knew them, I understand), animated into a disgusting creature, a construct of the swamp, tree-like, the largest thing we'd faced so far apparently. He fought with black miasma and whip-vines, he blighted Ghiravont who had to struggle to survive continually, and yet the monstrosity kept targeting him as long as he remained nearby, so it was a constant battle of getting out of range, and the creature chasing him with graspers. He eventually made it though. Lug also, did his best to die but miraculously clung to life. Roric was grasped by a vine-arm and the creature tried to eat him, but I managed to cut him free.
 
We ultimately killed him, but his last soldier didn't engage and we left him be while fighting, and at the end it dispersed like a ghost and fled, seemingly passing word to our enemies.
 
I am not sure on the state of the ritual, but seemingly it is still going and will finish in less than a day. We must yet face Madam Farosia.

Continue reading...

  1. Preface: Umak Bonebreaker:
  2. Journal #1: Funeral at Forge
  3. Journal #2 - Flight to Tamalir
  4. Journal #3 - Journey to Gloedan
  5. Journal #4 - The Butcher’s Pit
  6. Journal #5 - The Wizard Tower
  7. Journal #6 - The Tree
  8. Journal #7 - The Applewood
  9. Journal #8 - Sister
  10. Journal #9 - By Land and Sea
  11. Journal #10 - The Battle of the Bards
  12. Journal #11 - In Pursuit of Arlo
  13. Journal #12 - The Death of Tybeerian Quikhand
  14. Journal #13 - Aldandun
  15. Journal #14 - The Orcs of Aldandun
  16. Journal #15 - The Chalice of Pylanthia
  17. Journal #16 - The Deep Blue
  18. Journal #17 - The Tomb of Baranthus Aubrador
  19. Journal #18 - Journeys and Tales
  20. Journal #19 - The Ruins of Jendra
  21. Journal #20 - Many Warnings
  22. Journal #21 - The Depths
  23. Journal #22 - The Doom of the Pit
  24. Journal #23 - The Sunken Summits
  25. Journal #24 - The Dorndepths
  26. Journal #25 - Scourge of Helmcroft
  27. Journal #26 - The Burial of Korrigash
  28. Journal #27 - The Battle For The Ru’steppes
  29. Journal #28 - The Trial of Ghiravont the Werewolf
  30. Journals 29-32 - Reporting to Zuranda
  31. Journal #33 - The Swamp in the Sky
  32. Journal #34 - The Filter of Souls
  33. Journal #35 - The Battle of Kalypsia’s Keep
  34. Journal #36 - Castle Dalobar
  35. Epilogue

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.045 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 05:31, May 28 2025