Entry 78: The tomb of the First King
Dear Diary,
At breakfast, I let the others know of my intention to revisit the shrine of Sister Willow to perform a ritual. Knowing we had more urgent matters to deal with, I suggested going alone. It’s not far, and the way there should be safe enough. But of course, my companions wouldn't hear of it. No amount of reasoning could dissuade them—especially not when the risk, however minor, involved one of their own. We agreed to go together, but only after speaking with Mortimer, the necromancer who might offer insight into the situation with Galienne. And since we’d already be in Keralon, we might as well take the opportunity to delve into the mausoleum and search for the tomb of the first king—perhaps finally find some real answers.
Our first stop was the academy, where Mortimer awaited us. He looked exactly like you’d imagine a necromancer who dabbles in the edge of life and death would: thin, pale, and haunted, with eyes that seemed to see far beyond the room we were in—or maybe just too far inward. He had the energy of someone who’d spent far too many nights talking to bones and not enough to living people.
We explained the situation, and he confirmed something we already suspected: the curse afflicting Galienne isn’t strong enough to contain a dragon’s soul forever. But what we didn’t know—and what he told us with unnerving confidence—is that he believes the curse itself is evolving. That it’s alive, in a sense. Growing. Learning.
His proposed solution was, unsurprisingly, controversial. He would create a receptacle to house the curse, a vessel designed to lure the magic away by channeling the dragon essence into it—forcing the curse to follow. Galienne would survive, he said, but her dragon soul would be stripped from her. She would be human. Whole, but not herself. The cost of salvation would be her very nature.
None of us said it out loud, but we were all thinking the same thing: could we really trust a necromancer with a dragon’s soul? Even if Mortimer meant no harm—and I’m still not entirely convinced he does—there’s something in the way he spoke that made it clear: he wasn’t trying to save Galienne as much as he was trying to test a theory. She was an equation. A puzzle to be solved.
We declined. Not harshly. Not forever. Just… for now. If all else fails, perhaps we’ll return. He seemed disappointed, but not surprised. Maybe he expected our hesitation. Maybe he knew we'd be back eventually, once desperation made the unthinkable seem reasonable.
In an unexpected twist, he offered to teach necromancy to Luke and me. I refused without hesitation. My power doesn’t come from scrolls or spells—it comes from deeper roots. Luke, for his part, politely declined as well. Necromancy doesn’t suit a wizard who prefers to reshape the world in bursts of fire and force.
We said our goodbyes and left him there, alone with his theories and his pale ambition. As we stepped out into the sunlight, I caught a flicker of something on Alistan’s face. Disappointment. He hides it well—he always has—but I’ve learned to see the cracks. Another path that leads nowhere. Another hope dashed. And behind his silence, I could almost hear the question that haunted us all:
What if this is the best chance we get?
When we arrived at the mausoleum, it was Dadroz who took the lead. His knightly order holds jurisdiction over this region, and he knows its hidden corners better than any of us. More importantly, he knew how to avoid his fellow knights. The last thing we needed was to be spotted creeping around forbidden tombs—we had too many secrets already, and few answers to give.
He guided us through the overgrown outer paths to the old temple of Belanos. The structure had been abandoned since the destruction brought by Ourborros’ Emergence—its roof torn open, stones scorched and blackened—but recent efforts had restored part of it, at least enough to provide cover. The chaos from the Emergence had left a jagged breach in the foundation, one that led straight down into the tombs below.
Excitement flickered through us as we descended into the cool dark, but it didn’t last long. The narrow stone corridor ended in a dead wall, and though we all hoped for a hidden door or illusory passage, Dadroz’s thorough inspection left us disappointed—it was just a wall. Solid. Ordinary.
We weren’t about to give up. After a brief, silent exchange of nods, we chose brute force. Luke promised he could restore the wall afterward with his magic, so Gael set up a zone of silence to mask the noise, and Liliana shifted her weapon into a hammer with practiced grace. A few heavy swings, and the stone cracked and gave way, revealing the path forward—dark, dust-choked, and waiting.
We pressed on, deeper into the king’s mausoleum. The corridor narrowed, and the air turned colder. My own sight falters in darkness, but I’m no stranger to navigating the unknown. A quick invocation sharpened my vision, rendering the world in shifting greys. Even that was better than Luke’s flickering torchlight and the ominous shadows it cast.
The first door we encountered bore the name of Ker Allres the Second—the first king. It was imposing, ancient, and sealed tight. Dadroz approached with caution, his fingers tracing the engravings. “It’s locked,” he muttered, “and trapped. Heavily.” He didn’t offer to disarm it, and after a quick discussion, we agreed to leave it for now. There might be another way forward—perhaps something we missed.
Further down the corridor, we discovered a second door. This one was different—its surface delicately carved with motifs of blooming flowers, vines curling around the stone in elegant spirals. It was dedicated to Kaz Rahl. Dadroz examined it and declared that while it was trapped, he could safely disarm it. With a nod, he stepped aside and allowed us entry.
The room beyond was eerily still. It was bare, save for a single raised stone pillar in the center. Atop it burned a lone candle—its flame steady, unwavering, and somehow untouched by time or air. There was a reverence to the space, like a sacred hush had settled over it. Across from us, another door stood, but this one bore an inscription—a riddle, carved into the stone.
We approached carefully. The candle’s glow cast long, slow-moving shadows against the walls. No one spoke.
“I am lighter than a feather, and rise to water’s top.
But hold me for a bit too long, and you will most surely drop.”
I didn’t need long to solve the riddle—the answer was “my breath.” It came to me almost instinctively, a whisper in my mind as I read the words etched into the stone. In the time it took to share the answer with the others, Dadroz had already gone to work on the second door. His fingers moved with swift precision, and within moments, the trap was disabled and the way forward opened.
The chamber beyond was stark and unsettling. It was empty, save for a wide stone pit at its center, filled with the dark, crumbling remnants of a long-dead bonfire. The ashes whispered of old magic, and of rituals lost to time.
Alistan, catching on just as quickly, stepped forward and gently blew out the candle behind us. The flame vanished with a quiet puff—and in its place, a fresh stack of firewood appeared in the once-dead hearth. No words were needed. We understood.
I reached out and sparked the wood alight with a flick of my fingers. The fire roared to life, unnaturally fast, unnaturally hot. And then—they came.
From within the flames, two massive forms emerged, their bodies forged of bone and brimstone, their wings folded like cloaks of scorched parchment. Bone devils. They hissed as they stepped into the chamber, clawed hands gripping wickedly barbed glaives, eyes glowing with ancient fury.
I reacted on instinct. One of them barely had time to raise its weapon before I cast a polymorph spell—its terrible form shrunk, twisted, and collapsed into the shape of a startled, hissing turtle. Unfortunately, the blasted creature instinctively scurried back into the flames, seeking refuge in the very fire that birthed it.
The fight was intense, but brief. With only one devil to face initially, we struck hard and fast. Liliana’s hammer cracked bone, Alistan’s blade danced with divine light, and Luke unleashed a storm of force and flame. Even when the turtle reverted to its true form mid-battle, it was too late—the creature never regained the upper hand.
When the last devil fell with a screech that echoed against the stone, the fire began to fade. Luke stepped forward, ever the curious scholar, and sifted through the ashes with a spell of protection around his hand. His eyes lit up in triumph. “A red key,” he said, lifting it for us all to see, its surface still warm from the flames. Retrieving it might have been dangerous for anyone else—but for a wizard of Luke’s caliber, it was almost trivial.
With our first key in hand, we pressed forward down the corridor to the next door. The chamber beyond was darker, colder somehow, and carved into the stone were countless images of skulls—some grinning, some screaming, all watching. Like the room before, there was a single candle flickering at the center, and carved into the door, a new riddle awaited us.
“I have no arms or legs or torso, no head or neck or feet below.
Yet I stand tall in youth, getting shorter when I’m long in tooth.”
This time, the answer was the candle itself. It felt obvious once you looked at the riddle from the right angle. With the trap carefully disarmed by Dadroz, the door creaked open to reveal the next chamber.
The room beyond was stark and silent, its centerpiece a strange, shallow fountain chiseled from black stone. Alistan stepped forward with quiet determination and placed the candle atop a pedestal at the fountain’s heart. The moment the wax met the stone, a sharp crack split the silence.
A beam of dark energy shot upward like a screaming column of voidlight, and from it burst two abominations—monstrous, bloated things that vaguely resembled goblins twisted far beyond recognition. Their skin sagged with decay, their limbs thick and rubbery. But worst of all were their chests: split open, ribcages flared back like jaws, revealing rows of fangs holding in their still-living victims, whose muffled screams tore through the air.
They struck fast. Waves of necrotic energy pulsed from their bodies like a disease made manifest, draining strength and hope with each lash. We fought back with everything we had—Liliana’s hammer broke through the bones of the first creature quickly, felling it in a burst of black ichor—but the second let out a gurgling, rattling shriek and summoned aid from the shadows. Wraiths poured from the walls, shrieking as they descended on us with spectral claws.
Gael collapsed first, clutching her chest with a gasp as her life force was sapped away. Luke followed moments later, his magic flickering out as he fell unconscious, pale and still. For a breath, it felt like the tide had turned against us.
But we did not falter. With a final, desperate push, we destroyed the remaining undead. The room fell still again, save for the wheezing of our breath and the thud of my boots as I sprinted to the fallen. I dropped to my knees and poured healing magic into them—pulling both Luke and Gael back from the edge of death. Their eyes fluttered open, and though they were shaken and weakened, they nodded grimly.
“We press on,” Luke muttered, jaw clenched.
Gael gave a small, tight smile. “We’re not dead yet.”
A quick examination of the now-silent fountain revealed a second key—this one pitch-black, its surface cold to the touch. With both the red and black keys in hand, we made our way further down the corridor to the final door.
The last chamber was different. More refined. Four statues stood arranged around a flickering candle: graceful elven figures frozen in mid-gesture. Their names were etched into the plinths—Elaira Moonwhisper, Eldrin Sunchaser, Silvani Forestwhisper, and Fennel Starlight. Beautiful names, but meaningless to us… at least for now. Yet the riddle inscribed on the next door offered a clue—some subtle connection between the statues and the candle that would need to be unraveled before we could move forward.
We exchanged glances. Whatever this final trial was, it would not be simple.
“I start the day, and end the day.
And do the same for your dear friend.”
The answer to the riddle was the letter “D.” A subtle clue, easy to miss if you weren’t paying attention—but it was there, hidden in plain sight within the names. Only Eldrin Sunchaser contained the letter. The chamber behind the door revealed a wide stone hall, far grander than the ones before. At its center were four pedestal-like hollows in the floor, each bearing a carved symbol: a crescent moon, a blazing sun, a shining star, and a swirl of open sky.
We didn’t hesitate long. “Eldrin Sunchaser,” Alistan said, lifting the corresponding statue. He approached the pedestal marked with the sun and placed the statue there. The moment it settled into place, the air turned cold, and the ground shivered beneath our feet.
Without warning, roots and vines burst from the cracks between the stones, snaking outward with terrifying speed. They wrapped around Alistan and Liliana, entangling their limbs and dragging them to the ground. The room bloomed into green chaos. From the corners, four massive centaurs emerged—hulking, spectral creatures carved from bark, sinew, and shadow. Their weapons glinted in the low torchlight, and their eyes gleamed with primal fury.
I had a plan—a spell of my own, one that would twist the battlefield to our favor. The vines were perfect kindling for my magic. But before I could act, one of the centaurs raised its spear toward me. A beam of radiant light erupted from its tip, searing my eyes and sending me stumbling back into the previous room, momentarily blind and disoriented.
The battle that followed was chaos. The chamber was vast, the lighting poor, and the vines made movement difficult. I heard steel clash, spells crackle, and the roar of battle from every direction. Somewhere in the fray, Luke went down. I forced my way forward, still blinking through the haze of light, and reached him just in time to draw him back from the brink.
It wasn’t easy, but we pressed on. Once we recovered our footing, the tide of battle turned. Liliana broke free of the vines with a roar and brought her hammer down with divine fury. Gael summoned shadows to bind the centaurs, and Alistan cut through them with grim resolve. When the last centaur fell, silence returned—heavy and thick with exhaustion.
We searched the room, but no key was waiting for us this time. Instead, tucked behind one of the pedestals, we found a scroll inscribed with runes of power and a wand humming with latent magic. Before we could examine them further, Dadroz spotted another door along the far wall. He approached it carefully, picked the lock, and pushed it open.
Inside, we found what remained of an ancient burial chamber. Time had not been kind. The sarcophagi were crumbled, their stone eroded by the centuries. Dust blanketed everything. Amidst the rubble, however, something caught the light—a key made of polished jade. Our third, at last.
Three trials. Three keys. Three names.
We paused to catch our breath, tend to wounds, and restore what magic we could before returning to the tomb of the first king. The massive door, once sealed and bristling with enchantments, now accepted the keys. One by one, we inserted them—red, black, jade. The locks clicked in place, the enchantments shimmered, and the traps fell silent.
The door swung open with a slow, groaning creak.
Inside was a small, circular chamber, lit only by the faint magical glow of four statues. They stood in a ring: a human, proud and stoic; a fey, wild and beautiful; a demon, cruel and grinning; and an undead, shrouded in tattered robes and silence. It was a strange collection, and though the symbolism was not lost on me, I couldn’t yet guess its purpose.
Beyond them lay a yawning doorway, opening into a cavernous final chamber. In its center floated a massive crystal, suspended in mid-air above a dark pit. Four enormous iron chains anchored it in place, pulsing faintly with ancient magic.
The moment Alistan and Liliana stepped inside, statues lining the far walls shuddered, groaned, and began to move.
The guardians had awakened.
One of the animated bronze bulls decided to charge into the room where the rest of us were still waiting, painfully crashing into us with its weight and fury. Thinking quickly, I warped the space around it, wrenching it back into reach of Alistan, who—never one to waste movement—used the momentum against them and shoved both bulls into the pit below with grim efficiency. The fight wasn’t over, though. Liliana had been overwhelmed in the chaos, her armor torn and body bloodied under the relentless strikes of the remaining statues. I rushed to her side as soon as the last threat fell, laying my hand against her chest and letting warm, golden healing energy flow into her. Her eyes fluttered open, and I gave her a shaky smile, silently promising myself I’d never let them lay a hand on her again.
The room was vast and solemn. Our flickering torchlight revealed four statues in the antechamber, arranged in a circle: a human, a fey, a demon, and an undead—symbols, perhaps, of the forces that shaped the kingdom's fate. Beyond that lay the true heart of the mausoleum: a great open chamber, the walls carved with faded scenes from long-lost times. Suspended over a deep pit in the center of the room was a massive crystal, bound in place by thick chains that shimmered faintly with arcane runes.
Even before we stepped close, I noticed the way our light bent toward the crystal—as if it were hungering for it, drinking it in. The others inspected the muraled walls, trying to make sense of the worn carvings, but most of the story was too far gone. Time had claimed it, just like it had claimed the king and his line.
I examined the chains next, and a shiver ran down my spine when I realized what they were—dimensional shackles, incredibly powerful bindings that prevent even the strongest beings from teleporting or escaping to other planes. They weren’t meant for a simple artifact. They were meant to trap.
Luke, ever the cautious one when it counts, summoned his familiar and had it touch the crystal first. The moment the boggle made contact, it vanished. Gone without a trace. And when he tried to call it back—it didn’t come. Something about the crystal had taken it, and wasn’t giving it back.
Then, as Alistan approached the floating gem, a spectral form shimmered into view. The ghost of the First King himself. His presence was regal, but hollow, like a faded painting of a once-glorious monarch. There was a coldness to his eyes, not cruelty, but the kind of distance born of centuries spent trapped in reflection.
It was Alistan who spoke most, his questions precise and cutting. The spirit, to his credit, answered. We learned that the Challenge of the Final Tournament—this cruel, ancient rite—had never ended. It has persisted since the king’s death, an ongoing contest with no victor. The price of the challenge? His soul—and the souls of all his bloodline, bound within that crystal, imprisoned alongside him. None had been claimed, which meant no one had yet won.
I felt bile rise in my throat as he explained how he had struck a bargain—not once, but three times—with entities of unimaginable power. He had sold not only his soul, but those of his children, and theirs, and theirs. He had no right. No one has the right to trade lives that aren’t theirs.
And yet, he had done it all in the name of his kingdom. “A small price,” he said, “for prosperity.” As if that made it noble. As if that made it right.
What made it worse was the pride that lingered in his voice. He believed he had outsmarted his enemies by making three deals instead of one. All he had done was doom his descendants to a cycle of suffering—one that continued even now, in secret, behind the grandeur of Keralon.
There is so much yet to unravel, but as we left that cursed chamber, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the end of the Tournament. Not even close.
When we asked about the souls of the current royal family, the king’s expression turned a shade more solemn. He explained that the current monarchs are not of his bloodline. Somewhere along the line, the true heir had died too young—too soon for the bloodline to continue. In response, a replacement child had been chosen: one with the same name, the same looks, but not the same blood. A political convenience. Because of that substitution, the present royal family is exempt from the soul-binding deal. It’s strange to think that a twist of fate, or perhaps a cruel mercy, saved them from a curse they never even knew existed.
He shared more about the Nemesis Knights too, and why they avoid each other. It’s not fear—it’s calculation. Each one is growing in power, seeking to become the ultimate version of themselves. Their curses are a tool, a method to expand their strength by spreading it, like a sickness with purpose. If we wanted to understand how the curses work, how they evolve and twist those they touch, the only path forward would be to speak with the knights themselves. Dangerous, but perhaps necessary. He gave us names—Kaz Rahl, the Red Knight and a fiend of some sort, and Eldrin Sunchaser, the Green Knight of the fey. It’s eerie how easily he said their names, like recalling old acquaintances rather than monstrous legends.
Luke, ever concerned for his lost familiar, asked about Pim. The king only laughed, a hollow sound echoing in the chamber. He told us the only way to retrieve the familiar would be to break the chains holding the crystal in place—chains designed to prevent planar travel. But if we did that, we’d release over a hundred and fifty souls into the city. Some might be confused, others angry—but I’d wager most would be furious. Many were probably bound unjustly, and none would take kindly to being used as leverage in a centuries-old tournament. So for now, Pim is trapped, and Luke must carry on without him.
Gael, thoughtful as ever, turned the topic toward the elemental mage towers. According to the king, these towers were built long ago—not to harness power, but to contain it. Specifically, the growing influence of the fey. They used the ancient force of the elemental planes as a counterbalance. Powerful, raw, and stable—at least compared to the shifting, capricious nature of the feywild. The king could even give us a lead on the last two towers. The water tower lies beneath the ruins of a long-forgotten bridge along the Lorerun River, and the tower of air… well, it’s circling high above the city even now, mostly unseen.
We’d learned all we could from the spirit, and with nothing more to ask—and perhaps nothing more we wanted to know—we sealed the tomb again. Luke repaired the shattered wall with a wave of his hand, and we made our way back to Wolf’s Rest. We were tired. Bone-tired. But for once, it wasn’t just the fatigue of body—it was the weight of truth, of history, of impossible choices lying ahead.
We needed rest. But I think we all knew that peace wouldn’t last long.
Hayley's Journal Ordered oldest to newest
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Entry one: The trials
07 Feb 2024 01:32:32
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Entry two: The bramble
14 Feb 2024 08:53:04
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Entry 3: Rosebloom
23 Feb 2024 12:59:16
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Entry 4: Hearts and Dreams
26 Feb 2024 02:35:57
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Entry 5: of ghosts and wolves
27 Feb 2024 03:13:42
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Entry 6: Hillfield and Deals with Fae
28 Feb 2024 01:42:09
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Entry 7: mysteries and pastries
10 Mar 2024 06:27:40
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Entry 8: The scarecrow ruse
6th of Lug, 121 Year of the Tree
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Entry 9: A betrayal of satyrs
7th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
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Entry 10: The fate of twins
8th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
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Entry 11: Cursed twins
10th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
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Entry 12: Loss and despair
11th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
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Hayley's rules to being a Witch
22 Apr 2024 03:26:28
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Entry 13: the price of safety
12th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
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Entry 14: A golden cage and fiery tower
13th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
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Entry 15: A trial by fire
14th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
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Entry 16: Keralon
15th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
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Letter to Luke 1
15 May 2024 07:04:31
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Letter to Luke 2
15 May 2024 10:13:52
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Letter to Luke 3
15 May 2024 10:15:10
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Letter to Luke 4
15 May 2024 10:16:03
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Letter to Luke 5
15 May 2024 10:17:19
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Letter to Luke 6
15 May 2024 10:17:51
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Entry 17: I shall wear midnight
1st of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 18: peace in our time
2nd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 19: Caern Fussil falls
3rd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 20: I see fire
4th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 21: Cultists twarted
10th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 22: Ravensfield
14th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 23: The Hollow Hill Horror
15th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 24: Burn your village
16th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 25: Ravensfield burns
17th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 26: There will be blood!
21st of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 27: A happy reunion
22nd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 28: The embassy ball
23rd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 29: The fate of Robert Talespinner
24th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 30: A royal summons
28th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 31: of Dogville and Geese
29th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 32: A boggle named Pim
30th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 33: A deal broken
1st of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 34: The cost of doing what is right
2nd of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 35: A dish best served cold
9th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
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entry 36: Cornu returns?
10th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 37: A letter from Amarra
11th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 38: The case of the (not) missing villagers
14th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 39: A curse broken
15th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 40: Into the Lorewood
18th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 41: Cabin in the Woods
19th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 42: Myrdin and Anaya
20th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
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Entry 43: Into the Immerglade
21st of Aran, 127 Era of the Tree
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Entry 44: A tale as old as time
22nd of Aran, 127 Era of the Tree
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Entry 45: The truth
23rd of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 46: Luke's Ordeal
24th of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 47: The festival
26th of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 48: Trouble at the Cathedral
2nd of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 49: Quinn's court
4th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 50: onwards to Latebra Velora
5th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 51: Where is my cow?
6th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 52: Here be dragons
7th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 53: Dragon hoard with a side of scarabs
8th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 54: Leave the basilisks alone
9th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 55: Return to Ravensfield
10th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 56: The needs of the many...
11th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 57: Dreams of Sister Willow
12th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 58: wetlands be wet
13th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 59: Baron Perenolde
14th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 60: Talebra Velora and the lady Morenthene
15th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 61: Cypria
16th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 62: Dragon takes Knight
17th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 63: Return to Talebra Velora
18th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 64: Your presence is “requested”
19th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 65: I stand alone
20th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 66: A day of normalcy
21th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 67: Into the Neverhold
22nd of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 68: The Warg King
20 May 2025 04:22:52
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Entry 69: Chased by birds
22 May 2025 04:13:14
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Entry 70: Whitewail
24 May 2025 03:17:40
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Entry 71: Nimmerhold
25 May 2025 02:45:18
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Entry 72: The menagerie
29th of Gobu, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 73: To the library!
30th of Gobu, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 74: The people's tournament
First of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 75: Nimmerhold party
First of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 76, The return home
Second of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree
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Entry 77: A week of peace
10th of Mannan
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Entry 78: The tomb of the First King
11th of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree
07 Feb 2024 01:32:32
14 Feb 2024 08:53:04
23 Feb 2024 12:59:16
26 Feb 2024 02:35:57
27 Feb 2024 03:13:42
28 Feb 2024 01:42:09
10 Mar 2024 06:27:40
6th of Lug, 121 Year of the Tree
7th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
8th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
10th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
11th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
22 Apr 2024 03:26:28
12th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
13th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
14th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
15th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree
15 May 2024 07:04:31
15 May 2024 10:13:52
15 May 2024 10:15:10
15 May 2024 10:16:03
15 May 2024 10:17:19
15 May 2024 10:17:51
1st of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
2nd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
3rd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
4th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
10th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
14th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
15th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
16th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
17th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
21st of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
22nd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
23rd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
24th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
28th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
29th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
30th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree
1st of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
2nd of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
9th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
10th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
11th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
14th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
15th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
18th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
19th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
20th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree
21st of Aran, 127 Era of the Tree
22nd of Aran, 127 Era of the Tree
23rd of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree
24th of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree
26th of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree
2nd of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
4th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
5th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
6th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
7th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
8th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
9th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
10th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
11th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
12th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
13th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
14th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
15th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
16th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
17th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
18th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
19th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
20th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
21th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
22nd of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree
20 May 2025 04:22:52
22 May 2025 04:13:14
24 May 2025 03:17:40
25 May 2025 02:45:18
29th of Gobu, 128 Era of the Tree
30th of Gobu, 128 Era of the Tree
First of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree
First of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree
Second of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree
10th of Mannan
11th of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree
The major events and journals in Hayley's history, from the beginning to today.
Session 60: Return of the Old Ways
05:13 pm - 05.08.2025Session 60: Return of the Old Ways
05:13 pm - 05.08.2025Entry 78: The tomb of the First King
Dear Diary, At breakfast, I let the others know of my intention to revisit the shrine of Sister Willow to perform a ritual. Knowing we had more urgent matters to deal with, I suggested going alone. It’s not far, and the way there should be safe enoug...
07:44 pm - 30.07.2025Entry 77: A week of peace
Dear diary, It’s been a week since we returned from the twisted halls of Neverhold, and for the first time in what feels like forever, life has slowed down enough to let me breathe. No monsters, no magic duels, no scheming nobles or cryptic hags. Jus...
04:06 pm - 21.07.2025Session 59: three keys
05:42 pm - 17.07.2025Session 59: three keys
05:42 pm - 17.07.2025Entry 76, The return home
Dear Diary, Morning came far too early, dragging behind it a sense of unease I couldn’t quite shake. While we gathered for breakfast—hoping for a quiet moment before our return to Keralon—the gods of absurdity had other plans. First, a strange...
03:45 pm - 17.07.2025Session 58: The cursed King
05:47 pm - 15.07.2025Session 58: The cursed King
05:47 pm - 15.07.2025Session 57: a quiet week at home
04:17 pm - 03.07.2025Session 57: a quiet week at home
04:17 pm - 03.07.2025Session 56: Back home
04:14 pm - 03.07.2025Session 56: Back home
04:14 pm - 03.07.2025Entry 75: Nimmerhold party
Dear diary, An hour after returning to the palace and freshening up, we gathered in the hallway—ready, or as ready as one can be, to face the final spectacle of the festival: the grand party. Everyone had made the effort. The finest clothes we had...
06:01 pm - 01.07.2025Entry 75: Nimmerhold party
Dear diary, An hour after returning to the palace and freshening up, we gathered in the hallway—ready, or as ready as one can be, to face the final spectacle of the festival: the grand party. Everyone had made the effort. The finest clothes we had...
05:54 pm - 01.07.2025Entry 74: The people's tournament
Dear Diary, The next morning, I woke to the sound of trumpets—bright and clear, ringing out across the city in grand proclamation. The Festival had officially begun. I lay there for a moment, comfortably nestled in Liliana’s arms, watching the s...
04:51 pm - 22.06.2025Session 55: the Fey Feast
09:50 pm - 20.06.2025Session 55: the Fey Feast
09:50 pm - 20.06.2025Entry 73: To the library!
Dear Diary, After a quiet night in our luxurious little suite, we woke to the sound of celebration drifting through the windows. Nimmerhold was alive with energy—the city fully immersed in the festival. While enjoying breakfast on our balcony, Lilian...
04:15 pm - 20.06.2025Session 54: A dangerous game
10:18 pm - 05.06.2025Session 54: A dangerous game
10:18 pm - 05.06.2025Entry 72: The menagerie
Dear diary, After a well-deserved rest and some much-needed freshening up, we gathered again and made our way out of the keep, into the city of Nimmerhold. With two days to kill before the actual celebration, we figured we might as well explore. Nim...
07:24 pm - 31.05.2025Session 53: Dangerous Shadows
02:15 am - 28.05.2025Session 53: Dangerous Shadows
02:15 am - 28.05.2025Entry 71: Nimmerhold
Dear diary, As I stepped through the portal into the gateroom beyond, still holding Liliana’s hand, I nearly crashed into Luke’s back. He didn’t move. None of them did. They were frozen, staring ahead. The gateroom was octagonal—its walls cu...
02:50 pm - 25.05.2025Entry 70: Whitewail
Dear diary, Describing Whitewail in all its frozen majesty feels almost impossible. The city clings to the side of a towering, snow-draped mountain like a crown carved from ice and stone. Its architecture is flawless and unsettling—tall towers of whi...
03:24 pm - 24.05.2025Entry 69: Chased by birds
Dear Diary, The next morning, we didn’t waste time with breakfast. The air was warm, the sky washed in that never-ending fey dusk—neither day nor night, just golden in-between. With a whisper of command, our feymounts surged forward, hooves tearing...
04:16 pm - 22.05.2025Session 52: a royal welcome
04:24 pm - 21.05.2025Session 52: a royal welcome
04:24 pm - 21.05.2025Entry 68: The Warg King
Dear diary, “Morning,” I guess—though it could have been midnight or midday. Alistan reported over breakfast that during the night he had watched a snowfront sweep across the landscape, dragging winter behind it like a curtain drawn shut. The sea...
04:30 pm - 20.05.2025Session 51: Ice Palace
05:39 pm - 17.05.2025Session 51: Ice Palace
05:39 pm - 17.05.2025Entry 67: Into the Neverhold
Dear Diary, The next morning greeted us with the smell of heaven—eggs frying, bread fresh from the oven, bacon crisping just right. Dynia had outdone herself, as if she’d poured all her care and worry into the meal. The table groaned beneath the ...
08:17 pm - 12.05.2025Entry 66: A day of normalcy
Dear Diary, Breakfast was brief and quiet. Too quiet. I barely touched my food. The weight in my stomach wasn’t hunger; it was frustration. Disappointment still hung over me like a stormcloud, thick and sour. I wasn’t ready to talk to the others. N...
05:41 pm - 08.05.2025Session 50: A flight of owls
08:24 pm - 07.05.2025Session 50: A flight of owls
08:24 pm - 07.05.2025Entry 65: I stand alone
Dear Diary, We wasted no time the next morning. Every step toward Keralon felt heavier than the last, weighed down by a creeping sense of unease. None of us said it aloud, but the question hung unspoken between us: what exactly were we walking into? ...
03:20 pm - 06.05.2025Session 49: the wolf king
07:58 pm - 30.04.2025Session 49: the wolf king
07:58 pm - 30.04.2025Entry 64: Your presence is “requested”
Dear Diary, We were up before the sun had fully risen, crowding around a half-eaten breakfast, restless and eager to be on our way. Every heartbeat felt like a drum pounding in my ears, a constant reminder that time was slipping through our fingers—a...
06:56 pm - 26.04.2025Entry 63: Return to Talebra Velora
Dear Diary, We pushed onward at the break of dawn, the sky barely tinged with light. The road stretched before us, long and heavy with silence. Each of us was trapped in our own thoughts, but my eyes kept flicking back to Liliana and Alistan. They wore...
06:12 pm - 26.04.2025Session 48: the seasons of hall
09:17 pm - 22.04.2025Session 48: the seasons of hall
09:17 pm - 22.04.2025Session 47: The long way round
09:12 pm - 22.04.2025Session 47: The long way round
09:12 pm - 22.04.2025Entry 62: Dragon takes Knight
Dear Diary, Over breakfast, Alistan shared some of what had been discussed during his nighttime flight with Cypria. Most of it revolved around her former rider—her companion from a time long past—and the lance he once wielded. The very same lance t...
08:16 pm - 19.04.2025Entry 61: Cypria
Dear Diary, That morning we departed from Talebra Velora, heading west along the same winding paths that had brought us here only days ago. Back through moss-covered groves and sun-dappled forest. Back toward the bridge. Back toward the encampment of t...
05:35 pm - 19.04.2025Entry 60: Talebra Velora and the lady Voratim
Dear diary, Not long after we broke camp and set out toward Talebra Velora, we passed the place where Alistan had faced Baron Perenolde. We expected to find the new champion of the Black Knight—perhaps already practicing for his next duel or preparin...
05:03 pm - 12.04.2025Session 46: A dreadful summons
03:04 am - 10.04.2025Session 46: A dreadful summons
03:04 am - 10.04.2025Session 45: A camp of death
07:55 pm - 02.04.2025Session 45: A camp of death
07:55 pm - 02.04.2025Entry 59: Baron Perenolde
Dear diary, The next morning, we continued alongside the edge of the forest. By midday, the scent of smoke drifted through the air—faint but unmistakable. A campfire. We turned in its direction. Soon, the murmur of rushing water reached our ears. The...
09:20 pm - 01.04.2025Entry 58: wetlands be wet
Dear diary, Morning came. As the others packed up, I turned toward the altar—and froze. A doll sat there. Not just any doll. The same doll I had seen in my dream. The one I had carried as a child. Somehow, Sister Willow had returned it to me. I step...
07:10 pm - 26.03.2025Entry 57: Dreams of Sister Willow
Dear Diary, I woke feeling more refreshed than I had in a long time. That night, I had dreamed—vividly. The trees had been filled with ravens and crows, their dark eyes watching over me in silent vigil. The moon behind them cast long shadows—not om...
04:20 pm - 26.03.2025Entry 56: The needs of the many...
Dear diary, Before leaving the charred ruins of Ravensfield, we made a brief detour into the Lorewood, clinging to the faint hope that we might find Raynis—our former companion—somehow drawn back to familiar ground. But when we reached his old camp...
04:27 pm - 21.03.2025Entry 55: Return to Ravensfield
Dear diary, At dawn, we bid farewell to the villagers and turned our horses north, setting our sights on Latebra Velora. With the disease eradicated and the second elemental gem safely tucked in Luke’s bag, our spirits were high. The road stretched a...
03:19 pm - 21.03.2025Entry 54: Leave the basilisks alone
Dear diary, After a long, uncomfortable night on the cavern’s cold, unforgiving floor, we gathered in the dim glow of our lanterns to discuss our next move. Did we try to negotiate with the Xorn, hoping it held the gems we needed to unlock the bar...
03:08 pm - 21.03.2025Session 44: To accept a challenge
06:58 pm - 19.03.2025Session 44: To accept a challenge
06:58 pm - 19.03.2025Session 43: The Old Ways
06:57 pm - 19.03.2025Session 43: The Old Ways
06:57 pm - 19.03.2025entry 53: Dragon hoard with a side of scarabs
Dear Diary, After an unexpectedly peaceful night, we set out at dawn, moving cautiously toward the towering rock formation where the wyverns were said to roost. As we neared the base, we spotted several winged creatures circling high above, but at this...
06:00 pm - 16.03.2025Entry 52: Here be dragons
Dear Diary, After a long and hearty breakfast, we set off toward the forest west of the village, the hunt for the wyverns finally beginning. The journey took most of the day, the sun carving a slow arc through the sky as we traveled. The forest that gr...
05:23 pm - 16.03.2025Session 42: The Acid Fane
06:18 pm - 06.03.2025Session 42: The Acid Fane
06:18 pm - 06.03.2025Entry 51: Where is my cow?
Dear Diary, So, instead of continuing north to Latebra Velora, we veered west the next morning, toward the afflicted villages. Before long, the landscape shifted—rolling fields and pastures stretched before us, dotted with the very livestock we had h...
11:31 pm - 02.03.2025Entry 51: Where is my cow?
Dear Diary, So, instead of continuing north to Latebra Velora, we veered west the next morning, toward the afflicted villages. Before long, the landscape shifted—rolling fields and pastures stretched before us, dotted with the very livestock we had h...
11:29 pm - 02.03.2025Session 41: Oathward Keep
09:01 pm - 25.02.2025Session 41: Oathward Keep
09:01 pm - 25.02.2025Session 40: A rising threat
05:44 pm - 25.02.2025Session 40: A rising threat
05:44 pm - 25.02.2025Entry 50: onwards to Latebra Velora
Dear Diary, The morning after our visit to the fey court, we were finally ready to depart for Latebra Velora. As the others prepared, I took the time to check on my people, ensuring they knew we would be gone for quite a while—ten days’ travel one ...
10:30 pm - 24.02.2025Entry 49: Quinn's court
Dear Diary, With two days to wait until the full moon and our long-awaited chance to visit the local fey court, I spent the time wisely. Knowing we’d be leaving Wolf’s Rest for a while, I made my rounds—checking in on the people of Ravensfield, a...
10:15 pm - 10.02.2025Entry 48: Trouble at the Cathedral
Dear Diary, A week had passed since the festival, and I had barely stopped to catch my breath. The morning after, Fiachna returned with news—the mercenaries who had attacked our keep were on the move, heading north. They had spent the night at a...
07:41 pm - 08.02.2025Session 39: Moonlight encounters
02:31 pm - 07.02.2025Session 39: Moonlight encounters
02:31 pm - 07.02.2025Session 38: Friends come to call
03:47 pm - 30.01.2025Session 38: Friends come to call
03:47 pm - 30.01.2025Entry 47: The festival
Dear Diary, Today was the day—the festival that would mark our official rule over Dogville, or rather, Wolf’s Rest, as it would now be known. The others were practically vibrating with excitement, but I couldn’t quite muster the same enthusiasm. ...
06:15 pm - 29.01.2025Session 37: battle of the bards
08:04 pm - 22.01.2025Session 37: battle of the bards
08:04 pm - 22.01.2025Entry 42: Myrdin and Anaya
Dear Diary, Of course, my instincts had been spot on. Not long after we’d settled into uneasy sleep, Liliana and Dadroz’s cries shattered the night. The hobgoblins were on the move, slipping into position with the deadly precision of trained soldie...
01:48 pm - 14.01.2025Entry 46: Luke's Ordeal
Dear Diary, The warmth of sunlight streaming through my window stirred me awake, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I woke up truly rested. My bed, soft and familiar, had never felt so luxurious. Outside, the cheerful song of the bir...
01:45 pm - 14.01.2025Session 34: The Princess and the Dragon
10:13 pm - 13.01.2025Session 34: The Princess and the Dragon
10:13 pm - 13.01.2025Session 35: Conjurer's Hall
10:13 pm - 13.01.2025Session 35: Conjurer's Hall
10:12 pm - 13.01.2025Session 36: The festival
10:12 pm - 13.01.2025Session 36: The festival
10:12 pm - 13.01.2025Session 33: Immerglade
10:12 pm - 13.01.2025Session 33: Immerglade
10:12 pm - 13.01.2025Session 32: Lost once more
10:12 pm - 13.01.2025Session 32: Lost once more
10:12 pm - 13.01.2025Entry 45: The truth
Dear Diary, Morning arrived with a quiet hum, the kind of stillness that felt like the world holding its breath. Dlardrageth returned, his silvered form gleaming faintly in the early light. His expression was softer, contemplative. “I communed with Q...
12:45 pm - 09.01.2025Entry 44: A tale as old as time
Dear Diary, The next morning, we woke to the gentle rustle of leaves and the faint hum of life in the Immerglade. The hammocks Yarnspinner had spun for us swayed slightly in the breeze, their silken threads glinting faintly in the light. But Yarnspinne...
02:56 pm - 06.01.2025Entry 43: Into the Immerglade
Dear Diary, The next morning, we bid farewell to the Naga, its glowing eyes lingering on us as we packed up our camp and prepared to leave. Part of me expected Luke to have given in to his insatiable curiosity during the night, sneaking into the cave t...
09:11 pm - 03.01.2025Entry 42: Myrdin and Anaya
Dear Diary, Of course, my instincts had been spot on. Not long after we’d settled into uneasy sleep, Liliana and Dadroz’s cries shattered the night. The hobgoblins were on the move, slipping into position with the deadly precision of trained soldie...
04:38 pm - 19.12.2024Entry 41: Cabin in the Woods
Dear Diary, The woods embraced us with their familiar silence as we set up camp for the night, the crackling fire our only company under a sky littered with stars. Morning came quickly, and after a hearty breakfast that warmed us from the inside out, w...
02:47 pm - 19.12.2024Entry 40: Into the Lorewood
Dear diary, The morning after the curse was lifted, Meredith approached us with payment for our services. While a few among us hesitated, the truth was undeniable—we had come to Marsh’s Fury to help, but also to earn. Refusing the reward would have...
04:16 pm - 08.12.2024The list of amazing people following the adventures of Hayley.
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