Devil of a Tale

Written by George Sanders

The dwarf swung the door of the Heralds Guild open with a flourish. The flash of his cape in the morning sun more than made up for his short stature. The metal on his boots made each step echo in the common room. It is quite a feat to pull off a dramatic entrance in a room full of performers.
The trubador of small stature had a meeting with an editor. After sending his story to the guild a wagon was sent to retrieve him from beyond the Anhult Rise. A sage had even been sent to levitate the wagon over the rise. His story was too good and he sent proof. The editor stood in their office door frame. She watched the dwarf approach. In her hand she held the evidence, a half burnt guest book page signed by Supheli Rend.
"Welcome Rundarbek, have a seat. I expect you have quite the tale for me."
The dwarf bowed politely and took a seat. Everyone in the common room has stopped talking and looked at the editor. She paused for a moment.
Then reminded everyone, "You all have work to do, you'll get to read the story soon enough!"
Her voice we stern but she couldn't help a toothy smile as she close the door to her office. She had been a refugee from the forest a few years ago. Many in the common room were as well. They had all had the experience of running from the mists that hunted them. They all had lost family members and friends. Now, Rundarbek had sent word that he was an eye witness to the death of the demon behind the mists.
The mists, he wrote, had been cause by a devil of creature, certainly one not of this world. In his letter the mists had entered the dwarven outpost at Mudforge and half the residents just left. It was more like they just disappeared, and no one could remember what direction they went. Then those that remained began to be found catatonic. He wrote about an overwhelming urge to collect anything of value by those remaining conscious.
Supheli Rend had come looking for the Devil. She bore her family weapon and when the devil saw it, he threw everything he had at the young knight. The burnt guest book page corroborated his letter and recent actions of the Knights of the Silver Dragon hinted at an intense battle deep in the Wildlands. Rumors of the return of Acgozluk could not be ignored. This could be the story of a lifetime.