MEREDATH’S DIARY … Through the Afarezirs In 462TR Meredath was one of a small group of satiamavari who travelled with their master around the coast of Peran to the mouth of the River Pemetta. From some of Meredith’s comments it becomes clear his master was very close to “taking the Grey‟. He was certainly practiced in several convocations.   They travelled in a well-protected convoy of ships to the Afarezirs. There Meredath describes making landfall on several of the islands and how the Corani marines were attacked by the primitive natives. The scarlet cloaked marines with their organised shield wall and tactics were more than a match for the natives and easily saw off any attacks; taking some slaves as they went. Meredith’s diary, then, tells the tale of the Beast of Blood from the Corani perspective.   Among the captives was a 5 year-old girl child that Meredith’s master took a particular interest in. He explained to Meredath, who comes across as something of a favorite to his master, that the girl had remarkable arcane potential and called herself Pella.   Up River to Mejetus On reaching the Pemetta Estuary the Shek P’var were given permission to examine sites of spiritual importance to the tribes living east and west of the river; an island in the estuary where several burial mounds were observed. There are notes in the diary of a conversation with one of the accompanying Morgathians proposing a future expedition to excavate these mounds and others that had been found on the mainland, at a place called Kustan.   Meredath and his party were transferred to a series of securely escorted river barges for the journey up river to a legionary camp. It had been built to demonstrate the reach of the Empire, but rumor on board suggested it was being prepared for a visit by Emperor Mejenes himself. The place had been christened Mejetus in his honor.   At Mejetus Meredath describes Mejetus as “… built on a round topped hill in the foothills of the Rayesha mountains overlooking the River Suthen into which one face of the hill has crumbled. It comprises a substantial wooden stockade with barracks for a full Corani legion, as well as engineers and all that is needful for the legions on their march‟.   He does not describe any stone buildings but adds that “an architect accompanies us who is to build the imperial headquarters. He has confirmed that Emperor Mejenes will leadthe legions into the lands called „Equeth‟ in a year or so and will require a suitable field palace‟. Meredath then describes the site for the palace: “When initially surveyed the engineers believed they had found a surprisingly flat slab of naturally occurring granite. However closer examination revealed the granite was not natural but the roof of a subterranean structure that my master believes is of Khuzan build. The craftsmanship is exquisite and there are extensive vaults beneath the granite which will support the emperor’s lodging”.   He also points out the dramatic location of the fort: “… on the highest hill top for a league in any direction and above the valley of the River Suthen. There the engineers are already planning a bridge to carry their emperor across to new conquests. Some giant must have caste some of the stones fallen from the slopes above into the river where they form a convenient string of boulders running from bank to bank. They will form the bridge supports.   Perhaps most dramatic is the view of the mountains. In the sinking sun the peaks take on the likeness of a man‟s face lying in profile staring up into the stars‟.   Meredath notes his master’s regret at the necessity of leaving “young Pella” safe in the household of the commander at Mejetus, “where she is to be taught the rudiments of a civilised tongue‟. He then goes on to describe travelling, with the other mages and a group of priests under heavy escort, into the Peran wilderness.   Into the Forest Meredath is clearly quite comfortable in the company of the Morgathians and describes one in particular as “remarkably well informed on matters historical”, commenting that he “expounded on the early years of the Agrikan Church, of all things! It is almost as if he were there, such is the vigour of his description”.   The journey is described in significant detail and a number of landmarks are detailed which might allow someone who had the account an increased chance of following the route taken – so long as they could find Mejetus and begin from there.   The journey takes about two weeks during which time the Shek P’var deployed a range of protective spells to reduce the chance of the local tribes coming upon them. The party travelled on foot though the priests and mages, and all the equipment and supplies, were carried by mules. The need to avoid contact with the local hunters seems to have slowed the journey.   The journal includes a quite detailed description of their arrival at the place where the wards were to be set.   “After the forest came two days of travel through limestone gullies awash with drainage water from the surrounding highlands. The priests regularly stopped to consult a map they were reluctant to share with us. We finally reached a remarkable location. It has an unfamiliar arcane aura of uncertain potency but somewhat discomforting. Its scale is undoubtedly impressive; a cluster of limestone pinnacles rising hundreds of feet in the middle of a natural amphitheater.”   The Task Meredath then describes his work, and that of the other satia-mavari, in aiding his master to caste a number of previously created spells in, under, and around the limestone pillars.   “We are not allowed to wander freely through the passages and chambers within what the priests call “the Claws”. Instead our legionary escort has been set to work excavating a new passage into the very heart of one of the larger pinnacles‟.   Once the excavation is complete Meredath describes his master as creating “… a portal into a dimension of water whence we summoned forth a continual stream to be channeled into the chamber the legionaries had excavated. From there the water runs through a hole drilled through the floor into a space below. I can only speculate on why the priests wished this done, but such a continuous drip of water will certainly cause deposits of limestone to form in whatever chamber is beneath this one‟.   He makes particular note of the fact that “… though the legionaries did the hard work of excavating the chamber it was the priests who then set to work drilling the hole through the floor into the space below. Once the water had begun to flow then only the priests were allowed into the excavated chamber. One legionary who strayed there while on guard duty was impaled the following morning as an example to the others. How the priests knew he had entered the chamber no one could say. Thereafter the legionaries only entered any of the passages when ordered to do so‟.   The next task was to call an earth spirit into existence deep in the foundations of the „Claws‟ after which there were regular vibrations in the ground and tremors among the pillars. “The spirit was bound to “the Claws” as if to the body of a golem. The spell was most elegant but also more difficult than I believe my master expected. The strange Aura in this place caused a perturbation in our manipulation of the energies necessary and the creature we have created is less than we had hoped. It is certainly strong and persistent, but it lacks any but the most meagre of hunting instincts. Those instincts are, though, enough to deny us further easy access to the lower passages; it does not recognize us as its masters”.   Then, all manner of lizards and snakes were summoned from the gullies and passages around the amphitheater. They were “… bound to the Claws as corporeal guardians lest. Were a return to the Claws allowed it would be fascinating to know if the geas weakens with the passing of generations or if it has some other effect upon them”.   The final task was to summon a spirit of the air and bind it high among the pinnacles to stop any creature descending among the pillars from above. Meredath notes: “I consider this one of my master’s greatest feats for while the elemental is potent, he has also captured some intelligence into it; enough that I could converse with it. We had the legionaries construct a rope way up to its high eerie and there told it of its purpose and that of its fellow spirits. It struggled with some of the details but I am encouraged to believe it would be able to keep the others spirits in order were they to stray from their tasks‟.   There is only one hint of friction between the satiamavari and his master: “there was one aspect of each casting which my master has refused to explain. Small blocks of bronze, copper and silver were included in each spell but not consumed by them. Instead they were handed over to the priests when the casting was completed”.   On the final day before they left the Claws there is a passage of particular note:   “We were not allowed among the Claws today. The priests braved the risk from the earth elemental and made a final visit to whatever lies beneath the chamber of the water spirit. It was no great task to create a tiny point of clairaudience to follow them. Though they were certainly engaged in some ritual the details were impossible to determine as there was a great flux in the fabric of the Aura which distorted my spell. They were repeating some question over and over, but what they asked and whether there was an answer, I do not know. However, when the flux settled I could hear their words and, though their meaning is obscure, I record them here as precisely as I can: “Tormentor of the Unlamented Dead, Master of the Principle of Evil, Lord of the Gulmorvin of the Black Pit, Wielder of the Shadow of Incarnate Evil, Wreaker of Chaos … Hear our Supplication.” “We have had wards caste around this place so that the Lord of Fires is denied this portal as the Gurim has ordained. We have warded it with elements that are anathema to the Fiery One and his evil servants and intend that over time the portal that was opened here will be sealed by the flow of his greatest enemy, water. We have taken care not to risk the Concordat working the Gurim’s will only through the Shek P’var.” “Only the Unlamented Dead that we sense beyond the portal can open the door and they are caged there. As they cannot journey to this side of the portal then none of them can ever become the Gatekeeper.”   “We will consecrate a shrine at Mejetus so that the Emperor and all his legions will guard The Key we will make. With no Key and no Gatekeeper then the Lock we have created will keep the Lord of V’Hir contained”   “Hear our Supplication. We have no hope of an answer but in our faith we know you listen”.   Meredath ends this section of the diary noting that one of the priests who entered the Claws was carried out, as if injured or sick. He lay lifeless on a mule for much of the journey back to Mejetus and remained weak and withdrawn. “I know not what happened to him but it set my mind on the tales told of the Morgathians …”.   There are then some pages describing the uneventful return journey to Mejetus.   Then you reach the page the group has already read--…   it becomes clear that Meredath, his master, their party and someone called Pella, who appears to be a young child, travelled downstream to the mouth of the Pemetta river from where they took ship “… with one of the priests who had accompanied us, for our voyage back to Coranan.   Meredath speculates “… there my master will surely take the Grey, for his feats these last months have been remarkable. Perchance he will recommend me for preferment when his place in Chantry becomes available. He has suggested I might take on the child Pella as my first apprentice, convinced that if her teaching begins in childhood then she has enormous potential. I am skeptical, she seems nothing but a child to me, and a bad tempered one at that.‟”   At this point the hand in which the diary is written changes:   “Poor Meredath I could not save both he and Pella when the ship foundered. I will keep his diary as it is one of the few things that the storm has left me – though I am shocked at what my foolish satia-mavari has been recording in plain language! The child cries for food and shelter. We will move inland and find somewhere to hide from the savages until they give up their hunt. I have salvaged a cloak and cuirass from one of the dead marines for warmth and protection.”   The final diary entries show all the signs of being very hastily written and tell of the events following a shipwreck.   One reads: “They are truly barbaric, these scarred savages. I watched as they tortured one of the surviving marines in some ritual. So far my Art keeps us hidden, but I tire.”   Another confides: “Even I must sleep and last night the child woke screaming. Not even my Art could silence her or keep the noise away from our pursuers.”   The final entry is even more hurried: “They have found us – she woke again. I cannot leave her to her fate among these primitives and yet cannot escape with her. I will use my powers to save her spirit and return to recover it when I have evaded them. Restored to a body she can still learn the art and be a great master. I have little enough with which to accomplish this but with luck and skill the vessel will hold her safe until I return‟.   The last words written are “Look after the soul of the child if you find this and I fail in my effort to save her.”