third trail: death to da dream demon!

Its da 19th of Ember, n after another harsh morning training wifh Hunzah we make our way to a tree just outside of town. Luna guides us down a secret spiral staircase of roots deep down into da earfh, where she shows da rest of us her old house! Der walls were all decorated wifh relics, some seeming to have become part of da living walls of da enormous hollow tree. In da common area was da magick pool, where Luna hoped we would receive some benefit from.
Luna guides me to Hebe’s old room, and Tobias to Tarjan’s, hims great grampa. Hebe’s room is covered in trophies, from all da diff’rent creatures she’d encountered in their adventures. Some are taxidermy pieces, but most seem ta be life drawings. My Hebe was so stromg, but not ev’rythin deserved her whole might. She truly lived der ideals she imparted ta me.
As i walked around trying ta survey each torn journal page covering der wände, i hear my friends out in da hallway. Curiously, i join them n see ev’ryone is gathered around a collection of statues. I recognize some, liek der lion-folk must be Tobicat’s ancestor. Hebe is wearing der same cloak i now have, tho it looks much more refined n decorated on her. Luna describes da others: Taz, the Kobold. An unnamed dragonborn figure is placed behind him. Next is an eelfolk, Aquila. Then a kenku, der fist of da mountain nd lady kree’s ancestor.
Lastly there is a figure resembling Luna herself, tho looks just a little diff’rent. Prob’ly cuz she was younger, right? But Drexla asks an interesting question: is Luna sure her memories are all her own? Luna affirms they are, but they weigh on her too. She is sad to have outlived all her friends n not remember it til now. Its bittersweet, but she even allowed us ta add our names to da others’ on der main archway of their home! Luna has found a silver lining, n made a new little family in us Travellers. i couldnt be moar grateful.
 
Now fer da other reason we came. Da pool below in der center of da tree produces a glow from deep down. V decides ta tie a rope ta himself n swim down, since Bricky simply dunking me in didn’t seem ta give any effect. Da rope soon pulled taut, but when we pulled hims back up he reported no effects eifher. Bricky pats ma sopping head in consolation, nd hims flesh starts bubbling n burning! I make sure ta step far away from der group as i shake maself dry. Dis wouter couldnt be da same “holy wouter” da hellscarred had, could it? Bricky is maybe just allergic ta lotsa things.
Luna thinks dat maybe da pool must charge fer a while after bein used, since da samples she took last tiem did react to us. I told her dont feel bad, we will definitely return here again~!
We linger around da pool fer a while after, as Luna shares moar memories of her old companions. Tobias stares intently into da pool, n Luna puts a hand on hims shoulder, reassuring him dat da Tarjan she knew would never betray der tribes. I wumbder who couldve twisted history so much.. Luna is wracked wifh a memory, a hazy one where she cant remember what her n Tarjan were running from when he died nd she buried her planetaruim. Bricky hesitantly offers ta look fer da missing piece in her mind, n she allows dis. Da moment passes slowly, as Bricky places a hand on her n we all wait wifh quiet intensity. Who knows what goes on in a mind liek Luna’s, someone whos been alive fer so long but wifh little memory of it. After a while, Luna seems ta be reliving something terrible, crying out “no, no!” until Bricky’s hand snaps away. She catches her breath, n promptly asks Bricky ta stay out of her head fer a while.
Da memory he uncovered fer her wasn’t da intended one, but instead she remembered how Taz nd Aquila died.. A lava creature named Pyruhl was attacking zendra cove, n they gave their lives fer Luna despite her pleading. We comfort her as she processes da experience, then gather our things as we prepare fer travel to da next waystation.
 
Its a few days of traveling through da “whispering woods”, where we are told not ta venture into da forest or listen ta der windy voices. As da forest gets denser n darker, glowing plants n mosses are plentiful. da green n purple mosses don’t taste liek much, but they’re so pretty~!
Its da 4th of Ouros when we arrive to a cavernous area of da forest, a glade known as da Shadowed Grove waystation. As we move through, we feel weary eyes on us n recall dat in da past couple days many in Sham la Tam mentioned a supposed curse on dis place..
We are approached by a figure robed in purple – Nariah, da elder’s assistant. She seems rushed, as she asks us trial-takers ta come wifh her immediately. Tobias, Bricky, n me step forward, following her to a secluded place where moon phases are carved into da trees. A sense of comfort falls on us as we approach a circular area, where elder farrah has ritualistically layered ropes about da circle. She methodically places white “mourning lillies” at da roots of each carved tree, as a plea fer protection. Da carving of a full moon phase is glowing brightly.
As she approaches, we see Elder Farrah is a fluffier tabaxi, wifh milky, unmoving eyes. Tho she is blind, she seems ta see right through us all. She remarks dat its a shame bricky doesnt dream, n we can only wonder what dat could mean fer our mission as farrah doesn’t elaborate. Nariah questions why we are here ta help dem, why now? We are confused why she seems ta be asking so aggressively, but Elder Farrah just dismisses her so we can talk privately. Nariah begrudgingly leaves us. When she is confident nariah is gone, farrah tells us dat its not only children who have disappeared, but old folks have also been either taken or killed in their beds. She has not stopped dis ritual fer some time now, asking fer protection from da god of night. Tobicat asks if he can have a mourning lilly, n she obliges him befoar we head out to da home where da last incident happened.
On our way out, we spot nariah trying to eavesdrop ‘round da corner.. Hm. fer an aid to da village elder, she doesnt seem very respectful or trustworthy. She guides us to da home of da last elderly person dat was murdered. I dont notice anythin weird on da way over, nd inside it doesnt even look liek any struggle happened. Da body lies on da bed, wifh a shroud overtop. Blood seeps through da cloth, tobias investigates n notices bite marks at der wrists. Bricky remarks how weird it is fer someone ta die liek dis while keeping a smile on their face. I sniff all over da room til i catch a whiff of necrotic emnergy, n chase it outta da hut. “Follow me, guys!”
Da trail leads me to anovver dwelling, where i see a familiar yellow-eyed creature through da window. A peepers?! I rush in, but we’re too late.. Da creature has disappeared through a wall, n da air is moist wifh fresh blood. Tobias rushes over, n i help him stablize da child as best i can while bricky calls out fer help. Nariah soon finds us n takes da child somewhere safe.
I pick up da scent again, following it to a gathering of elderly tabaxi tending a cauldron of stew. Jeez, dis stew smells so good its distracting me! “Shut dat lid!”, i tell ‘em. But it makes no diff’rence, i see now dat der smell penetrates dis entire area. Bricky starts chatting wifh da old guys, who give him a bowl of stew ta sample. I think of da last tiem i was given a strange soup, n my skin prickles.. Da old guys seem real happy, not despite all da death but almost because of it. Dey say their loved ones have come to dem, welcoming them ta die n be together again. We decide ta move along, as dey wish us “good deaths”.. Ugh creepy.
Bricky takes da lead, saying he can see someone in da distance. Tobias n me look at eachother n shrug. Bricky is walking too fast tho, n once we catch up ta him he’s in a strange smiling trance. Tobias smacks him back ta reality, n he swears he was back on da farm wifh da little boy he once knew.
Tobias notices a red light from behind da treeline, n we decide ta look fer da source. Along da way, we find a trio of tabaxi who’ve hanged demselves up in da trees.. They’re still holding hands. I cut dem down, n tobias says a prayer fer dem. As we continue following da red glow, we come upon a small clearing. A central tree wifh a large red gash in it, surrounded by dead trees. Red lillies grow from da ground where da light touches. I pick one, n out of da stem seems ta drip blood.. Dis is da place. Tobicat investigates da crack in da tree, saying it resembles da energy of da evil storm from da dream world. it must be a portal, n i trust tobias so we all hold hands, brace ourselves, n jump in.
 
Almost immediately, im ripped apart from my freunde by da turbulent storm, n i cant smell dem at all anymoar! All fades ta black. Suddenly im.. In moonbright? As if i was daydreaming, i hear hebe snap fer my attention. We must hurry if we’re ta catch enuff fish fer da village today. Maybe its fake, but why not play in a happy dream? I pick up her supply box n run ahead, but something isnt right. I turn ta see a sickly Hebe, hobbling towards me as she drops da last bowl i ever mixed fer her.. She cries, that i did dis ta her?! No! I played that day over n over in dat moment. I had begged her ta change her mind, but i did exactly as she asked!
I step away, my feet making a strange, nasty squelch against da docks. I look down, horrified at bricky’s bloody disembodied head at my feet. my hands coated in black. How did dis happen?! A sea of guts lies at my feet. Would i really be capable of dis? “Is it ever enuff?!”, Miguel screams, chucking hims tail at me.. “All you do it TAKE!!” my tummy writhes, as if ev’ryone is trying ta escape outta me. I double over n start ta scream, hot tears pour from my eyes. Then, familiar long, greasy black shoes enter my vision, nd a cane guiding my chin up so i can see Mathias offering me a bowl of stew. I knock it back in hims fuckin face. If im gonna eat ev’ryone i might as well eat him, huh! Even if it’ll kill me!! But as i lunge for hims neck da world is all black again, fading back ta bloodshed in Moonbright. Hebe is befoar me. She begins ta stagger, but i rush ta catch her befoar she falls. She still asks me why, but now i can only say im sorry.. That’s when da blood vanished, n da cheerful village scene returned briefly befoar darnkess came fer me again.
 
I dunno how much tiem had passed, but i woke up in what smells liek a wooden box (oh fuck, not again). But also smelled a lotta dirt. I could hear footsteps, so i tried ta get their attention by banging on da box. Soon i was dug up by Tobias! nd alongside mine was another grave where Bricky was in! Gods, im so relieved ta see them bofh alive!! They tell me they encountered new enemies, ghouls rather than peepers.
Looking at our new surroundings, we’re surrounded by a dark forest wifh only a gloomy castle in da near distance. We make our way to da fortress, following a faint path. Its raining pretty hard in dis place, but none of us are getting wet? We also come across some floating orbs of diff’rent colors – yellow, green, blue, n red. Bricky seems ta be affected by their light. I managed ta catch a yellow one, n he puts hims hands on it. A smile overtakes hims face, n hes locked in another sort of trance. Its too sturdy ta break, so i let it float away n we make sure ta avoid any moar orbs fer da rest of our walk.
When we arrive at da castle, we find tobias’ dream mutter outside lookin sad nd soaked in da rain. When tobias calls for her n she notices us, she is shocked. Dis is an ancient place, called da “corridor of dreams,” nd we shouldnt have been able ta come here. Da orbs are all da dream mutter’s favorite dreams she’s collected over time, n da castle was made ta contain outside da goddess’s control. Tobias asks her how a portal couldve been made at da tree, n da only answer is someone else in da waking world is helping.. Ugh, a traitor!
 
First thing we notice as we move past da creaky old castle door, is moar emo-orbs are floating inside. We make our way deeper into dis dungeonous castle til i hear a shifting of lil feets. I peek around, noticing a couple peeper creatures tryin ta sneak up behind us! I try ta whisper a heads up ta my friends, but da peepers hasten nd we must fight! We’re wearing them down, when another monster appears. its maybe a wraith, liek Bricky mentioned seeing earlier. It tries ta hypnotize Bricky into fighting us, but Tobi wont let ‘im! Hah! It runs, through an iron gate. But no matter, tobicat summons a magick weapon next to it, so we can stabs it from bofh sides of da gate! In da quiet moment after we kill dis one, i sense movement n look above us.. Into a sea of yellow peeper eyes (ooh ffuuckk) “RUN!!”
Hundreds of mr.peepers descend n chase after us, as we all run through da nearest open corridor. One got close enuff ta nab tobias’ leg – but soon as he lagged behind an inch, Bricky n i each grabbed hold of him enuff ta keep moving ahead! Behind us, flashes of light from Tobias’ magicks bofh held peepers at bay as we looked fer somewhere ta escape. Finally, a pair of large double doors come into view n we take refuge inside. Da heavy doors are enuff ta hold wa massive wave of peepers, but ill never forget da sound it made. All dose peepers, now just black blood seeping in underneath dhe doorframe.
 
In dis new room, its large n cavernous. Above us is a big fancy chair, n someone sitting in it. Her tail flitting back n forth, Nariah stands n approaches. Next ta her, Bricky says it looks liek da one he sent fer help back in da Shadowed Grove. Dat figure then transforms, revealing da death dream demon Nariah has been helping all dis time.. Ugh i wish she would come down from dat ledge already!
Im able ta swipe her wifh my sythe real quick, befoar da death demon floats over da chasm ta engage us. Nariah summons two bug monsters who go after Bricky befoar runnin off n making herself invisible. Wifh all our might, my freunde n i fight fer da grove. Its not easy. If not fer tobias’ healing circle, i dunno if i’d’ve lasted half dis long. Bricky is enwebbed by a bug monster, but manages ta transmute so much emnergy he makes his own sorta rage. Hims form is now overcharged n overgrown wifh muscle, buzzing wifh electricity.
Da dream death demon ascends back n onto a ledge, n casts a nasty lookin spell at me. Its cold n smells liek wet dust, but i manage ta shake it off. Tobias makes sure im ok, worried cuz he says if dat spell had killed me even magick wouldnt bring me back.. Dat thought inspires a renewed rage wifhin me, i run n leap over da chasm after da demon. I hack n slash at him, til through its wispy essence i can see its shiny core n plunge golden cross into it. It shatters, its energy throwing me back onto da ground. Tobias finishes da last monster off, as Bricky throws a giant’s tooth at nariah. It doesnt smash her liek we hoped, but she is very pissed off at all dis. She blames bricky as da undreaming wrinkle in her plan, n portals herself away. (blame yerself, you stupid traitor!!)
As we pick ourselves up n dust ourselves off, Bricky allows hims excess energy ta dissipate n he looks mostly back ta normal now. All through da castle, we can hear da echoing sounds of doors locking. Tobias ushers us through a portal back home, n we manage ta stay together dis time. on da other side, we see da tree we came through heals over. Life seems ta return ta dis part of da forest, as even da red lilies are white again. I breathe a sigh of relief, n pray da pepol of da Shadowed Grove can finally feel safe in their beds. But on our walk back, i ‘member i plucked dat red lilly befoar we left. I quietly place it in my traveling garden, n skip ahead of Bricky n Tobias “i bet i can beat you there~!”