Mysteries, undead hordes, and knowledge…

After taking a moment to catch our breath after fighting the Umber hulk, according to Barnabus, we continued our journey back to the surface. For a long while the path continued on as it had for the last few hours. Still with being surprised as we were, we still moved a cautiously as possible. That is when we came upon which to my best ability to describe is a map room with an amphitheater. Its audience was statues of the gods, rather the depictions of the gods made by the people who lived in the city.
 
This room is much like the amphitheaters around the world. A central focal point with a half circle the gets higher as it gets further away from the focal point. But unlike other amphitheaters, the audience was for no one else than the gods themselves. From all of my readings the gods have never be depicted as they were in this room. I also have to remember that the people who built this city are most likely the ones who built this room and statues with the tools they had at their disposal.
 
Each of the seven statues in the room we place and carved to show the gods staring at a specific spot on the map in the center of the room. We all managed to climb up to the top of the platform to inspect the map. To our surprise it was an elevation map of Fabel. The strangest part was that there was seven spots on the map were brighter, well five were and two were dimmer than the other, but still these spots were brighter than the rest of the map. The two dimmer spots are Malletfort and a haunted forest in Domena.
 
Willow, got curious, and decided to touch one of the spots of light. For the briefest of instances her body went ridged. When she opened her eyes, she looked as if she’d seen a ghost. She explained that when she touched the spot, she was given a vision of that area. My curiosity then got the better of me and I touched the Isles of Nothing. I was immediately given a vision.
 
In this vision I saw the world rushing by me, the wind roaring in my ears, the landscape a green blur beneath me, and the feeling I was at two places at once ever present in my mind. There on a small island off of the coast of the main land was a tiny island, smoke rising from multiple fires dotted the landscape. Villages lay in ruin and bodies of the dead lay here and there. Moving from place to place rapidly the scene remained the same at each village until we came a hole in ground where there was more smoke than any other place on the island. Peering inside, I could see stairs descending deeper inside, this hole but not much beyond that.
 
Peering in my vision became obscured by the thick smoke. Then in the darkness an orange light began to grow. Faintly at first and growing in brilliance to the point that my eyes hurt. The next thing I knew, I was back in my body. My heart pounding, my skin wet with cold sweat, and eyes becoming more accustomed to the light of the amphitheater.
 
Like Willow before me, I explained what I saw to my friends. It was at this moment that I realized that each of the statues of the gods were staring at a particular place on the map. With recent events, the destruction of Malletford, or the death of the All-Mother the light around the city was dimmed. I don’t claim to know what the purpose of this room is but I believe that we found it for a reason. My heart is telling me that we are meant to go to the spots on the map and help in each of those areas.
 
With not much more to be gained from the map and not wanting to be found there we looked for a way to continue our journey out. No sooner had we left the map room did we run into Ardane. At that moment we were unsure of his intensions so I snuck into the room and hid before talking to him. I attempted to throw my voice as to make it sound like I could be at any place in the room. I don’t know if I succeeded but he at least told enough of the truth for me to be willing to travel with him.
 
He looked extremely spent, as if it were a struggle to just get to that point. I assume that he barely escaped with his life from Zelmozoc. But he did inform us that we were close to the surface but that most likely we’d end up encountering the former inhabitants of this city along the way out. We did manage to make our way unseen for a short period of time. Unfortunately our luck wouldn’t last.
 
Sometimes the wisest action one can take when faced with an overwhelming number of enemies is to fight them at choke points. Which is exactly what we did. Willow took a choke point where she used the awesome force of nature to battle her enemies. Barnabas, Enna, and Aura we attacked from behind and defend our groups rear. While I took another choke point.
 
I have often read the writings of many of the Masters, Brothers, and Sisters of the Monastery. In some of their writings, the describe a way in which the world seems to slow down while you move normally. It was almost like I could see what was coming and I was able to block their attack. While at the same time planning or deflecting the next incoming attack. It was an amazing to feel like I was able to see incoming blows before they happened.
 
That first battle was over just a quickly as it had started. With the knowledge that if we stop moving we would be quickly over whelmed, we pressed on. Unfortunately we ran into more and stronger enemies. In trying to get the drop on them we alerted them to our presence and found ourselves facing not one but three of the creatures that crawled out of the back of the hideous creature in Volutra’s Temple. Having fought these creatures before we may have been a bit cocky in assuming it would be an easier battle.
 
I believe Barnabas and Willow took the brunt of the blows from these creatures. And from the looks on their faces I could tell that they were surprised at the strength and ferocity of our foes. Thinking quickly and hoping to level the playing field a bit. I took out the Basilisk dagger and managed to succeed in petrifying one of the them. But we still had two of these creatures to contend with.
 
I have journeyed far with my friends, but I have not had too many dealing with Aura. I am of the understanding she has been given divine power, from who not even she I think truly knows. She was able to summons this spectral force or ethereal creatures to help protect her and the group and simultaneously hurt our enemies. Which proved too much for the petrified one and the one accosting her. And Barnabas and Willow managed dispatch the final one shortly after.
 
If our day was anything it was consistent. After every battle the sounds of our struggles attracted more enemies, and again we were forced to flee. This time if we were forced to fight we would be doing so on mostly empty as the constant fighting has taken a toll on us. As we boarded a boat to make our escape on and underground river the area we had just fought in began to become over run with more of these creatures. That is the moment Ardane let loose the spell he’d been saving and cleared the beach with one spell.
 
Unfortunately for him it was not without cost. He was over come with such horrible pain it caused him to pass out. From what I understand of magic be it divine or arcane, there is a physical cost that leaves you scared. Judging from the exposed bone on his hand and arm I think he has gotten more power than he can handle. We were in the end able to finally escape from the dark tunnels into the bright light of mid-day.
 
Be it by some design of the god, good fortunate, or sheer dumb luck all of that distance and direction that we have traveled led us to a higher point in the mountains that over looked the clearing where this adventure began. Wariness took us and we slowly managed our way down to the horse, the wolves, and our gear. For fear of being caught here, we quickly broke camp and journey for another hour or so before breaking to take a much-needed rest. Everyone was too tired to even think much beyond setting up the basics of a camp. As usual I took first watch, which passed uneventfully.
 
However, during Willow’s watch Ardane woke up, in unbearable pain. Willow was able to magically provide some comfort to him lessen his pain. Being thankful for the healing, and us helping him keep him alive. For our efforts we were awarded with some knowledge.
 
He explained that he had been working with Zelmozoc for a long time, but that his goal was to stop Zelmozoc’s plan by destroying it from within. He also told us that what Zelmozoc was planning. That being to reverse the effects of Eleven Rot and to accomplish that he needed to kill or sacrifice the representatives of the gods on the Prime Material plane. He has succeeded in killing the representative in Domena, and that is why he needed the All-Mother. But that he is actively seeking out the others, even as we speak.
 
I believe that he is telling us the truth, but how much of that truth is he leaving out? I have no idea but for now I have no choice but to take him at his word since some of the things he says line up with the knowledge we have. Our conversation has left me with more questions about what our next steps should be. Do we seek out the spots on the map and try our best to defend the mortal representative of that areas god? Do week continue the search for the artifact that will help Enna fully embrace her new role as the All-Mother?