12th Letter Home, Being About Deep Shadows, Too Many Arrows, and Too Deep a Rage

General Summary

Mother,
A very interesting time, as usual. I so wish I could tell you these things in person, knowing you would understand better than I. Your wisdom would be so welcome now. Though perhaps I wouldn't always like what you see.
We continued to explore the school. Investigating the main level further, we found some collapsed floors at the back of the building. Likely an atrium. There was nothing really worth inspecting, but I did notice a shadow…shadowing us.
We weren’t close enough to engage, and I think it saw me see it, so it quickly fled.
In the corridors leading from the atrium lay six doors, so we started going through the rooms behind them. Inside were more bodies, all burned. Every scrap of wood combusted. Nothing else.
They seemed to have been classrooms.
This level thoroughly explored, we decided to head down and see if we could get to the basement through the elevator. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that we were on top of the elevator car. I found the access door in the roof and pried it open.
Underneath we found a teleporter room!
The pedestal in the room contained what looked like a half of a cryptoporter key. It looked to be a lock; it had no mechanisms, but with it in place nobody can port into the room. This further doomed the school’s occupants, as nobody could come to their rescue. It was immediately obvious how handy a device like this might be, so of course we took it. Which also unlocked the location if we ever needed to teleport here.
Another level left to investigate, we headed up to the top floor. But as we left, with only Vessyr alone in the ‘porter room, we heard him cry out. We all reversed course and headed back down.
By the time I got down, Alyona was already there with her grandfather. A shadow was next to Vessyr, who seemed smaller, weaker, in the same way that Ingoria and Baermak had before. He had extinguished his light for some reason, but Baermak had cast a light spell upon me earlier, so I could see fine.
And that’s when I noticed the larger, deeper, darker shadow next to Vessyr. Immediately sensing the greater threat, I unleashed a quick flurry of arrows at it, as fast as I could, sending wispy spirals of darkness wafting away from it. It was obvious to the eye that it was diminished. But not defeated.
It turned to me and with a flicker extinguished my light. Then disappeared.
The rest of the party finally arrived. Baermak cast another light spell, which was immediately extinguished.
Vessyr tried his magical illumination spell, illuminating the 1st shadow and another that was approaching. But not the big one.
One of them carved a significant chunk out of Alyona, who definitely looked weakened. She would surely have whimpered if she'd had the strength even for that.
The big one then reappeared next to me. Fortunately, it attacked Ingoria, draining her as it connected. It was right in front of me, but mother, I could barely see it! It was as if you were in a cave, looking as hard as you could at your hand, right in front of your face; you know it’s there because it's your hand and you know exactly where it is, and you think you can see it, but you really can’t. If you look away slightly you’re sure it’s there, but looking straight at it you’re no longer so sure.
That's how this shadow creature was. I’m sure I hit it, but it was hard to tell if it was really hurt or not.
And then it completely disappeared; it was no longer hard to see, it was just gone.
While I tried to regain sight of it, Ingoria utterly destroyed one of the other two shades.
Baermak cast another light spell, but it quickly went out again.
Vessyr did the same, but it also quickly went out.
I woke up on the floor.
I seemed to be the only one down. Baermak was near.
And the large shadow loomed immediately in front of me. It had apparently been ravaging Baermak in the same way it had ravaged me. I was bleeding from multiple gashes, my blood on the floor, my blood on my feathers, my blood on its claws (if only I could see them).
And it was looming above me.
The rest of the party was pretty beat up, but only the dark shadow remained. We had no light, and this stronger, darker shadow was even darker, even stronger in the darkness surrounding us.
And it was looming directly above me.
I felt that we couldn’t possibly last longer. I couldn’t last much longer! One hit, one half of one hit! And I would never get up.
And this huge, dark form, drawing strength from the darkness around us, loomed above me like the roof of a cave about to collapse.
I grabbed my dropped bow with one hand as I rose to a knee, spinning around and drawing an arrow with my other. I could see it closing in on me, shadowy claws above its wispy demonic head. As I turned and raised my bow I loosed an arrow purely by instinct, standing as I released the missile. It went directly through the center of the shadow, ripping strands away as a rock through wet black paper.
And this time, with this bigger one, we all heard it scream.
It was gone.
We had made it.
We relaxed a bit, but realized we wouldn’t make it through another battle like that. With the 'porter right next to us, we went straight back to the Lightkeepers.
They were very excited to see us! We shared story after story and they loved hearing about our discoveries. We also gave them the other cryptoporter we found and one set of tri-keys, as well as all of the various letters.
They considered our mission complete, though we still intend on returning to explore the rest of the engineering school…and kill the Sylvans. Mission complete, we received our stipend. I plan to acquire some magical armor to better keep me from harm. Hopefully the team is looking to better weapons and perhaps armor also.
After an excellent and filling meal, suffused with stories and exclamations, and even some new songs from Baermak celebrating our victories (some a little exaggerated), we headed to our quarters to light the mystical candle and ask questions.
Explaining what has happened in the intervening years, we asked him first for the code to open the cryptoporter. He told us, and we immediately opened it.
It contained another ring, which Vessyr donned without hesitation and reached into the bag, finding a new pouch. And in that pouch we found a piece of jewelry and a letter explaining that the bracelet is a weapon against radiants.
We then asked where we might find additional answers and he told us to look for the Shadow Hunters.
Our last question was “What is the radiance?”
The response? Changelings.
I tried on the bracelet, but it felt distinctly wrong. It just...I gave it back. Everybody else tried it on, but it only felt right on Vessyr and Ingoria the ‘Baxi. We decided that Ingoria would wear it. And it suited her!
After sleeping quite well, being in beds after so long sleeping on the ground or in a tree, we headed in to town.
And as I wanted, I got some beautiful enchanted studded leather armor. The elaborate stitching is something you would absolutely adore! It is of course functional, but they took the time to make even the stitching decorative as well as strong. Others procured (or ordered) armor and weapons, and we headed through the transporter, returning to the engineering school through the 'porter.
Continuing our exploration, the third floor seemed dedicated to automatons, including a firing range with some automaton targets.
And some of those targets…the targets in the trees…those targets were Aaracockra.
I cannot explain the depth of my anger, mother. This...I wish you were here to guide me. But also I'm glad you're not here to see this. I feel the anger more and more. I fear it makes me act in ways not suitable for my station. But at the same time...
I sat, seething, while the others scoured the area.
Nothing.
It was time to leave.
We went to the front entrance again, prepared for battle. I wanted the Sylvans to be there. Wanted them to think they were ambushing us. I prayed that they would be waiting for us, sitting around sharing stories about how they would surprise and slaughter us. Not paying attention as we raged forth from the school and laid waste to their party.
Arranging ourselves about the door, we waited as Vessyr quietly unlocked and gently pulled one door in as Ingoria peeked out through the crack.
And was immediately targeted with a spell.
Slam!
We locked the door.
They were indeed waiting for us. They knew we were here. They had tracked us, or had been watching from afar, or something. We missed something.
But it mattered not what, as they were here now.
And as the door closed, we heard them blowing a horn. Several short notes followed by a long piercing one.
They had surely just called for reinforcements.
Which immediately changed our plan. They most likely emptied the camp to come get us! This boded ill for a battle here, at the front entrance, but...
The camp is now emptied, and they don't know we have another way out!
We jumped into the school's 'porter as fast as we could and headed to the 1st 'porter we found here, the public one. We then snuck over to the main camp.
The team got ready…and I flew directly over the camp. Two guards manned the gate, three more by the main tent. I flew above to draw their attention. With them focused on me, Ingoria and Alyona could sneak in and pilfer the chest we found on our first foray into their camp. That was the plan.
I then…distracted them. I used my excellent powers of aim to…draw their attention. The details are not important. But I left them a present.
What is important is that I put two arrows in the back of the head of one of the guards, dropping him before he even knew a battle had commenced. As his partner at the gate turned at the sound of the arrows hitting, that man took an arrow square in the center of his back. He quickly ran into the closest tent, ducking for safety.
And screamed the alarm.
The entire camp poured out, including the silver-haired leader, the Sun Knight, that Ingoria and Alyona had described.
So many arrows, mother, so many arrows!
I stood out against the sky, easy to see. And apparently they have a long racial history of targeting us.
So many arrows.
A few bounced off of my new armor, but some found seams. One of them, in heavy armor, shot missiles at me. And the Sun Knight shot a beam of light from his sword.
I felt like the whole jungle was hurling death at me. I knew there was no way I could withstand another volley, so I quickly killed the Sylvan closest to me with a single shot. I descended and shot my other arrow at the leader, and as I looked at him the glare was nearly blinding. Sun Knight is an appropriate moniker. It reminded me of the setting sun reflecting off of a calm ocean as you soar low over the sea. You can look just to the side of the glare, restoring some vision, and that is what I did: I looked just beside him, and shot him.
Then I ducked down, behind the palisade.
The sounds of combat began to rise, but I couldn’t see exactly what occurred. The Sun Knight shouted, but I know not what.
I drank a healing potion, feeling much, much better, and ran around the outside of the palisade back toward my comrades. I could hear the combat, the shouts, the screams. Our plan had not worked as planned.
As I pulled around the corner I saw a huge pillar of light descend from the sky, right into the midst of where our group was. I could hear the loud crack of Vessyr’s gun; the team was in trouble.
I leaped into the air again, as dangerous as I knew that might be, and as I rose above the palisade I could see the Sun Knight on the top of the wall opposite me, Alyona on one side of him, Ingoria on the other. Vessyr and his mechanical spider were on the ground, engaging the heavily armored soldier who had shot the magic missiles at me. Baermak was on the palisade singing and shouting encouragement.
The Sun Knight saw me immediately, and he...he knew...he was able to... Somehow, the Sun Knight knew of our traditions. He spoke to me that word you used. When I was little. A fledgling. You commanded me, and I knew to do as I was told. He knew the word. He even used the appropriate tone of voice. He knew.
I flew into the battle, to get closer. I wanted to kill him, mother. A drive you cannot imagine overwhelmed me. I needed to kill him. I was overcome with rage.
The experiments, the target range, the targeting of me-
And the ‘Baxi killed him. She utterly shredded him. She tore into him, claws, sword, teeth. She bit into the back of his head, shaking him as a rat, driving him to the ground, spraying Sylvan blood over the wall, ground, plants, herself.
I wanted to kill him. But this was almost as satisfying. There is a fine line between killing something and eating it, and I'm not sure which side of that line she was on.
The Sylvan with the heavy armor remained, so I turned to him.
Vessyr had been casting a spell upon him, heating his armor till it glowed. The Sylvan had kept the armor on, and we could smell the sweet scent of roasting meat. We all turned our attention to him, and soon he too fell.
The remaining soldiers fell quickly after their leaders perished.
And we remained alone in their camp. Wounded, but alive. Spent. But standing.
What to do next?
The rage still flowed within me.
More Sylvans lay close by.
Were, in fact, likely on their way here at this very moment.

Report Date

05 Jun 2022