A Scream in the Night

[Domina]

*Cel carries the sleeping and exhausted Enyeto back to her room in Lendose Inn.*

The night was quiet after the chaotic moments in Knightshorn and were left with curious hints to the off stone's nature. Cel puts on her night gown and looks at the passed out Enyeto. He wanted to help the spirits he saw through the stone and you couldn't doubt his will in wanting what was right, trap stone or not. It hurt her to see him so distraught and maybe she wouldn't make a good mother, but every fiber screamed in her to make him feel loved. She went over and pecked his forehead before going to lay down.

Anyways, she had considered the effects of the off gem. Its odd luring properties and how it made those affected see whatever it was to have them dive for it. It was odd, disturbing and somewhat confusing. But it was clearly an evil focus. For all she knew it could just have been a device to just cause chaos. Chaos Trap? Maybe...
Thanos ran off with the object in the end. Either he was absorbed by it or just took it away from us. Spared Enyeto and Phelan from fighting in the least and maybe some time away from it will help.

"I don't know. But I suppose I should be used to that feeling by now. All I can do now is sleep then think on things to come after some regaining of energy. Utu will keep me well as I move forward against this evil madness."

*Cel blows out the flame and closes her eyes. Elios playing a soft and short lullaby...*

[triangles]

Another dispatch from Lendose...

Captains,

The theme of temptation continues. A dark gem was recovered from Cear's graveyard several nights ago, a suspected conduit of the Mistress' power. At the time we considered this a victory; an eventuality the Mistress had not planned for. Now I am not so certain. From what I gather, the gem played upon the desires of those present when attempts were made to study it and the examination was prematurely ended when discussions turned hostile.

Although I previously advocated leveraging the gem against the Mistress, I now firmly believe that its destruction or sequestration is the best course of action. Whatever advantages it may yet offer us are overshadowed by the overriding possibility of it turning us into unwitting agents of our own destruction. Indeed, any discovery of its uses against the Mistress could be smoke and mirrors in the end.

• In service,
  Vanguard Anne Anathema

[Skurge]

Thanos stared hard at the tightly wrapped gem before going back to his work, he had managed to remake his own seal despite the pain he felt as the negative energy ate away at him. He still required divine aid to completely remake it but that would have to wait, he reaches up and snaggs an imp skull from the shelf which he then began to inscribe with hundreds of sealing runes. He looks at the gem again before speaking aloud.

"I must admit you almost tempted me into doing something foolish, to bad I have no actual desire to be young."

He continues to ramble as he works.

"I would have liked it if we could have had a conversation like normal beings, I gave you plenty of chances if you remember. You had so many questions you could have answered so much knowledge I could have gained."

He grumbles slightly.

"Would have been nice to have some company, no one really has the stomach for my rituals and magic."

He continues to work and ramble for several hours before setting down his tools.

"Well then I suppose I should seek my bed."

He kisses a skeletal finger-tip and presses it to the wrapped gem.

"See you in the morning Mistress."

He chuckles as he wanders off to his bed.

[triangles]

A flurry of dispatches are sent to Vanguard command, and Anne's allies.

Vanguards and friends,

We may speculate that the Mistress' power is not only growing, but spreading. Tristan was struck for the first time last night. The graveyard above was investigated when morning broke with the hope of discovering something, as was accidentally done in Cear. In point of fact, no graves had been disturbed at all. The difference between Tristan and Cear of course is that Cear does not have a junior boys and girls cult of Culnul to hide dangerous artifacts.

I am organizing an agile small group to strike at their lair. I do not know what we will find. If you wish to help, I hope you will join me at the roadhouse this Monday.

• In service,
  Vanguard Anne Anathema

(( ooc: please sign up here for details if you are coming so that we don't clutter up this post with ooc chatter. ))

[ralfinader]

Tristan, then Cear again. Although Phelan explained the seal was a stopgap measure, Maliker had hoped it would have held out longer than it did. Regardless of the reasons or expectations, the undead were about once more, and Maliker's rapier was instantly in his right hand, a curved kukri in his left, the black clad man joined the defenders in the charge to retake the graveyard. His rapid and many angled thrusts and slashes were mostly out of habit, as the undead monsters lacked the good sense to tell when a vital organ had been pierced or a main artery ripped open. But these were no normal blades, and the rapier's acid and the kukri's flames took their toll on the otherwise unfeeling monsters.

He rolled past a tall zombie, his kukri slicing it's right Achilles tendon as he passed, his rapier stabbing twice into the female vampire's abdomen who was chasing him. The zombie did not fall, and the vampire paid him no heed as a swarm of magical lights curled around him to explode into her, blasting it to dust. He had worried that the injury to his arm he had suffered in Tristan would hinder his attacks, but the magics that had halted the deadly infection had done their work. Turning to face the zombie again, his attack was stolen by a fellow defender, whose blade cleaved through the creature to far better effect than several strikes from his own would do.

Then he heard the shouts, and saw still more undead flooding their ranks, and beyond, the tall black forms of creatures he learned to dread in Tristan. Not wasting a second, he was running in the opposite direction, sheathing his blades and pulling his bow from his shoulder and nocking an arrow. Out of range of the devastating blindness they could cause, his arrows flashed through the air to hit the one nearest the group. His arrows, heavily enchanted with lightning, were not near enough to take them down, but still better than what little he could accomplish blinded by their magics. And then it was back in, blades drawn, fighting the next wave and the one after that, and so on. Fortunately the night was exhausted long before the defenders were.

When the portals opened, just before and into the dawn, the enemies changed, and his sword work and feints became more effective. The snake people needed their organs to work properly, their blood to remain flowing undisturbed. It was a route, as the other defenders found these living foes to be easier game too. And so the attack ended, this time without infected people. The mages went about their work, rubbing chins and staring at nothing. The dark elf became a fire elemental and cremated the remains left strewn about the graveyard. Maliker discussed the futility of it all with Kenyon, a fellow black clad swordsman, who tried to keep a positive view on the eventual outcome of these attacks as they grew in intensity and reach. Shrugging his shoulders, Maliker left for the Misty, deciding that he was tired after all.

[triangles]

Far from Tristan, Anne makes her report.

Vanguards,

Our search in Tristan has born some fruit. More than I expected, yet also less than I had hoped.

Beneath the graveyard is a winding passage within which a group of madmen and women operate. I write "mad" to differentiate between those who sanely practice Culnul's philosophy, and those who dogmatically embrace the "eternal torment" aspect. Despite their flaws, the cultists wasted no time throwing themselves at our waiting arms and in doing so delivered to Culnul the souls of many fools.

Archibald Cirumvax waited at the terminus. Although clearly mad too, he is no fool. I do not think the Mistress visited him, nor do I believe she entrusted any objects of power to him. Given his cult's tendency to draw attention, this would have been a tactical blunder. Instead she saw fit to taunt us, but I will return to that in a moment. What little was learned from Cirumvax can be thus summarized:

1. The Mistress is high in Culnul's favour and Coloth's (not an earth-shattering discovery).

2. If all comes to pass as Cirumvax sees it unfolding, Culnul will usurp the King of Gods, no matter whom you believe that to be (this is also not strictly new information, as Canas and Culnul already propagandize this goal. That the Mistress may be involved directly is troubling, however).

3. Cirumvax wondered aloud if Sir Phelan Almaran found the Mistress' tactics familiar (she is perhaps a new incarnation of someone from his past, or known to his lineage).

Cirumvax then asked us how one kills that which cannot die, and stabbed himself to death in an act of conviction. A note was found wedged between his mattresses which I firmly believe we were meant to discover. I have a copy to this report and sent the original to Knightshome.

In summary: no artifacts were found. Some new information was learned. I believe the third point above is the most important and requires our fullest attention

• In service,
  Vanguard Anne Anathema

Cirumvax,

You and yours have safety in your catacombs.* Out of respect to the Lord of Decay, the gravesite will not be disturbed. You did well changing the Kingseeker's descendants** from their forsaken path.

~M~

* (Clearly she knew better --Anne)
** (A reference to the Dar, Velvax, and Kinskerr families --Anne)

[xmikas]

*Ling recalls his memories from the recent events*


Cirumvax being questioned

When I think about that chaotic figure, I see how much we depend on our mind. For his insanity, I guesseverything that was said is doubtful.

There is the great importance of having found the letter.

[Peregrinus]

The reports from Essentiae Magister Phelan Almaran, Ordo Magica:

There have been a series of recent attacks on Cear involving unusually powerful undead of types not normally associated with the Canite forces. Further, they appear to be being created from the dead of Cear rather than being teleported in via portals, as no portals or teleportation magics have been present, just a dark fog.

These attacks occur during the night and from my understanding begin with the appearance of a dark fog or mist. Undead then begin to appear, some corporeal seemingly made from corpses risen from the ground, though a few more ephemeral ones usually classed as Nightwalkers often appear congealing out of the mist. Meanwhile the corporeal undead bear a strong resemblance to the undead of Korgrov's Maw.

These attacks are intense and grueling, coming quickly enough that refocusing is difficult to come by. Further, the Nightwalkers have significant anti-magic capabilities, and are able to strip many protective spells quickly from casters, leaving us more vulnerable to the other undead. However, the mist and undead disappear with the dawn providing complete relief.

From within the dark mist a voice can occasionally be heard, a decidedly female and darkly playful voice demanding our surrender. From information I gathered it seems this is the "Mistress" of these undead. What her motives are and what she is seeking are not entirely clear.

Between waves of undead I manages to get a sense of the flows of magic that were creating the undead. Unsurprisingly there was considerable necromantic magics involved, but that was not all, as there was a significant mixing of demonic power within the eddies of magic in the fog. Thanos, who was also present and aided in the defense, noted that the conjuncture of the two magics was rough, as if the person was unskilled at joining them, either due to being new to the power or due to simply forcing the two magics together with little finesse.

When I began probing the magics making of the mist the undead attacks began increasing in intensity and focused on myself, especially once I said we needed to look at disrupting the magics of the mist rather than focusing on the undead.

To summarize the important points:

• The undead appear due to a dark mist that is made up of necrotic and demonic energies.
• The Undead attackers appear only at night and are driven back by the day.
• Some of the undead resemble those of Korgrov's Maw.

While this seems to indicate a potential link to the Korgrov (one which should be investigated), I think there is another possibility as well. The pattern of the attack, using a dark mist which causes undead to rise, reminded me of the stories I have heard of how Maelstrom would attack the town of Daris back during the Great War. However, the melding of demonic and necrotic energies is unusual for Culnulites, but demonic magics are often used by followers of Coloth. Given that we know that those of Coloth and Culnul are allied under Canas, there is a distinct possibility these attacks could in some ways be linked to that alliance as well.

Necromantiae Quaestor Thanos took one of the bodies of the undead to the Temple of Peralia in Two Bridges to study. I expect he will be able to provide a full report and further information when he has the time.

Essentiae Magister Phelan Almaran

Further information concerning this matter has come to light. The first is that warding magics can be used to disrupt the Mistress' magics in the course of the attack. In a recent attack, Quaesitor Thanos, myself, and cleric Ardaion of Rhauth and Laura Boss of Tyrak managed to create a makeshift sealing circle around the graveyard and channel protective magics into it to create a temporary ward against undead incursions. I am certain this ward will not hold for long, and may already be fading, but I have some ideas to look into creating strong protective magics.

Inspired by the protective circle magics, especially the magics of Circles of Protection against Evil, I believe a larger and perhaps permanent ward can be created. I have already commissioned powered Silver from the Enchanted Cask and Cauldron (delivery pending), and hope for the expertise of the Ordo to be engaged in creating a stronger and more powerful ward. While I have some knowledge of sealing magics, my methods tend to be more brute force oriented (as the temporary ward is), and so seek other's expertise in crafting a ward that is more refined.

-------------------------------
Another note that should be shared concerns the nature of the magics used by the Mistress. The refinement of her control of the Necrotic and Demonic magics has been extraordinary, and she is clearly a capable sorceress in her own right. That said, there is more to the magic than simple creation of undead, there is also a component of backflow to the Mistress herself, as if she was drawing some of the magics back to herself. When Keelin and I attempted to analyze and disrupt this backflow in the magic, she became very aggressive, and we had to stop due to attacks by her servitors.

There is also a component of temptation and corruption to her endeavors. She has made overtures to multiple individuals, attempting to prey on their weaknesses and desires, offering them things they want in return for betraying others. Of note, a gem she planted in the graveyard of Cear appears to have a property of enchantment to it, enamoring people with sound and visions that make them desire to touch it. Our attempts to analyze this gem proved futile, and Quaesitor Thanos now has it for safekeeping, using a sealing cloth of my own design.

Hopefully, Quaeistor Thanos can provide further information and insights concerning this matter.

There is a critical bit of information I forgot to mention.

There have been sighting of ghost children all across the province. Showing the typical aspects of ghosts, these children were the first to reveal the title of the Mistress to us. There is a clear pattern to their appearances, only able to appear in the daylight when the Mistress' power wanes, and must be at her side her in the night when she is using her powers. These ghost children are clearly terrified of her and do not appear to wish to stay with her, but are bound magically to her.

The present working theory among the adventurers, one which I tend to agree with, is that the Mistress is using these ghost children as a source of power. There are many various ideas why, but the one that I lean towards is that she is taking children who may have innate magical potential beyond the norm to fuel her magic.

The investigation to Tristan revealed less than we'd hoped, merely confirming many suspicions.

I should note the origin of this expedition to Tristan to begin with, a few days past, the Mistress attacked Tristan using the same method she used against Cear, the mist, undead, everything. I was not personally present for this incident, but received reports. The most interesting thing of note is that the ground of the cemetery of Tristan, unlike that of Cear, was undisturbed. This drew attention to it, and Vanguard Anna Anathema led an operation to investigate.

Questioning the locals revealed nothing, they were either uniformed or uncooperative. We found a way into the catacombs beneath the graveyard and confronted the Culnulite cult therein. The leader of the cult further confirmed the by now widespread links between the Canites, Culnulites and Colothians. He also implied that the Mistress would be coming for my children, Louhsay and Falson. I am unsure if this was merely an attempt to disturb me, or an actual threat, but they do fit the profile of those we suspect the Mistress has taken: young children with strong innate magical powers.

He and his followed launched a last ditch attack and were defeated, but not before stating an ominous statement of: "how can you kill that which cannot die". He also questioned me if the magic of the Mistress felt familiar. I personally have not noticed anything... but I have also not been looking. If I am present for another attack, I will definitely try and compare it to other magics I have encountered, but that is a long list and it is possible I will not notice.

----------------------
In other news concerning the Mistress, the ward around the Cear graveyard has been broken by her. This was an expected occurrence, as I noted previously it was a stopgap measure at best. In good news though, I have received word that the silver I requested has been acquired, and should arrive to the Ordo soon from the enchanted cask and cauldron. I believe that using pure silver we may be able to craft stronger focuses for the wards, but it will take some intricate silverwork. I have sent word to the Stormbeards to request their aid via a messenger and hope to hear back from them soon. That said, while I have some skill with warding and seals, the complexity of this warding is greater than any I've undertaken, and so would request any potential design thoughts and aid from fellow members of the Ordo as soon as possible on this matter.

[triangles]

The report is filed promptly.

Vanguards,

The Mistress struck again this evening from Kraac's Island, a small landmass off the coast of Daris. Kraac's Island has a storied past: in the waning years of the Great War it was claimed by the Dread Lich Maelstrom, then leader of the Cult of Culnul. This afforded the Mistress a powerful focus from which to direct her powers, but we may speculate that this is not the sole or even primary reason for her selection.

Allied efforts to reconsecrate domestic graveyards are meeting with modest success. Kraac Island's Necropolis is difficult to reach, ensuring her use for the immediate future. Furthermore, she is now drawing from battle graves; Sir Phelan Almaran has assured me that the risen were formerly Red Boots, per their livery. Though sealing graveyards is akin to damming a river while the ocean threatens to overrun us, we will not live long enough to put an end to her if we do not deal with this immediate threat. It is therefore my recommendation that the Necropolis be struck at the earliest opportunity. We must limit her power even as it drains our strength.

Although her endgame is still subject to speculation, the speed in which she has advanced in strategy and power is grim. A prolonged conflict strongly favours her if her only goal is to practice until she is sufficiently capable of wiping us from existence. Paradoxically she will be harder to combat the longer she exists, and yet we must have more time to prepare if we are to survive any encounter.

Of course we are preparing long term plans of our own. The allies are now deliberating on methods of infiltrating Fort Phazzan. Striking at the Mistress remains the only viable permanent solution.

• In service,
  Vanguard Anne Anathema

[Peregrinus]

Newest report from Essentiae Magister Phelan Almaran, Ordo Magica:

Things grow more tenuous, but at the same time, there is a silver lining. As has been reported, the Mistress made a new attempt on our territory, this time in Morell. However, the undead used were not from a graveyard inside the city, but rather, taken from the battlefields of the surrounding countryside and the ruins of Daris. This lead to a new type of undead among her ranks, created from the former Redboot Brigade. The epicenter of her power in the area is Kraac's Island, and her mist comes from there, predominately, still following the pattern as established, emerging at night and then dissipating in the day.

It should be noted her control and tactics are getting further refined. She showed a solid grasp of base level tactics in these engagements, the Undead Redboots forming two lines, the front line of shield fighters and the rear of archers. That said, these new undead are relatively slow compared to others, but exceedingly tough and appear to have some basic magical protections against magical energies (though it can be overwhelmed, reminding me of the Wizard Protection from Energy type spells). This makes them formidable foes, but ones easily outmaneuvered, this is an important fact I will touch on later.

Given that many do not know the history of Kraac's Island, I will take a moment to explain why her claiming of it is a matter of serious concern. In the waning days of the Great War, Kraac's Island was taken by the Cult of Nergal, lead by the Dread Lich Maelstrom. There the cult set up what became known as the Necropolis. After the fall of the Kingdom of Dasaria, the Necropolis was abandoned for unknown reasons, though the seas in the region have often led to ship disappearances. It appears as if the Mistress has set up some sort of epicenter of power there.

Investigations undertook by Squire Relvalis Nightmoon, Druid of Ioasia, of the Argentum Vigilo, revealed much. There is considerable undead presence under the waters around Kraac's Island, and about halfway between Daris and the island is what seems to be an impassible magical barrier. Impassible, at least, to the living. Quaesitor Necromantiae Thanos summoned an undead to attempt to pierce the barrier, but the Mistress' undead realized it was not one of their number and proceeded to tear it apart, so we were unable to ascertain if the barrier was passable by the undead.

Squire Nightmoon and Quaesitor Thanos have volunteered to keep the island under surveillance and to organize a small group of individuals with that focus in mind.

In the end, this means the Mistress is changing tactics to adapt to our efforts. Perhaps it is rumors of the wardings we have planned (though if it has already gotten to her ears, it may mean we have spies among our ranks) or merely her taking precautionary measures since we have constructed a ward against her before. Given the long history of warfare in the Province, and the fact the ruins of Daris are effectively one massive graveyard, there is no way we can construct enough wardings to counter her efforts. However, the undead summoned outside of the cities are more easily dealt with using conventional methods, as standard fortifications can be utilized to great effect (as it stood, once the undead were driven out of Morell, we have complete initiative in driving them back and could in good conscious leave the town secured due to its walls). This means wardings on graveyards within city walls should be completed regardless, as while her mist will allow her to summon undead from nearly anywhere, the more significant threat, that of being able to bypass our defenses, may be able to be nullified.

There are four main prongs of our efforts we must undertake at this time.

• Completion of the graveyard wards for locations within city limits.
• Investigating Kraac's Island
• Investigating and following up on the matters uncovered by the Cask and the Cauldron
• Striking at the Mistress herself

As it stands, building the wards is slowly but surely coming. Once Clan Stormbeard contacts me concerning crafting the wards themselves, and the rest of the Ordo completes the actual sigals themselves, deploying them should be simple enough. On striking at the Mistress, there are operations underway to that effect, but due to the need for secrecy and the safety of the involved agents, I will reveal nothing on them until the time is right. The other two matters are the ones where we need more extensive plans.

On the matter concerning the Cask and the Cauldron, Calimus has requested we attempt to track where the portal they went through (see the attached reports from Essentiae Quaesitor Kite Hoshi and Quaesitor Incantationis Elira). I will need to coordinate a specific time with them on this matter, but it should be undertaken sooner, rather than later, as the longer the magic is left alone, the less likely we will be able to track it. Quaesitor Elira is also working on analyzing a magic circle they found, and plans on organizing an effort to analyze it and possibly find a way to cut of the Mistress' connection to the demonic powers she has.

As to Kraac's Island, it is a less assured path forward there. Many asked if scrying the island would be possible. It may be, but scrying on a location is a different matter than on a person. I believe we could undertake it if we have some sort of physical link to Kraac's Island that would add a resonance to the magics. The main obstacle to overcome is the magical barrier that surrounds the island. It appears to have sunk many ships that have encountered it, and severely injured Squire Nightmoon when she touched it (thankfully Dame Almaran and Squire Carroc were present to offer aid). Passing through the barrier would likely kill a person, and I would not wish to risk something like teleportation as I suspect the barrier may prevent that as well. Further research will have to be done on the nature of the barrier itself, and as such I would suggest the Ordo organize and expedition to the ruins of Daris to study it further and hopefully find a way to pierce it. This should be secondary to the matter of the Cask and Cauldron, as the barrier does not appear to be going anywhere, while the resonance from the Canite portal could wash out quite readily.

As a final note, investigations by the Cask and Cauldron's member has turned up some interesting parallels between how the Mistress operates and how the Jy Lin and Magnus Order do. The main parallel is in how they target children of magical talent and kidnap them, focusing mostly on those who have no families. The Mistress' activities seem to stretch back at least six years (though some of those incidents may be related to the Jy Lin and Magnus) and has been very consistent in their targets. Recently though, she seems to be stepping up her efforts and may be becoming less discriminatory. Given that though sorcery rarely manifests fully until puberty, there are often signs at a much earlier age (though some sorceric bloodlines have been known to awaken much earlier) that if one knows what to look for, it is obvious. Unfortunately, I do not think we have the manpower to attempt to find all the potentials in the Province, and there are areas where she can hunt and harvest that are well outside our reach. However, there does appear to be a ritual involved in binding the children to her, and if we can locate those ritual sites, they can be disrupted (this is the primary endeavor of those of the Cask and Cauldron at this time).

Much is being undertaken, and we have to move quickly. Ineania's spells protect you all.

---------------------------

Fellow Mage People,

Mister Calimus and Miss.. I forgot her name but she wears black armor and a black mask and long brown hair. Miss Elira was also there. They were sorting through reports of missing children, trying to find if there were reports of children 8 and below that even potentially had magic or were... "weird"... They found a few reports. All the children meeting this description came from within the last five years and were without direct parents, under care of family members or other guardians.

Then a ghost child came. Asked Calimus if he loved him... if he would die for him. Upon answering yes to questions the ghost child dissipated... like he had nothing more left. It was too late for him he said, but not too late or this other. And a portal showed up. Mister Calimus' lady jumped into portal without thinking we jumped after. We came to a house where a man who look a lot like Calimus was badly beaten up and another lady was tied up. Once ungagged she told us to go save him. We race up stairs and in through another portal and poof we're in a cave. There were bad guys there we had to beat up. We came upon some cultist priest guys and there was ritual circle of some sort... I attempted to draw it but I don't remember. There was a sacrificial alter there and behind a waterfall like fountain of blood. Torture gear as well. The room was full of magic. Mostly demonic with traces of necromancy. Ask Miss Elira if she has better notes on the ritual circle.

We beat bad cult and snake guys then went back and there was a trap magic thing. Elira probably has more notes. Calimus and his lady got trapped in there. It was mean and probably hurt the lady real bad cause she tried to break through cause a little boy was on the other side. Boy must be important and must be one needed to save. Calimus then took out some dagger and cut himself cause he felt he had to die to save him. the blood made the thing go away. But it not kill him. Some female voice said it wasn't his time yet and healed his wound. We got boy out and out of the cave.

We were able to talk to him about bad things that happened. Little boy was told his union with the Mistress would be soon. but other lady told him that Calimus would come for him.. He called this lady "moon lady" and that she talked to him from time to time. Moon Lady being Nuarari. So it seems in my opinion this boy under care of Calimus and his lady fits description of desireables for Mistress.

As for right now with the warding (Miss Eley has wards to prevent portals and teleportation) of the Shop, the boy is safe with Calimus at the Cask and Caldron. Probably should have someone more knowledgeable ask more questions. He is child and was very afraid. And Calimus and his lady care bout him very much. Seem very traumatic. So approach with... uh... don't be mean. Okay? Uh... yeah...

- Kite

Salutations,

This will be my first report and I'll try to keep this brief and to the point. Think of this as an add on to Kite's report.

The enemies we encountered and the pecularness of the cave's ritual circle. I can confirm it to be of demonic origins and I took the time and effort to copy it to my notebook. Someone (Thanos preferably) can come by and help me study it. Another interesting fact is a testimony from a witness who I will keep anonymous. During an encounter with a ghost child a while back, the child mentioned something about the mistress being angry with her. Claiming "She's been to hell." It's a little far fetched but the circle itself might have something to do with how the mistress is using these kids. It's merely a theory, so don't hold any hope in that department.

The second bit was the Enemies. Tall, broad, spell casting skeletons wearing robes. I have heard stories of them being used by Canas, however I'd like to confirm something else. On their person I located a set of amulets, which don't seem to be enchanted, but they are shaped like a Snake. Their entire attire were related to snakes in fact, I have the Amulets on hand if someone would like to take them and examine them.

For those who would join my investigation, my residence is the Cear Commons district number 24

Other than that I cant expand any further on Kite's report.

-Elira

[SilasNorth]

The steps were slow but the weight atop each movement of the massive hulk of iron and steel brought the earth to roar and rumble. Meek-minded fauna scattered and to some the sanctity and peace of the serene and sacred grove could very well be considered disturbed. However, this being was not here to disturb, and it took every bit of care to make the destruction of it's very movements as minimal to the sacred earth as possible; all under the directions of the young man who stood upon it's right shoulder.

He was one of two passengers, the other being a young elven lass who clung to the hulk's head, most of her form atop a large crate strapped securely to the iron creature's back. The man however kept his balance with a trained grace, barking orders to the iron hulk as a mountain breeze whipped through wheat-colored hair and lightly wet a focused silver gaze. He was determined to stand tall and present an image of confidence, pride... and just a small dash of arrogance to those he was to meet.

This was more difficult than he originally presumed, for he was here for the sake of another group, a volunteered envoy of one of the forces that sought to rid these lands of the foul evil sweeping over it.

The Mistress.

It was not a time for pride beyond that which was needed for the display of intimidation and position in the battlefields of war and politics. He was at the mercy of those that would protect that which was among the most precious and fragile to him. And while the one that brought the deal into motion was a good-hearted man, there was no guarantee that all those associated with him were equally so. He was as their mercy, their whims, even if they did not strive to remind him of so. His head was in a noose that had yet to be tightened, and perhaps never would be, but still it's presence was there.

Even the threat of a shackle brought rage within him, rage he knew he could not let show before the dwarves. He had to play the merchant he was good at playing, but also the craftsman, and the negotiator. A triple role asked of a man who had plenty of experience but limited natural acting talent. That may have been a fool's dream had desperation not also played a part in stilling the hand of the young man. He would do what was necessary to survive and to keep those precious to him alive as well. The war with the Mistress was to be won with blades, spells, creatures of power, and the despicable and enchanting art of politics.

The Stormbeards had two looking upon the massive creature as it approached, both being bathed in its shadow and the man that rode atop it. "A golem!" one called out, impressed at the craftsmanship and the fine state it was in. The young man leaped from the creature's shoulder, landing before them with a youthful smile.

"My name is Calimus Vells. I am here on behalf of the Ordo Magica to do a little... negotiating"

He could feel it in his own voice. He was sounding exactly as he hoped to. Confident and just a LITTLE cocky. Never had he felt so proud with shackles upon his wrists. He would do what was needed. The elven lass riding upon the golem and the contents of the crate upon its back would soon show the dwarves their talents were not quite as unique as they were hoping.

He'd ask in silent prayer for the aid of the gods at that moment, but felt it best for their efforts spared at his wishes to be given to those the good knight Phelan promised to keep safe.

[triangles]

Delivered to Ariadne Tennick at Fort Bastion:

Vanguard,

You are being dispatched to Daris to aid allied forces surveying the area. The survey is being conducted by Squire Relvalis Nightmoon of the Argentum Vigilo to whom your expert knowledge of the area will be invaluable. Supplies and temporary shelter will be sent ahead of your journey so that you may travel light at your earliest convenience.

• Captain Anne Anathema
  The Free Vanguard

[ralfinader]

Caric had known the Mistress had returned when the purple mists rose over the horizon from Thralls Gate. He was returning from the Maw, passing on the thoroughfare road, when he spotted Kenyon, standing over the corpse of an ogre. Kenyon was also staring at the mists not so far off.

"The Mistress attacks Thralls Gate.", Kenyon noted.

Caric nodded agreement, and ran towards the walled city, Kenyon on his heels. Immediately the sound of battle, screams, and mayhem reached them from beyond the gate. Caric spotted a portal, on the road to Two Bridges, and corpses of what looked like the formerly displayed thralls of the Lochwarian bastion now roaming about, undead. They wasted no time rushing them, Caric's sword drawn and shield in place. The two were soon joined by Thanos and Keelin of the Ordo, and within minutes that seemed like hours, their forces were further bolstered by even more individuals including a Vanguard and Relvalis.

They fought hordes of raised thralls, and various creatures, including the snake-men the Mistress seemed so fond of. Those defenders that fell were soon up again with the help of the allied response to the unprovoked assault, The portals were dismissed by the powerful mages, only to appear elsewhere with even more intensity. And then the Mistress brought forth Canite Harbringers, and truly the walled city would have fallen, were it not for the sheer determination of the assembled opponents of the Mistress.

They fought on, and each victory did little to slow the attack, but it did bring them closer to the dawn. The morning rays of the sun again stopped the waves of enemies. And so began a mass burning of the corpses that hadn't disintegrated upon defeat.

Caric was cleaning the blood and gore of Canite and undead alike off his trusted heavy blade, relieved that the town, although represented by some questionable sorts, still stood. He prepared to summon his mount and ride on after a brief discussion was had regarding their harrowing battle, when his fellow Vigilo, Relvalis the dark elf druid, made it clear she meant to detain the criminal Gabriel, who had been spotted assisting in the fight against the Mistress, and now leaving the walls toward Cear. And so Caric also followed her out of the gates, leaving behind a few of the defenders, thinking that Gabriel would likely run, but hoping she would do the right thing and turn herself in.

[Kell]

Added to the files in the (public) Ordo Magica archives is the following writing.

Concerning Raising the Child Ghosts to Sigrids Circle of Summoning

Present:

• Elira, on behalf of the Ordo Magica
• Galatea, on behalf of the Fleet
• Melanie
• Relvalis on behalf of the Vigilo
• Sigrid
• Celestia
• Yvalee, on behalf of the Ordo Magica

On the 12th day of Iaover a seance was held in Sigrids' home at the docks in Cear. Within a summoning circle she requested presence of the children held captive by the Mistress. Witness and support were Relvalis, Elira, Melanie and Yvalee. The children appeared and seemed relatively calm for most of the happening until a certain frustration rose them to become aggrivated. They do not appear to think we either intend, want or can help them, because we seem hostile, infighting, egotistical creatures to them. The message that came across was a need for unification if we are to make progress against the Mistress, and subconsequentially in freeing them.

Following up this seance, the following has been agreed upon:

• Make a list of all included factions and personas with information and/or interest in the Mistress (Elira's task).
• Call for a meeting to discuss the latest standing (organization by Yvalee and Elira).
• Spread the ideology of "Unity" and persue this ideology. Let go of old habits and grudges and unite (to All involved in these lands).
• No more summoning the children. They have suffered enough (per request of Relvalis).
• Make copies of the Ordo Fact file and distribute it once again as reminder (Yvalee's task).

My personal recommendation would be to hold the meeting to discuss ongoing and progress on the
30th of of Iaover. I will make written invitations and make sure that all who are interested, receive one.

Signed off,

Lady Yvalee Dy'Ner

Antiquary and tutor at the Collegium Arcanum of Ravenwatch
Artis Discipulus to Ordo Magica

Relvalis, Elira, Sigrid, Yvalee and Melanie

[Peregrinus]

Published from the Ordo Files:

Quietly as to not draw to much attention to it, I have been researching the history and origin of the Mistress, especially in attempting to find out her name. First I must thank Quaesitor Elvira for her efforts in deciphering the magic circle used by the Mistress' cultists, as this effort led me to the conclusions and the following information that has been discovered.

As is known, the summoning circle uses three names as focuses of power. These names are "Maelstrom", "Mother" and what was initially thought to be the Mistress' True Name. In my research and discovery, I propose that the third name is not her True Name, but rather a Name of Power she chose for herself. This is due to a bit we uncovered about the Mistress' nature very early on from sources in Korgrov's Maw, that she has three aspects to herself: "One of the Dead, One of the Demons, and One that she makes others believe". This has been neglected in previous reports due to it seeming like a dead end, as the original objective of the research was to see if the necrotic power she draws on was similar to the power infusing the Maw, which, for the record, it is not. These three aspects align perfectly with the three names on the circle. Maelstrom, one of the dead, if taken as a reference to the infamous Dread Lich Maelstrom of the Cult of Nergal. Mother, if rumors of her having fiendish heritage were true, would fit as one of the demons (I will touch on this more in a moment). And the last, what we supposed was her True Name, was the name she got others to believe. We know she has assembled a cult and has been actively converting those of other faiths to her, so these also it.

However the Mother to demonic power was a stretch, so I undertook further research. The source for the original statement was a Dasarian individual who mentioned knowing my grandfather, given my grandfather's time in Dasaria, it seemed likely she had encountered him when he lived in Daris, and she had implied there was a connection to Daris and the Mistress. Further the Mistress' seizing of Kracc's Island, off the coast of Daris, and other rumors strongly suggested a connection there, so when the most recent expedition to collect flowers for the Church of Peralia set out, I accompanied them and remained as they left to ask a few questions of the ghost of Marleen Baraan. She has long stood vigil over the tomb of her ancestors, and I vaguely remembered my grandfather mentioning aiding her in securing those tombs in his time, so there was a chance she might know more.

While she could give no direct answers, for she was bound underground in her vigil, she did tell me some o the fall of Daris that is less commonly known: that Maelstrom of Nergal aided the Varanites in their conquest of that town and the initial attacks used a fusion of nercotic magics and demonic magics similar to that of the Mistress (it should be noted, for those who have not encountered her, Marleen was a skilled arcanist in life, and her ghost retains those abilities, so she does know of magics). This combination like the Mistress uses is rare, and as such, seemed to more strongly point to a point of origin of the Mistress as one who was at Daris at the time of the attack. Given the history of the period, that the Magnus Order led the assault aided by the Ji Lyn and Nergalites, I felt it likely the Magnus Order may have records concerning what sorceresses were present at the siege. I sent an inquiry via Commander Allers to the Magnus, but per the Commander, they are claiming to know nothing about her. So I, the Vigilo, and some of our allies went to the ruins of the Magnus Order archives in Ravenswatch on the off chance we may find something. While we did not find exactly what we were searching for we did find an ancient though heavily damaged book written in the language of the Ji Lyn that contained matrilineal genealogies of members of that order. It was heavily damaged, but one entry stood out: "daugh(ter) of Jyha(na)" with a note saying she was "impri(soned)". While we cannot say with 100% accuracy that this entry references the Mistress, I think it is likely given the other information, especially since that once we found the book and found this information, Portals of the like the Mistress uses opened and spewed forth her snake-men followers, and, finally, Canite champions, who attempted to stop us.

As an aside: this was the first time that regular Canite forces have appeared through these portals, while there had been crossover with the monstrous races and undead, never before has proper Canite livery came through one of the Mistress' portals. This confirms our longstanding suspicion that the Mistress had direct ties and alliance with Canas.

If the entry that was found did pertain to the Mistress, "the Mother" aspect of her magic circle makes considerable more sense, as she is citing the power of Jyhana. Knowing she may be the actual daughter of Jyhana also gives us other potential angles of attack on her. Finally, even though the note seemed to say she was imprisoned, she is clearly no longer. When she escaped is unknown, but it seems quite possible that she was let loose with the other Ji Lyn when the seal on Pandemonium was weakened about two years ago, though she may have been active even earlier. This will bear further investigation, and we will be seeking out further information, attempting to find the original informant who set us on this path and finding out what more she may know.