Alma's Archive 01-05-XXXX

Alma’s Archive [01-05-XXXX]:

If one were to try and succinctly put into words how the past few days have been, turbulent is the first thing that comes to mind. Followed shortly by stressful, bewildering, and utterly horrifying.
The group elected to call it a night after the frightening ordeal with the Scourge- though whether any of us rested is questionable. What we saw unfold tonight, and are seeing unfold in Verdant before our eyes… there is no reason for such mindless folly, or none which I can discern. To be able to leave these problems behind as we make our way to the mainland would bring much relief. Yet I think this improbable- if the governing authorities are behind the crackdown (As it appears to be), I fear we will only see more of this zealot’s crusade spreading in time.
With sleep came dreams both great and terrible. First, the figure: she came to me in the night- stony and impenetrable in frame, a trio of eyes staring at me. Radiating beams of prismatic light… this I was not expecting. Admittedly, I was less eloquent than desired upon confronting one’s deity in seeking to convey my thanks for her aid in previous days. She seemed to take no offence to this, fortunately enough. It was different, than I’d imagined such an event would be: more impersonal, perhaps. Yet it was a positive interaction, if anything: I’ve admittedly been conflicted as of late, as to what my bearings should be. At least now I feel more assured, in knowing what I am to do going forward.
And after this vision came another, one particularly foreboding in nature. The four of us (along with that doltish prophet) had been hired by a local drow woman to find her missing child, Red. It started out well enough, but as we pressed on into the woods, the idyllic day swiftly grew cold and ominous. On our travels we found the corpse of a large wolf, whose disembodied head proceeded to ambush us through otherworldly means. Its ghostly howl sent chills down ones spine, yet its bark was worse than its bite. Quick as lightning, Eldur took action and managed to bring down the apparition single-handedly… before brutally butchering the remains. He tried to brush it off afterwards, but Mirik and Malice saw what I did, how his eyes were bloodshot pinpricks, blinded by bloodlust. It’s that sword, of that there’s no question. We tried to speak to him about it, but as usual he ignored us, so the topic was shelved for the time being.
Unfortunately, the gruesome sight we saw then proved to be a sign of things to come. We reached the lakeside cottage soon after, and the moment Malice opened the door a noxious odour leaked out. I had only a glance at what was inside before my very body began to revolt at the grotesque horror. Bloodstained walls, entrails strewn about, and the crimson wraith standing before us, chanting and baying for blood… it was all I could do to scurry off to the bushes and retch. Iltar seemed equally paralyzed by the dreadful sight, attempting to bolster the other three before succumbing.
I saw little of the conflict, but could hear Eldur’s footfalls as he darted in, the singing of steel and squelching as metal pierced through flesh. The quiet incantations as Malice tried enrapturing the creature with her spells, her imploring the others to spare the child, and the pained screams that came thereafter. It is difficult, attempting to recall the details now. Eventually I regained some semblance of composure and made my way back to the entrance- Malice had been badly wounded at that point, and so was the creature. It was purely by chance that the Spiritual Weapon managed to finish her off, causing the cloak to wither away and leaving the girl unconscious.
What happened next was a blur: Mirik deftly tended to the seeping wounds Malice and Eldur had incurred. At the sorceresses’ request, we managed to revive the child, Red, who seemed to have no memory of what had occurred. The journey back to town was swift and uneventful, and from there the details grow dim- the next thing I knew, it was morning.
Tired and bleary-eyed, I initially presumed it was all but a rather vivid dream. That is, until I checked my things and noticed that one of our Diamonds had gone missing- the same one we’d used in the vision. Shortly thereafter Mirik emerged from the wall, as the druid is wont to do- after a bit of coaxing, I discovered she’d had the exact same dream (All the more curious as she claims to not normally have dreams).