Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Fri 23rd May 2025 07:12

Black Mud

by Jane Mossbrook

For Memory:
 
Vaelthoryx rests easy. The village that has sprung up around his last landing is a quaint one, and the abbot seem a reasonable one. This gladdens me.
Merely a few hours ago, me and my newfound companions, at the abbots bidding, cleared out a nest of criminals in the hills not far from Vael's rest. The hermit had not said much of what I'd find here, so I assumed I'd be best off taking the first quest that became apparent to me. I believe I did the correct thing, because something is not quite normal with what just happened. The criminals, who seem to have run a tight organization, had been visibly ambushed in their hidden halls. The ambushers were arisened skeletons, led by a ghoul. I know I've seen them before, but the first experience in a life is always startling. That sickly color, their dead eyes, a sick twisted version of an intelligent creature. We encountered the ghoul and his barebones accomplices inside the halls, and we put them all to rest once more. One criminal had the good sense to hide from the undead, and had barred himself inside a small subsection of the cave. He was terribly fond of a box covered in blood, which I surmise came from his fallen brethren who might not have been large supporters of him keeping the box. Unconfirmed though, as the boy quickly metamorphed into a black mud when forcibly persuaded to give the box up. In a less thought through process, I was left holding the box. I'd prefer not to get turned into black mud before I gather what is going on, so it is still in my possession. Tomorrow we meet the abbot to discuss this, hopefully he can get rid of the box without me turning into mud. It would be a first though.
 
 
To note:
The new companions are interesting, and seem capable enough. There is a pair of siblings, one very tall male who seems a bit uncertain on who he wishes to be, and one female who is very certain who she wishes to be - she wishes to be someone with armor. This whole quest was engaged in by the pair due to the criminals scamming her into giving up her armor. The world seems to not have lost a single ounce of harshness, sadly. She will have to learn to deal with it. There can however be no doubt in their fighting capabilities.
 
The siblings are guarding one very pretentious aasimar. I must admit, now that I remember the bliss on the mountain, I also distinctly miss not thinking of the concept of Kang. Loud, obnoxious and prone to uncontrolled aggression. I hope Ki'tor bears a maximum of two of these national virtues, preferably the earlier ones.
 
The ghoul when faced with permanent removal from this plane suddenly seemed very capable of trying to deal with us for his "life". His master would either reward us for letting him go, or wreak his vengeance on us if we did not. I have no recollection of ever bargaining with someone deeming the half-life of undead to be a tool for conflict, and I do not intend to do so in this life either. The ghoul is was put to rest, and if Moorbrand meddles again I am willing to reiterate my message.
 
However, something is itching in the back of my head. There is something about this box, and I can't help but to think that this is what I was put on my path to find. It seems to hold power, did I seek this out in my last life? But if so, why would I leave the mountain?
 
To do:
Get back to Vael's rest and safely remove the stone from my person. Then I need to find out where the hell Zalia went. If she has murdered someone innocent this time, I will need to reevaluate our connection.