Chronicles of Barnabas Jovar

CHRONICLES OF BARNABAS JOVAR
By Barnabas Jovar
 
My name is Barnabas Jovar, Paladin of Voltura. Currently my rank is Defender. I was born Nephilim, more commonly referred to as Aasimar. With my sky blue eyes, snow white hair, and pale complexion, it was difficult to hide my true heritage from the attention of evil cultists, fiends, and other enemies of good, all of whom would be eager to strike down a celestial such as myself if they had the chance. It was not until I was on a different plane of existence that I came out and revealed my true self.
 
From an early age, I received visions and guidance from a celestial entity via dreams. These dreams help shape me, granting a sense of destiny and a desire for righteousness. My entity is an angelic deva named Mykiel who provides me with guidance, though this connection functions only in dreams. As such, the guidance is not a direct command or a simple spoken word. Instead, I receive visions, prophecies, and feelings.
 
My parents, Pluve and Myrtle, are merchants in a town called Daringwood. They have owned and worked at a little trading store called Jovar’s Trade Store for many years, starting before I was born. My parents show no sign of angelic heritage as they are as human as human can be, although my mother will always be as an angel to me. As to how I came into existence as I am, no one knows. It was a surprise to my parents and to the mid-wife who brought me into this world.
 
From an early age I had a calling for the divine. I studied all that I could about religion and the deities. When I was old enough, I traveled to Malletford with my parents and was accepted into the acolyte training at the Ellathane Cathedral. The All-Mother herself took an interest in this devoted youngster, and personally tutored me. For this I will always be grateful and will do my utmost to repay her kindness and devotion to me.
 
After several years of study and testing, I was finally ready to take up the mantle of Cleric of Voltura. Those of us that had graduated were give a fortnight of furlough to visit family and take care of any unfinished business before spending several years on our first assignments. I was hoping for a diplomatic assignment in either Domena or Verandum. Both offered exciting and challenging prospects. As it turned out, neither were in the cards for me.
 
It was on the third night after I returned home to visit my parents that Mykiel decided to “visit” me. I had not heard from Mykiel since I had started my studies with the All-Mother.
 
This time it was a disturbing vision fraught with doom and urgency and as with the others it came to me while I slept in my home at Daringwood. It was too vivid to be mistaken for just a dream. I found myself wandering the Trading District of Malletford, a path I recognized well as it led to the Ellathrane Cathedral where I receive teachings from the All-Mother, Yiseen. But something was off. I felt my stomach tightening and myself shaking. Upon entering the cathedral I found the immaculate artistry of the church now in ruins. The paintings that lined its walls were now torn beyond recognition. The statues were broken beyond repair. Water filled the crack marble floors and every window shattered. But traveling further in, I found the statue of Voltura covered in blood. The gentle welcoming expression that the statue was known for was now twisted into a face of pure anguish. I begin to hear screams coming from the statue and the church began to tear itself down. A piece of the roof fell on me and I found myself once again in my bed chambers.
 
I quickly dressed and prepared for a fast journey back to Malletford. I quickly explained my vision to my parents, bid them a hasty good bye, saddled my horse (Sonny) and left for Malletford before the sun had risen. It was on the journey that things changed for me. I still felt the divine presence that I did as a fledgling cleric, but it was different somehow. My divinity was altered into something else, but at the time I was unsure as to what it had changed to.
 
Upon arriving in Malletford, I made my way to the Trading District but got distracted before reaching the Ellathrane Cathedral. I witnessed an attack, mugging, assassination attempt; I am not sure which it was. The assailant was deterred from continuing his assault by another, who would end up being one of my future traveling companions. The assailant ended up running off without being apprehended.
 
I was oblivious to all else as my vision and purpose was narrowed down to the victim of the assault as he lay in the street bleeding his life out in a pool around him. I found myself kneeling by the victim and praying to the First-Mother to lend me aid. I placed my hands on his wound and his heart and acting as a conduit between Voltura and the injured man, healed his wounds enough for him to live. I did not realize what had transpired until it was all over, but then realized that I had become a Paladin of Voltura.
 
I took the injured man and his companions to cathedral. He was taken away by some of the caregivers to further treat his injuries. I was ecstatic that everything in the building was intact and nothing like I had seen in my vision. I immediately went to the statue of the First-Mother and gave thanks for a safe journey and for the abilities that were bestowed upon me. Afterwards, I questioned some of the patrons and learned that the King had the All-Mother and her clerics arrested claiming that they were corrupted. This information did not set well with me.
 
After briefly meeting my new companions, it was decided to get a nights sleep and begin an investigation in the morning. During the night, I had the same vision that I had at my parents home. Upon wakening, I learned that one of my new companions, a cleric of Voltura named Enna, had experienced the same vision during the night. We decided that the visions and the All-Mother’s abduction were related. To prevent the destruction of the cathedral we must find and free the All-Mother. So started our Holy Quest.
 
One of my new companions, Vater, knew of someone who could possibly help or at the very least give us some information on the situation at hand. The person’s name is Sir Desman Mantel, a high ranking noble in Malletford. I told him of our Holly Quest to find and free the All-Mother. He was able to enlighten us on the All-Mother’s situation. He believed that all of the clerics arrested with her were slain by the King’s agents and that the All-Mother was to be transported to the border of Sulden where she would be exiled. I was convinced that we could not let that happen for it would bring about the destruction of the cathedral and all of the good that has been done there or because of the establishment.
 
He told us of an ancient god Mytar. A few centuries ago something unknown happened to Mytar and he disappeared. He told us of an ancient relic called the Relic Heart that is the size of a mans head but looks like a block of stone that is invulnerable to all damage. It is rumored that the blood within the heart grants immorality. There is a prophecy of a child that is able to extract blood from the heart. At the time I failed to see the relevance to this information, but now realize that it may be linked to what has happened to the All-Mother.
 
Upon mentioning my intentions of a rescue, Sir Mantel mentioned that he had already sent a contingency group to track the wagon transporting the All-Mother. I asked him if we could expect aid from his men if we should come across them and he gave me an identification token that I could show them to verify that we pursued the same objective with his authority.
 
With me impatiently waiting, the others in our party purchased horses and we left Malletford in high hopes of rescuing the All-Mother. Our group consisted of Enna a cleric of Voltura, Willow a druid of wood, Vater a warlock of the Order of Jailers, Andar a mysterious elven monk, Pythagoras a healer that we picked up somewhere along the way, and me a paladin of Voltura.
 
Just before sunset after leaving Malletford, we came across a wrecked wagon. It looked like a prisoner wagon or animal transport. It was tipped on its side, the horses dead or gone. Upon investigating, we found humanoid tracks leading off into the woods, so we followed them. We found a couple of dead human bodies. They appeared to have died from claw and bite damage. The bite damage appeared to be human in origin.
 
The tracks lead to a small village in the woods. We immediately detected that something was not right with the village. We did not see anyone out and about, no children running around playing, and no smoke coming from any of the chimneys even though it was dinner time and food should have been in the process of being cooked. My divine senses did detect the presence of undead and I told the others to be prepared for battle.
 
Upon entering the village we were set upon by four foul, flesh eating undead humanoids. This would be the first time that I would have the opportunity to see my companions in action and asses their abilities in helping me complete the Holly Quest that we have set out to accomplish.
 
Andar and I set about dispatching one of the foul creatures while the rest of the party dealt with another, the other two undead creatures would be on us very soon. The first two undead went down rather quickly as did the second two after they came in rage of our attacks. It was determined that not only were these creatures undead, but that they were corrupted also. Perhaps the corruption is what killed them and turned them into undead creatures. We do not have enough information to make an accurate assessment of the situation.
 
Willow surprised me by approaching me from behind in the form of a panther. I did not know that she has that ability and nearly ran her through with my sword. Luckily, she was able to make it clear as to who she was before I could strike her. I would have been saddened and remorseful if I had killed her out of ignorance of her abilities.
 
Andar and I made a highly effective team in coordinating our attacks against a single foe, as did the others in the ones that they dispatched. Andar and Vater were injured during the encounter and contracted some type of disease that resisted healing magic. I dealt with Andar’s affliction with the help of the First-Mother and my divine healing ability. Willow assisted Vater in ridding his body of the disease. After they were cleansed, healing magic restored them to full health.
 
After a nights rest, we gather what supplies we could find for our quest. The villagers would not be needing anything since the corrupted undead had kill everyone. We then collected the undead bodies as well as those of the villagers and burnt them and the village not trusting that the corruption was contained with the demise of the corrupted.
 
Before we set out to continue our quest, I made an oath to the First-Mother that would bind me to her as a paladin forever. Up to this time I felt that I have been in a preparatory stage, committed to the path but not yet sworn to it. After all, all lives matter. This is my oath:
 
I swear to use violence as a weapon of the last resort. I will use diplomacy and understanding to bring about a long lasting peace.
I swear to set a proper example and work to heal the wounds of a deeply flawed world, to set anyone that I encounter on a righteous path.
I swear to plant the seed of righteousness in any creature that I encounter and work day after day to allow that seed to survive and flourish.
I swear to keep my heart and mind clear. If a creature is so far along the path of evil that I have no choice but to end their life for the greater good, I swear to carefully weigh, and fully understood the consequences, but
once I have made the decision, follow through with it knowing that my path is just.
 
 
A few hours after leaving the burning village behind, we encountered an individual riding from the direction that we were going. His horse was well lathered and breathing heavily, a testament to his haste and the distance he had traveled. We stopped the rider to question him about what was up ahead and to find out why he was in such a hurry. It was obvious after a few minutes of strained conversation that he was getting irate and angry for being delayed in his mission. We finally learned that his name was Sir Kolngold and he was heading to Malletford to request aid from Sir Desman Mantel. That was when I showed him the token that Sir Mantel had given me, and he calmed noticeably.

He told us that he had followed the wagon carrying the All-Mother to the city of Huxford. Upon leaving the city, Sir Kolngold noticed that there were two identical wagons going in two different directions. When we met Sir Kolngold, he was going for reinforcements to be able to follow both wagons. We reassured him that we were the reinforcements and we would aid him in any way that we could.
 
Sir Kolngold took us to the city of Huxford where we met his companion, a surely dwarf named Markus “Captain” Barbos. After a palaver, it was decided that we would follow the south bound wagon while the rest of their troop would follow the east bound wagon.
 
Once again, I had to wait impatiently while Vater ran an errand. He needed to purchase some better armor for himself. After a couple of hours, we were once again on the trail of the transport wagon continuing our Holly Quest to free the All-Mother.
 
Barbos took us south to hook-up with a companion of his that was tracking the wagon. Andar soon noticed that we were being followed and broke away from us to confront what was shadowing us. As it turned out, our shadow was the companion of Barbos, an elf by the name of Estel.
 
Estel took us to a ruined estate telling us that she saw the All-Mother being taken into the ruins. After some discussion as to how to approach the situation and the ruins, I walked up to the ruins in a non-threatening manor to show anyone inside that we came as a diplomatic envoy not an attacking force. Some of my companions were not happy with this method but followed me in anyway.
 
As it turned out there was no one in the ruins watching for intruders. Looking around, Willow in her panther form found a concealed trap door that opened onto a set of stairs going down. At the bottom of the stairs in the basement I found two human guards. Once again, I approached them with open hands to show my diplomatic tendencies, but my companions had different intentions. They immediately attacked the guards and even though I attempted to apprehend them hoping that they were misguided and would see the light of Voltura, they were dispatched and sent to their makers.
 
The basement led into a subterranean complex and at one point Kolngold, Barbos, and Estel went one way and we continued further into the dungeon. Eventually we found our way to a temple that radiated a purple light. My divine sense warned me that this place radiated evil and corruption. We found some writing that neither my celestial nor my abyssal training could recognize. This led me to believe that we were dealing with a more devilish entity. Either way, the fiends have no business invading our plane of existence and must be handled with extreme prejudice.
 
The only way to open the door to the temple was by smearing blood on a rune that was on the door. Vater volunteered some of his blood and the door opened. Inside was the reek of corruption and the All-Mother lying on an altar. The temple was empty of all other presence, so we entered and removed the All-Mother from the altar. This was no easy task. She was “glued” to the altar by some black tarry substance. Willow and I managed to extract the All-Mother without harming her.
 
We all made it back to the surface without incident where we met back up with Kolngold, Barbos, and Estel. Barbos said that he would take custody of the All-Mother and take her to a place of safety. There was something in his demeaner or the way that he said it that did not set well with me. Some how I could tell that he was not being as truthful as he appeared to be. I chose to keep the All-Mother in our custody but agreed to accompany him to this supposedly safe place. The others concurred and we set out north to Barbos’s destination.
 
 
During a rest on our journey, I expressed my concerns about Barbos to Kolngold. He got rather upset, told me that he had know Barbos for a few years and would vouch for his integrity. He basically told my that I was wrong and to keep my slanderous accusations to myself. Unfortunately, I would be proven right sooner that I had expected.
 
A storm set upon us so we took shelter in a cave that was just barely big enough for all of us to fit into. At one point the All-Mother started speaking. Her voice was so quiet that three of us leaned in to hear her better and were transported elsewhere.
 
Willow, Enna, and I stood outside in a countryside devoid of all life and color. Everything was black and corrupted, even the city that we could see from where we stood. We were approached by a small “boy” of about ten years of age. I could sense that the place that we were in was corrupted by evil and that the “boy” was not a human as he appeared but a fiend in disguise. The three of us conversed with the fiend which was confusing at times. The best that I could recollect from the encounter was that his “father” was some fiend lord and he had given some of his blood to the All-Mother, or was it blood from the Relic Heart, which explained her current condition. Could this be the child of the prophesy that Sir Desman Mantel told us about?
 
Then all of a sudden, the three of us were back in the cave with the rest of our party. We told them what had happened and that we were outside ruined city of Ardol which is at the center of the corruption zone. They were skeptical of what we said since we had never left the cave, just stood there doing nothing. My guess is that our conciseness was transported to that destination while our bodies stayed behind. Or was it just a group hallucination? Who can tell when dealing with fiends of this nature?
 
The next morning we continued north to Barbos’s destination. During the day just as we were about to cross a small stream, we encountered a masked mysterious stranger. The stranger would not say anything and refused to respond to any of Barbos’s comments and demands. As Barbos spoke to the stranger he move over by Kolngold and to everyone’s surprise (except mine) struck Kolngold a mighty blow with his axe. Kolngold dropped to the ground, his life’s blood spilling out in the stream that he was previously standing in.
 
Not knowing if there were more assailants or not, I stood over the All-Mother’s body defending her with my life. In a feat of masterful combat, Vater dispatched Barbos with one mighty blow completely removing his head from his body. With another feat of masterful combat, Pythagoras slew the mysterious stranger with one mighty blow with his weapon. As quickly as it had started, the encounter was over with no other combatants revealing themselves.
 
The bodies were searched and the only things of interest that were found were a pair of bracelets, one from each body, and a red glass sphere about the size that could be cupped in a hand. The bracelets had pointer devices that pointed to each other, handy for keeping track of a compatriot. As for the red sphere, we were not sure of its purpose, but would soon learn what it could do. Andar took possession of the orb and I took the directional bracelets.
 
The bodies were disposed of in the proper manner and we were at a loss as to where to go next. We still had a semi-coherent All-Mother and needed to keep her safe and to try to cure her malady.
 
After some discussion, Vater said that we could probably get sanctuary for the All-Mother in Highfield because there was a Jailer Head Quarter there. During our journey to Highfield, the purpose of the red orb became apparent. Andar was able to communicate with someone in possession of another orb. While the rest of us kept quiet, Andar said that he was in possession of the All-Mother after the Voice’s real operative was killed. After being promised riches and power, the usual enticements of those with evil intent, Andar said that he would deliver the All-Mother to the Voice.
 
We then learned that the orb not only could transmit voices, but it could be set to viewing a small area also. After verification that Adnar did indeed have the All-Mother, he was told to take her to the Ruins of Elendon, an ancient city fortress buried deep in the earth. The Voice gave Andar vague directions on how to find the entrance to this place. We had no intentions of taking the All-Mother with us to this destination but decided it would be a good idea to check out this location and see what we could learn.
 
It seems that there are two factions wanting the All-Mother, the boy fiend and his father and this mysterious Voice. Or could it be the same faction employing two different agents to get possession of the All-Mother? Time will tell. The big question is why? Why the urgency to possess the All-Mother. Other than the goodness of the All-Mother, what makes her so special to warrant the obsession to have her? Perhaps it is this goodness that is so important to corrupt. If the All-Mother can be brought over to the dark side than anyone could be corrupted. I shudder to contemplate the consequences if this were so.
 
The next leg of our journey took us to Highfield. Pythagoras and I went to the local church of Voltura to see if we could find some answers as to how to exorcise the fiend from the All-Mother. Alas, the information that we were looking for would not be found here as this church was just a small one without an adequate library. We did receive information from caretaker that a strange individual entered Highfield and when approached by a troupe of Silver Capes, slaughtered them with some vial type of magic and then left town.
 
Disappointed about not finding the information that we were searching for; Pythagoras and I rejoined our companions at a pub called the Sleeping Spire. Vater took us to a secret entrance to the Jailer Head Quarters under the pub.
 
After some discussion on how to handle the situation with the All-Mother, Vater made arrangements with the Jailer in charge of this outpost for her to stay here while we continued our quest to free her from the influence of the fiend. I did not completely like the arrangements, she was more a special prisoner than an honored guest, but it would do until we had found better accommodations.
 
Vater told us that we would need to get permission from the leader of this outpost for better arrangements for the All-Mother. Unfortunately, the Jailer Warden had recently went after an elf by the name of Zelmazot somehow connected to the strange individual that had killed the Silver Capes. So off we headed into the neighboring mountains in search of this Warden.
 
Our trip to the mountains was uneventful, but as we climbed higher the weather turned colder and soon the terrain was too rugged for our horses to transvers safely, so we left them behind. Willow used her ability to speak with animals, still amazes me what she can do, to instruct her horse in what to do in case of an emergency as the leader of our heard of horses.
 
We climbed higher into the mountains attempting to find a trail or tracks of those that we are searching for. We found tracks for a short period of time but lost them. Willow showed us that not only could she transform her body into a panther, but she can also change into a black bear. This was a good thing because it was her nose that found a sent of our quarry and led us higher into the mountain and to some dead bodies that turned out to be some Silver Cloaks.
 
While we were examining the bodies, Andar was scouting around the area to see what he could find and to check for any dangers that we missed. He came back to us saying that he had found an individual that appeared to be alive but unmoving. We all went to investigate and ended up finding the one responsible for the recent deaths of the Silver Cloaks.
 
As we entered the clearing that Andar took us to, not only was there no body but we were transported to another plane of existence. We had no chance to examine our surroundings because here was a body and it was moving and talking. He tried to convert us to the dark side, and we tried to convert him to the light side, both sides at a stalemate. It was then that my divine sense informed me that this individual was a fiend. I informed my companions of this fact and a battle ensued.
 
The fiend used some strange and bizarre magic that it kept pulling up out of the water. It even summoned some of those strange corrupted undead that we had encounter back in the first village that we came across. The damage that we were dealing to it did not seem to be as effective as they should have been, and it also seemed to be healing slightly from the wounds that we were dealing to it. The situation did not seem to be going well for us, so I decided that it was time to reveal my true self. I was comfortable with and trusted my companions.
 
I called upon Mykiel and my Nephilim heritage to transform into my angelic persona. My eyes shone a bright blue light while my body glowed with a white cleansing light. My ethereal wings sprouted from my back and I flew up into the air to get a better view of the battlefield. After assessing the situation, I swooped down upon the fiend and using all of my divine ability to cleave through his body ending its reign of terror upon the planes.
 
The corrupted undead that the fiend had summoned quickly fell to our attacks and then all was silent. I flew upwards again to see if there were any other threats to us. All that I saw was a strangely bizarre corrupted land as far as I could see. I then landed next to my companions and resumed my more acceptable form.
 
We searched the immediate area and found nothing of worth except for a strange looking bowl. As I was reaching down to pick it up so we could examine it better, Willow strongly suggested that we not touch it. She was worried that anyone touching the bowl would become afflicted with the corruption that we were fighting against. I stayed my hand and Willow picked up the bowl with a blanket and stored it in a bag that she carried.
 
It was also noticed that one of our companions was missing. Pythagoras was nowhere to be found. We searched but to no avail, he was gone, and no one knew why or where he had gotten off to. Perhaps we will find him later in our journey or discover why he deserted us.
 
At one point during the conversation with the fiend before the combat started, the body of Vater’s warden surfaced in the pool of water that we were in. After the combat Vater wanted to skin and behead a body. I was not sure if he meant the fiend or the warden, but Willow, Enna, and I were all adamant that he does not perform the suggested actions, so he did not. When we did decide a direction to travel, he drug the dead body of the warden along stating that he needed proof of the warden’s demise in order to procure better arrangements for the All-Mother.
 
We seemed to be in some twisted fey land that some of my companions were familiar with, but not in its present condition. The landscape and plant life were a twisted version of what they should have been as was the animals that we saw. Description here would not do justice to what we encountered, so I will not even try. Just be assured that what we saw was not for the faint of heart.
 
We chose a direction and set out to find our way back home. We soon detected that we were being followed by a strange looking monkey/raven creature. Willow attempted to converse with it and soon discovered that its name was Mykrel and it would lead us to a place of safety. Trusting in Willow’s judgement, we followed the creature to what appeared to be a hollowed out tree complete with a wooden door. Inside we found an unexpected ally. We met an emotionless fey druid named Viana. She was a denizen of this fey realm.
 
After a period of palaver, we were showed rooms that we could rest for the night. After waking fully rested, Viana fed us a wonderful meal to break our fast, the most important meal of the day, then bestowed us with gifts to help us in our journey. The night before, Viana had mention a location of a possible portal back to our own plane of existence. After the meal and gifts she had Mykrel show us the way to the entrance of the location. Before we left, she did warn us that the way would be guarded by some twisted, corrupted creatures. She did not know the nature of these creatures. We thanked her for all of the aid she had given us and started out on the next leg of our journey. At one point during the palaver, I mentioned Voltura and Viana had a adverse reaction to it. I did not think anything of it at the time. Willow seem to trust this fey person and no one else commented on her reaction.
 
Mykrel lead us to the cave entrance that Viana had mention and bid us good luck and safe travel. Without hesitation, I lead our party into the cave and tunnels with the light of righteousness to guide us in our trespass of this complex. At this point, Enna consulted with the First-Mother to find out if this was indeed the correct way to go. Enna was blessed with the answer that this was indeed the correct path to follow, so in we went.
 
The tunnel twisted and turned, and we investigated some side tunnels that we came across but continued on the main tunnel until we came to a forking intersection that it was necessary to decide as to which way to go.
 
Our choices were a tunnel with evidence of spiders, we all assumed giant spiders not insect-sized spiders, or a tunnel with hoof tracks. We chose the hoof track tunnel and continue on our way. Hopefully, they would lead us to either horses or centaurs. It was not until later that I could not recall if the tracks were solid like horses or cloven like goats. We eventually did find out the hard way.
 
This tunnel eventually opened out into a vast cavern. We could not see how far that it extended to the left and right, nor up and down. We did see a large open area ahead of us across the chasm that held a large stone building, a tower fifty to sixty feet high and about a hundred or so feet in diameter. Luckily, there was a stone bridge spanning the chasm that lead up to the door of the structure. The doors were not locked, so we opened one and went in.
 
We had found a huge underground library filled with books and statues, at least on this ground level. My companions inspected the books and statues while I pushed on to find a way up to the next level. They soon learned that all of the books had been destroyed or damaged beyond usefulness. The statues were of creatures that none of us had ever seen before. I found the stairs up and after my companions joined me, ventured to the next level of this fantastic building.
 
We encountered the “librarians” or at least the corrupted twisted version of them. They were goat-looking, long horned creatures that immediately attacked us when the saw us enter. Even though they had some strange abilities, we dispatched them without much of a problem.
 
Once again, the books on this level had been damaged and destroyed. Continuing upwards, we saw statues and skeletons of strange creatures unrecognizable to us. One floor before the top, we encountered some odd creatures that were calmly sitting and “reading” some of the damaged books. At first, they seemed “friendly” and content with just conversing with us. One of the two showed Vater and Andar the way up to the final level of the tower. After Vater and Andar entered the stairway, the creature closed and locked the door behind them dividing our party. They attacked us but were soon dispatch and we were able to join our two companions on the top floor.
 
This was a room that had a large hole in the middle of the floor surrounded by twelve pedestals. The pedestals were equally distanced around the hole. The hole seemed bottomless and was lined with shelves upon shelves books that had not been damaged or destroyed. I soon discovered that the pedestals each held and invisible book. I picked up the nearest one to me that turned out to be a red book titled “Recipes”. I opened my book but found that all of the pages were blank. At that point everyone grabbed a book and were rewarded with a variety of results. I replaced my book and walked over to another pedestal and attempted to pick up the book there. It just crumbled to dust in my hands. It seems that we were stuck with the choices that we had already made. Much the way it is in real life.
 
In frustration, Vater tossed his book into the bottomless hole in the floor. This ended up being a mistake. An extraordinarily strong wind arose attempting to suck everyone into the portal on the floor. I managed to grab the pedestal that I was standing by and hung on as if my life depended on it, which it did. Andar had managed the same feat across the way, but everyone else failed to grab ahold of anything and were quickly sucked into the hole.
 
Quick thinking Willow used on of her spells to stop their plunge into what seem certain death as a giant eye appeared at the “bottom” of the pit. The three swore that they heard a deep booming voice saying something along the lines of hoping for food or release me followed by a maniacal laugh.
 
With the use of ropes, Andar and I were able to pull everyone back up to safety. Now we are confronted with the conundrum of how to proceed in finding our way back home. Is this the way or should we go back and follow the tunnel with the spiders? Time will tell.
 
Soon after, the hole closed like an iris and the building started to shake. We also heard the tolling of a bell. We decided that it would be wise to vacate the tower as quickly as possible. As soon as we were out side of the tower, it crumbled to rubble behind us. It did not occur to me at the time, but Andar was missing. Did he fall or jump into the hole before it closed thinking that it was the portal that we were searching for? Or was he crushed by some part of the tower that fell on him? This is another companion that will be missed.
 
Quickly crossing the bridge back into the tunnel, we soon discovered that the tunnel had changed, and we were not returning to our previous location. Instead we came out into another large cavern. This one had a large lake in it and a church on an island in the middle of the lake. Luckily, the path that we were on lead right up to the church door.
 
Entering the temple we found that we were in a wide open octagonal room with a door on each wall. In the center of the room was an odd creature sitting on a large chair. The creature appeared to be made of wood and quite dead. Willow touched it and part of the wooden creature crumbled in her hand.
 
Examining the doors revealed that three of them were covered in vines and seemingly unpassable. One door had symbols on it. The symbols were what looked like a sun with seven moons in a semicircle beneath it. We entered this door and found ourselves in a vast grassy field on a bright sunny day. We immediately felt contented and at peace when we ventured into the field.
 
We soon found a small group of people up ahead. We saw some shrouded figure with seven children sitting in front of it. We could not interact with any of them but decided that this was some type of a learning class. All of a sudden, we found ourselves back in the octagonal room.
 
We next checked out the door with bright light emanating from the door frame. Through this door was a snowy forest. We soon found the same seven children playing in the snow. One of the kids, a short muscular tike was trying to start a fight with a little girl with snow white hair. He was unsuccessful because as Enna deduced these kids were the gods of Fabel and the snow white haired girl was Voltura.
 
One of the doors was destroyed and burnt and try as we might, we could not open it. Vater managed to remove the vines from one of the other doors and as we attempted to enter, we heard a voice warning us not to because we would be going to our death if we did. As it turned out this was the voice of the figure in the chair, the steward of this church.
 
He told us that the portal that we sought was down one more level in this bizarre cavern complex. After confirming that the entity behind the corruption was indeed Mytar, he asked us to destroy his dead body so that he could move on to whatever lies beyond this living world. Vater complied to his request and then we left the church.
 
The water of the lake was parted, and we saw a set of stairs leading downward. Descending the stairs we entered another large cavern that was smaller that the other two caverns that we had found. Here there was another church that appeared to be in the process of being reclaimed by the landscape.
 
Inside, the church was in shambles except for the alter area at the other end of the church. Behind the altar was the Portal that we had been seeking. In front of the altar was a huge beast comprised of many bodies of various animals. It looked really disgusting and wrong. Behind that thing, standing at the altar was Viana. The person who helped us in the beginning ended up being a villain in the end.
 
My companions all hid behind the rubble on our end of the church. Because of the duplicity of Viana and the monstrosity before her, I decided that negotiation would be futile, so I transformed in to my angelic self and flew forward to confront Viana with some cold steel.
 
My first attack against Viana passed right through her and she vanished from the battlefield. The monstrosity that she named Princess Made its first attack against me by flying up into the air and slamming its body down on mine. That was a very unpleasant experience.
 
The rest of my companions joined in the fray and Princess turned on them. Princess was a worth combatant although a corrupt one. Princess inflicted heavy damage on our side but in the end, we prevailed and once again I dealt the final blow to end the Princesses reign. We took no time in going through the Portal in case it was closed to us trapping us in this twisted, corrupted fey realm.
 
Once through the portal, we found ourselves in a cave behind a waterfall. Of course, the Portal was nowhere to be seen, so if this is the wrong Realm, we will be looking for another Portal.
 
We discovered tracks in the dirt of the floor of the cave, a great number from multiple types of creatures. We recognized some of the tracks. It seems that Viana has been sending twisted fey creatures through the Portal while we were stumbling around trying to find it. This does not bode well for our Realm.
 
Stepping out of the cave through the ice cold waterfall, we were fairly sure that we were back to where we started from, just in a slightly different location. After we got our bearings, we headed down the mountain hoping to find our horses where we had left them and alive. As it turned out, we found the place that we had left them, but there was no sign of them. We had been following a mass amount of twisted fey tracks, so we were not surprised that our horses where missing. We did not find any bloody remains or any sign of a struggle, so hopefully Willows horse lead them to safety.
 
The closer that we got to Highfield the more signs of death and destruction we came across. We found evidence of giant spiders, the cloven hooved goat-like creatures, and others that we had not encountered yet. Once Highfield came into view, our fears were confirmed as we saw smoke from burning buildings and more and more dead bodies, mostly of humans but some of the twisted fey creatures. We saw some live horrors attacking people and we all jumped into to lend what aid that we could.
 
My first concern was for the All-Mother and her safety, so I wanted to go to the Sleeping Spire, but Willow and the others had a different idea. They wanted to wade into the battle in the center of town. Since, the Sleeping Spire was in the middle of town, I followed suit.
 
Once we entered Highfield we were met with an immediate encounter. Two of the horrors were accosting a woman in dark garb. We came to her aid and easily dispatched the creatures. We continued our push south to the Sleeping Spiral and the All-Mother. The dark woman joined us, safety in numbers, and we later found out that she was a cleric of Voltura named Aura Vigil. Along the way we encountered people that we could help and save as well as more of these foul creatures from the twisted Fey Realm. At one point we came across Charlene Cromwell an individual that Andar and Willow had met when we were last in Highfield. She had just dispatched a couple of these corrupted creatures and allowed us to deal with some others while she took a break. Some of our companions were seriously injured from our earlier encounters both here in Highfield and back in the corrupted Fey Realm. I was running out of resources to help, but used what I had left as needed as did Aura Vigil even though she had not known us for very long. Vater took a nasty wound during this battle and not only was he rendered unconscious, but paralyzed and wrapped in a spider's web. Willow had transformed into her bear form once again and was able to carry both Vater and the dead body that he had brought back from the twisted Fey Realm. Our nexted encounter was one of shock and sorrow.
 

As we approached the Sleeping Spire, we saw a scene of death and destruction. The area outside of the tavern was littered with dead bodies both human, Vater's Jailer troop, and those of many of the corrupted creatures from the Fey Realm, some that we recognized and some that we did not recognize. The most shocking body that we saw was the All-Mother herself. She was not doing very well; her corrupted condition had progressed far greater that when we had last seen her. It was evident that she was on the last of her reserve and that she was suffering more now than she had been when we had first rescued her. We all gathered around her as she opened her eyes and spoke to us. She apologized to Vater for the deaths of his fellow Jailers and spoke us about things that related to each of us. The two most startling things that she said to us were the fact that she wanted us to end her misery and that our companion Enna was to be the next All-Mother. As to the first, I could not grant her wish myself, my ethics would not allow me to do the deed. Our new companion, Aura Vigil, was quick to draw her weapon to offer herself as the executioner, but in the end Vater was able to use one of his abilities to peacefully fulfill the All-Mother's wish. As to the second, I believe that we all were shocked and amazed, none more so than Enna herself.

The All-Mother's last request to me was to aid Enna in reaching the catacombs beneath the Ellathane Cathedral so that she could retrieve the artifacts that would complete her ascension to be the next All-Mother. This would be the holy book, The Ellamendia, and Amare, a beautiful staff of gold and obsidian. She told us of two entrances to the catacombs, one was in her quarters and the other was in the sewers beneath Malletford. I told her that I would ensure that Enna would get there or die trying, this would now be our next Holly Quest. I have appointed myself as the All-Mother to be's personal bodyguard. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe and see that she gets to her destined location.

Charlene Cromwell invited us to follow her to her house where we would be safe for the night and take a much needed rest. As we reached her house, I noticed the flowers out front, recognized the type of flowers that they were and commented that Willow had been here previously. Inside, Willow commented on the fact that the insides were different than when she was here before. After a short tour, dinner was served. Some of my companions as well as myself were skeptical as to the nature of our host's intentions. We were remembering the last time we were invited to a place of safety and succor. We found out later that we had been duped by kindness and hospitality. I mentioned Voltura's name and Charlene Cromwell did not reached with adversity as did Viana, so I relaxed and enjoyed the repast. Some of the others were not so convinced and remained in a rude and skeptical mood. After the meal and a bath we settled down for the night. Vater was still leery of the situation and suggested that the two of us share a room. I believed that discretion was the better part of valor , so I complied with his suggestion. As it turned out, nothing adverse happened during the night.

In the morning, our host had a visitor that was interested in hearing our stories. He introduced himself as Cyne Gimlore a former apprentice of Ms. Cromwell. He told us that he has been travelling the land looking for answers to the Corruption and that he was extremely interested in any information that we had on the subject. We each introduced ourselves and over another excellent repast, we sat down for one of my favorite past times, a morning palaver.

My companions told what they knew of the Corruption and their experience in or around the area. Cyne was especially interested in the information that Willow told him about being inside the Corrupted Zone and being expelled from it. After everyone else had finished and Cyne stood to leave, I decided to reveal to him about the vision that Willow, Enna, and I had shared in the cave when we had first rescued the All-Mother. This piqued his interest and after we had finished, said that we had given his plenty to think about. He did mention that if we were interested in venturing to the Corruption Zone, that we should talk to Lord Henry Rosekelt in Glenrose. Evidently Lord Rosekelt is looking for adventurous individuals to venture into the Corrupted Zone. He is offering wealth and power to any who would take him up on his offer. It is my experience that offers such as this one is made by people that are unscrupulous and untrustworthy. Cyne confided with us that he does not trust this lord either but has found him to be useful in the past.

Cyne then bid us ado and left to continue his search for answers. So afterwards, we thanked our host for her much needed hospitality and started our long journey on foot to Malletford. As we left Highfield we were met with a joyous sight. We saw Willow's mare leading our horses to meet up with us. Willow asked her horse, yes, she can speak to animals, where they had been, and she said that they had seen some bad monsters and ran away. This just made our two week plus journey to Malletford only a week trip instead.

Once in Malletford, we headed for the Commons gate. This allowed us easy entrance into the city. Moving through the crowds of the Commons, we saw a disturbing sight. A gallows had been erected and there were three bodies hanging on it. Upon closer examination, Enna, Aura and I recognized the hanging bodies as senior keepers of the Ellathane Cathedral. This does not bode well for our quest.

We were stopped by a greedy city guard at the gates to the Trade District. He demanded a bribe to let us pass so we could go to the Cathedral, so Willow paid for those of us that she could. The fee for Vater was a bit steeper because of his loose mouth. Vater was an ass and berated the guard up one side and down the other. In the end, Willow got her money back and we were able to pass the gate without further hassle. Somehow Vater turned a negative into a positive.

Once we reached the Cathedral, we were not greeted by a joyful sight. The King's Guard were looting and ransacking the place. Vater and I approached the building and we were stopped by another guard. Vater was an ass again to this guard, but we did learn that our former All-Mother was blamed for the attack on Highfield so the church and anything associated with it was to be confiscated by the King. We also learned that anyone associated with this church would be arrested and executed by order of the King. Luckily, I was able to get Vater away from the situation before his attitude got us all arrested and killed.