Alma’s Archive 01-10-1566

Sometimes I wonder whether I ought to be more concise with my records- as much as one enjoys recounting the day-to-day in vivid detail, I look back upon my previous entries and at times find them cumbersome to read, lugubrious even. Then again, the devil is oft in the details, as Corwin liked to say…. Still, being slightly more succinct may prove beneficial, primarily for the purposes of parsing through my notes at a later date. Right, back to it: We were in one of the lighthouse shacks, having just spotted a ghoulish spectre floating past the windows. There was a brief mention of trying to sneak away undetected, yet we dilly-dallied too long and the phantom discovered us. She was a foul spirit, chuckling maliciously about how ‘Two will die’ and looked ready to strike Valspira. Yet before she could do harm, Eldur sprung forth and stabbed her, the cursed blade seeming to have some effect on her. The Ghost let out a piercing wail which incited shock and madness in many of us, but thankfully Mirik scared her off with her flames.
Looking to move forward lest the spirit return, we returned to the dishevelled courtyard. The lighthouse loomed above, no light shining through the windows. Not wanting to be caught unaware once more, Mirik sent her little lizard friend up the scaffolding to peer through the window for us, relaying that the interior also looked to be in disarray. With Iss’s help, Eldur climbed up to join Ola, breaking the glass and peeking his head through (Why he deemed that necessary is beyond me, but I’ve come to realize one must pick their fights when in such company). It was then confirmed that there was a spectre haunting the interior as well.
Now knowing what lay ahead, Eldur and Iss attempted to breach the entrance, which was apparently blocked and sealed up from the inside. Normally I would’ve offered my expertise in such matters, but I was preoccupied with other matters, attempting to conjure up some healing power to mend our wounded… This proved to be a needlessly time-consuming endeavour however, much to my disappointment. Fortunately, Valspira successfully reduced the barricade to embers, allowing us entry to the ground level.
As per usual, our roguish companion recklessly sprinted up the steps, only to be pushed down the steps not once, but twice, by a vengeful spirit. It screamed at us, threatening again that we’d die twice-over and demanding that we leave its abode. Yet again, our druidic friend was successful in scaring it away with her fiery orbs, yet it continued to haunt us as we climbed the tower, poking out of walls and at one point trying to suck the life from Eldur. Eventually, we managed to reach the mess hall area, injured but alright. Here we found some notes from the lighthouse keepers, speaking of a recent storm and strange happenings around the island over the past week. Iss and Valspira read them aloud whilst inspecting the area with Eldur, yet they found little more than moldy provisions.
Mirik, on the other hand, scanned the area and discovered a hatch leading to the top floor. As one drew close however, it emanated an aura of dread that made even Iss shudder. I too felt it when approaching the entry, but tried to reassure her that the Knowing Mistress was watching over us. Whether my words were true in that moment, I remain uncertain, but they seemed to ease her mind if nothing else.
As to be expected at this point, we were right to be worried, as a most fearsome wraith awaited us at the top. The mere sight of this Phantom (Who claimed to be the spirit of one Cpt. Dread Roberts) was enough to incite fear, but we pushed on all the same. It was quite the scene to behold- Valspira sending arcane projectiles through the air, Mirik calling upon ocean waves to wash the spectre away. Together with Iss and Eldur, they managed to send that abomination back to it’s watery grave, thank the gods.
However, upon inspecting the area, it quickly became apparent why the lighthouse wasn’t operating properly- there was no apparatus to emit a light. Mirik and Valspira proposed setting the roof ablaze instead, but fortunately we managed to dissuade them of that dangerous notion. After mulling it over a bit, we concluded that the precious ‘orb’ Dread Roberts spoke of was the missing beacon. Given that we’d searched the Lighthouse rather thoroughly, Iss suggested checking the area across the bridge, noting she spotted a cave entrance near there. As we had no other leads and time was of the essence, we agreed to check it out.
Proceeding to the broken bridge, Valspira, Mirik, and Iss took the lead in scanning the area for any safe means of crossing the treacherous cliffside. I stood beside them, but my ears were drawn to the one-sided argument occurring behind me… from what I could make of it, Eldur was attempting to bargain with the entity sealed in the blade, speaking of needing to work together and wanting to have ‘a partnership’ with it. A rather troubling notion, given my current suspicions, but apparently he made a convincing enough argument- upon glancing back through the mists, we could see he’d returned to his feline form. He’s normally a difficult fellow to read, but you’d be blind to miss the excitement in his expression as he sprinted forth, ready to traverse the rocky cliffs…
And then he slipped and fell into the ocean. We got a good chuckle out of that.
Mirik, ever the dutiful one, had little time for our antics, shifting into a large lizard and swimming through the churning water with ease. Iss in turn showed a deftness in hopping along the stone columns to cross the channel, but Valspira and I needed a bit more preparation. By the time we made it through, the fog revealed yet another legion of undead creatures to confront. It was a frightening ordeal (As most are), a few of the creatures shambling a bit too close for my comfort, yet Iss managed to come to my aid and take them down. I managed to hit a few of them with the Mistresses’ ethereal flames, but it was Mirik and Valspira jointly who pulled through, the former ensnaring most of the horde in a Web so the sorceress could light them ablaze.
In the aftermath, Mirik took to scavenging corpses as she often does whilst Eldur managed to successfully pick one of the nearby chests open (He’d never admit it, but I suspect he’s picked up on a few of my tricks in our time together). Iss acquired some new garments along with a strange sphere, whilst I was given a scroll case (Which I’ve yet to check out, but mayhaps it’ll have something of interest). Of course, he kept the rest for himself, but I felt no need to argue about it in that moment. There was this feeling in the air- a sense of camaraderie? Or something akin to it anyways- regardless, it just didn’t seem right to quarrel and spoil things. After all, we’ll have plenty of time to inquire about such treasures once we’re through with this business.
Now, all that is left is to plunge into the briny depths once more and see where this cave leads us...
Notes to Self: -At last, we have a plan to deal with this Cursed Blade of Azurumme. It is a comfort, to have a proper strategy in place, along with an ally to help see it through. May the Knowing Mistress guide us in this venture. -I’ve learned something which could prove… advantageous in future. My recent observations suggest that Eldur is perhaps illiterate- this requires confirmation, of course, but if true might offer me a bargaining chip when it comes to our future dealings. Leverage, as he likes to put it. Time shall tell, I suppose.