Cenday, 6th of Dusk 212 EoL
Dear Diary,
We started our journey towards Akruzeth yesterday in the late afternoon.
I could spend the way on our flying carpet since I was still so very exhausted. Mostly I just listened to the others without mangling in any discussions. We slept in
Trip's mansion.
Today Trip was contacted by some guy named Stahd, who apparently is Czyrkal's secretary and wanted to meet with us in the evening once we have cast our mansion. So in the late afternoon Trip contacted him back and we were all waiting in a non-magical field. He couldn't meet us before dusk, since he's a vampire!? This is kind of cool, I never had a vampire before... If things weren't so desperate and
Lucky would not be right next to me... But, I'm getting of topic here.
Once he finally appeared, we took him into the mansion. Strahd told us that Czyrkal made him what he is now and that he wants to see Czyrkal gone. Czyrkal has three more apprentices, he once had four, but we killed that one in the cemetery in
Sedem Lux. Strahd is able to teleport us onto the island, to give us the element of surprise against Czyrkal, furthermore, he gave us a map and lots of information about what we're up against.
There is a chapel on the island inside which a shard of creation (guarded by four iron golems) is used to let the island fly. Czyrkal spent thousands of years researching how to manipulate time, he wants to bring his wife and children back. He loves his island since all of his research is on it. So far, he was not able to bring them back.
The Eternal Empress granted Czyrkal shelter in the Empire to protect him from the
Gatekeepers. He mangled with the Far Realm and has creatures from over there guarding the Raven Queen's former champion that he keeps captive. This means that killing him will not only make the Raven Queen "happy", but might also anger the Empress!? This is too confusing, and frankly, more than any mortal can handle.
The city itself is inhabited by undead. We can't just walk around it, since they would spot us immediately. This is why we were discussing different approaches on how to get to Czyrkal and also an order in which we would approach all the different things we, or one of the group, want(s) to do.
Killing Czyrkal seems our top priority, then we'll probably get to his three apprentices. Since they researched the whereabouts of
Shirel's ex-girlfriend and child, he does not want to kill them before he gets that information. I really want to get the Raven Queen's former champion, so that I could get rid of that title and restore him. Strahd told me that there was not much left of the guy, so I should not get my hopes high... This fits, like the one way out I can see is not a way out at all. And, of course, the guys want to get that shard of creation.
Czyrkal is in the middle of creating a new phylactery, which will be finished in a few days. This is why we have to teleport over asap. To finish it, he needs lots of souls, so he's planning on killing all the people over in Dalelry. Trip got the word out to Emilia, so that she can evacuate the town. Let's hope she'll be able to do that.
While contacting Emilia, Trip had the glorious idea to also contact our father. Telling him what we were about to do and, worse, he told him that I am the Raven Queen's champion. Now, father wants to come over to "help" us. I was so mad at Trip! I shouted at him and then left the table. I told
Shirel that I would participate in any plan they would come up with and went to my room.
How was Trip able to mess up, again? Why would he contact father? Tons of questions came up at once. I had to sort them out. I'm lost and broken, heartbroken and empty, mad and sad... I have all these negative feelings and am out of tears to cry. I wished I wasn't here anymore, but even that is not an option in my situation. I want to understand why Trip does all those things, even if that knowledge won't help me out of my misery.
I took a leap of faith and went over to his room after I heard that he went there. He and Ken were in there. Trip agreed to come over to my room so that we were alone. I asked all my questions and got honest answers. He does everything he does with good intentions, the outcomes are just not always great. He apologized and so did I. I told him how I feel right now, that the only way out is not even existing for me. He seems full of hope, he has a new goal: to be free. I can never be free. We talked about the future. And I finally came clean with a secret I was keeping from him for half of our lives now. I finally told him who the father of my first child was. I thought I would be relieved afterward, but I wasn't. Nothing has changed. Maybe I just won't be able to feel anything positive ever again. But then, all of a sudden, I felt comfortable with him, my brother, who I love, who is always there to ruin my life but also to pick me up again. He stayed overnight so that I would not be alone.
I woke up before him today and sit here now, next to him, still not sure if I want to see father today, or at all, ever again. Trip reassured me, that I don't have to come with him. I guess I'll decide that on the spot, once he's there.
I'm not sure when and if I'll be able to write again, my dearest Diary. It seems like later today we're going to that island. I've got a bad feeling about this. I do not think that we'll make it out alive. I hope to be proven wrong.
Love, BB
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