Chronicles of Fnord - the Black temple in the wastes

[nazgulking]

Here is the entry of Erif, priest at the services of the Queen of the elves.

The increasing threat of skeleton cult, in light of the recent incident, have force the Queen to form a group of valuable people. They are addressed to investigate the evil that is incubating in the east.
The group is composed of six elements: two Elves, two Ursans and two Avians.

I am one of the elves of the group, while Zan is the other. Zan is one of those elves that embraced the way of the sword, trained by Skav himself in the group of the reborned Knights of Cydonia; he could be the next leader of the Knights.
Scar is a pandian bear that spent all his life gaining expertise in the field of creating armours and weapons. Son of one of the components of the Ursan circle of the Mighty, his ability are unmatched.
Wood is a bear that spent his life in the city of Oasis among the Avians. He is probably the only bear that undertook this way not by the desires fo the greediness. He was a natyral talented bear in the use of bow and searched, all his life long, to be the best archer among his race. His teachers are very confident that he reached that ambitious goal.
As many bears, they took their name a while after their birth; thier parents chose their name after some particular trait and it obvious which one have inspired their respective parents.
Blackbeak is one of the few black Avians that "were there" when the Great Exile took place. He is very short worded and just says the necessary things and nothing more. Very good marksman and especially good in finding the trails of his preys.
Av'ial is one of the few Avians that retain the naming convention before the Great Exile. Son of an important leader of the Avians, which was the leader of a city-state before the "Ancients" came. He a great attitude at the swordmanship and seek to find his enemy in the open, even if he does some tactics before just bashing in the battle.

These are the members of a group, a fellowship, whose task is to find answers to many questions: "What does the skeleton cult wants to do with the orb the have stolen?", "Can they achieve their goals?", but more importantly "What does this Fnord land yields?".

Our first destination is the old homeland of the Avians. From the annals of the elves it said that it was there that the portal between the plane of Cosmos and Void was open and it is there that we have to begin our investigations.
The more eagers to get there were the Avians for obvious reasons. While Blackbeak wanted to seek revenge, Av'ial was just curios to see the place his ancestors were calling home!

Before entering the wastes of the east, we took some time to get supplies for the ongoing travel in the city of Oasis. All the Avians greeted us and held a wonderful party as a good omen to our voyage. We took our time to relax and I have to say that the bears were the ones that took literally that word.
Only Blackbeak was ever vigilant, trait of his people from the ex-city state of "Crow Beak".

The day after we began our march into the unknown. The more we were getting near our goal we felt the air was getting thick and unbreathable. It took an entire day to get used to the stink that was all around us. And finally we arrived.

The name really gets you a picture of the place. The apocalypse that the "Ancients" unleashed on these lands were obvious and unbearable at the same time. It was clear the growing rage and anger that was growing among the two Avians. After days of silence Blackbeak telegraphically said: "They are going to pay for this!" and then continued.

The Queen of the Elves gave us a map of the last know position of the portal. Ironically it was in the middle of Golden beak itself.
In the distance there it was. The glory of the old empire of the Avians in the east was but a distant glimpse, in front of the destruction that was ahead of us. The giant towers of the city were nothing more that flaming matchboxes. The eldest of the Elves remeber the glory of those towers giving the merchants the sign they were approaching the great city of Av'ian. Now Golden Beak was a bunch of little mountains of ashes. More strangely the same ash that was littering the ground was still raining from the clouded sky.

At first seemed nothing more than a humming in the distance. The more we approached the center of Golden Beak, where the portal was located, the humming become more like a chanting. It was not understandable by our ears. Actually it seemed a completely new language. Near the closed portal there was a tall misterious figure with a black cloack and a hood. Around him there were other "beigns" smaller than him but wearing the same clothes. They were in a trance like state. Agitating their heads in circle they were making a strange ceremony in a even stranger black tongue. I think they were trying to activate the portal.

We needed to act as fast as we could. Wood understood the situation was a very good one to snipe them from afar. "I think we need to strike them from the distance. Here and now! We may have only this chance to do it while undetected. What do you think?"
We were looking into each other think what was the best option.
"What are we waiting for? I am with you, Ursan" Blackbeak said.
In the end we all saw there were no other option and agreed with the plan of Wood.

Blackbeak and Wood, quietly approached a smoldering ruin near enough the black circle. They were aiming at the big tall figure, which seemed to be a leader to what seemed to be the skeleton cult. They were about to strike when, all of a sudden, all the figures in the main plaza of what was Golden Beak stopped immediately. They were like wax statues in a dark musuem, those so real that are able to scare you. Only difference was those were not statues, but were scary as hell!

The tall figured target at us and pointed us with his violet and burning eyes:
"You fools! I am Nargel, Fifth great Priest of the cult!
You think with your mighty armours and pitiful weapons are able to smithe us"
We were there petrified by his words, like if a spell was put on us and prohibiting any move
"You are too late, foolish creatures. We have created the last throne in the black temple at the center of Fnord.
We will re-open the passage for our master and will make the Eclipse come to this world!
You are Doomed! DOOMED! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

While laughing we could saw his teeth, sharp a razors and long as the swords of the humans.
In that moment the once closed portal a bright violet light began to burst into the magical artifact.

"Go my acolytes, we need to make the last arrengements for out Master arrival.
If you are brave or foolish enough to follow us, I dare you to come to Fnord.
Try to stop us if you can! HAHAHAHAHAH"

While he was talking the acolytes were crossing the gates of Fnord and when the last one disappeared in the whirls of the unknown he liquefied himself and disapperead in a ghastly laugh that was so eerie that we felt our faith in the mission was failing in that moment.
"What we are supposed to do now?" was the common question. Even the strongest components of the group were shaking by what happened.
"I will not return back with my tail between my legs! Also because it is too short to do so..." Scar said to extinguish the silence that was reigning.
We all smiled at the joke that he made and at the same time thought that he was right. We don't have time to go back to call for reinforcements or to ask assistance.

We are the frontlines of hope and we shall go forth!

We were all confident once more and we crossed the cursed portal unaware of the perils that were awaiting for us...

Here is the end of the entry of Erif, priest at the services of the Queen of the elves. It will continue Av'ial the next entry of our voyage in the unknown dark world of Fnord

[nazgulking]

Here is the entry of Av'ial, blademaster of Oasis.

"I was there..." it was echoing in air, as soon as we step foot beyond the portal.
His whispers were crossing our minds. Cutting our defences. Leaving us hopeless, but to hear those whispers...

"... when you put me out of MY city... then you imprisoned me for YEARS and YEARS... banished from the light of the sun... and now you DARE to enter OUR realm???"
"You are not prepared... I was pleased to sacrifice those... those who I thought were friends... they were just but feeble little pesks... unworthy to remain alive on this earth..."
"In the end at least they did something useful in their miserable lives..."

Nothing more than whispers, clear as flame, were around us. "This must be Nargel" someone said in the group.
We were looking around us to see the source of those whispers. But there was nothing out there.
I remeber the tales of the Void. I remember reading the annals written by the Elves. What was in front of us was exactly how Bale described the Void.
Ash was raining from above. The sky... grey as the hearts of those cultists hidden in the shadows. The hearth was crumbling beneath our feet like if it had no consistency.
The land seemed like dying, even though it was not dead yet. Only thorns and no gentle lines were scattered across the landscape. This was what the "Void" wanted for Alterra.

"I remember the time of the undead... the time they came from the portal... the war.. my dad run like a foolish from the battlefield... just to be killed... They were calling me liar"
"They put me out of the city... to cleanse the reputation of the city... FOOLS..."
"It was then that my eyes were caught by that shining little dark crystal... I thought it was a precious thing the moment I saw it. I knew it.. and then, they found me..."
"After putting the misery into my heart, by banishing me from my own city... they encaged me in their prison... they cursed me... and locked me in my little...lightless.. CELL!"
"I had only my little, precious crystal to look after me... my mom was with them... and I wept for been so alone ... I forgot the taste of any edible meal... "
"After years of losing my sanity... after forgotting my own name... the crystal began to speak to me... It was saying that it understood my pain... He felt the same thing... It said it could help get out of there..."
"The only thing that was needed was a sacrifice... I was not sure about what to do... until they burst into my cell... there was my mom with them... they wanted to execute me, for a crime I didn't make... In that moment... when I was scratching the floor to not let them get me out of that cell... and put me in front of my doom... I said it"

"Sacrifice them all!"

"It was then that a black portal materialized upon the city, sucking all the inhabitants into it. I was looking into their eyes... Fear... I liked it... a lot"
"In fact I was laughing... and my master granted me the power I desire above all things... pietrify all with my gaze... just as they did it to me... I will do the same for the only One that looked after me... and I will serve Him!"

A dark presence was in front of us. It was Nargel himself alone that was marching against us.

"Ahahahah! You are so predictable. I knew you would have come... you all came" This time it was not a whisper. It was a clear voice talking to us.
"He have granted me the honor to have your souls..." and he was in front of us with his violet, flaming eyes "... and the souls of all the people of Alterra! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"The power of my race comes from the same source of you master!" Said Erif charging at Nargel and firing fireballs at an amazing speed form her staff. Nargel didn't even tried to dodge the projectiles. One after the other they were hitting Nargel creating a cloud of smoke all around him.
We were holding our breath to see if Erif succeded, but from the cloud the terrible and violet eyes of Nargel where emerging : "This is the best you underlings can do?"

He casted a dark firestorm, so powerful, that casted us in the air. We were with our faces in the gray dirt of Fnord, until Erif turned her head to Nargel and used his gaze to pietrify Erif shortly, because " I want to see the suffering and despair in your eyes! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Here it is the next statue for my lovely garden in the Void! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Erif was a pietrified statue now, with a terrorized face printed on her face. I had a plan and told it to Zan, taking the opportunity that Nargel was contemplating his momentary victory. We were on the opposite sides of the Great Priest and with his usual laugh he asked us "What did you hope to accomplish by coming here, pitiful creatures?"
"You have something that belongs to me... and i want it... "

The powerful priest summoned another Firestorm from the sky, but this time we were prepared and let him do it. We were again drove to the ground, due to his powerful spell.
"You will share the same fate of your friend, a good looking statue in my garden of sorrow..."
"I wouldn't hope for it" I said and when he was charging his gaze toward me I put my mirrored shield in front of me, the one given by my Ursan instructor, in Frosty hollows. Nargel was looking at his own eyes reflecting through the shield of mine.
He was frozen by his own magic, but not pietrified as I presumed and in that moment Zan stabbed from behind. Our plan worked and the Great priest fell to the ground mortally wounded.

"You think that my disappearance from this plane will stop our Master's plan? Saunaz have regained much of his former strenght, but cannot take yet physical form... his spirit have lost none of his power. Concealed in his tower, the master of the Void can see all through the beacon here in the land of Fnord. He will be soon able to manifest himself in this plane and dispense waste to this miserable world...ha....ha...ha...urgh....the hour is later than you think... you don't have the means to harm him...ha..ha..ha"

"Redeem yourself! You have the time now! Tell us what we need to kill the Void" told Zan.
"Fools.... I ... won't...tell...you.......anything...." and there it lied on the earth the fifth priest of the cult.

"What a waste" Black beak said.

"What are we going to do now?" Scar asked

"If he said we need a tool to harm the Void it means it is here." Wood said "I am certain of this".
"We need to search for some sort of clue and we won't find it by standing here" Scar replied.
"Ok, so we are in agreement, we shall proceed and look for some sign of civilization. Where there is a trace of an old city, there must be a library. And where there is a library we will find the answers we seek."

"What about Erif, we can't leave her here!" Zan said
"She would be only a burden, and if you don't know how to dispel the spell that was put unto her, we are wasting only time" Blackbeak said
"While harsh, I have to agree with Blackbeak, we must proceed. We don't know how much time we have left to stop whatever is happening to come to conclusion"

Even if shattered in the heart for the loss of our companion Erif we were continuing in our quest, in order to stop the shadows from spreading.

Here is the end of the entry of Av'ial, blademaster of Oasis. It will continue Scar the next entry of our voyage in the perilous and dark world of Fnord

[nazgulking]

Here is the entry of Scar, armour crafter of Frosty Hollows.

We were venturing in these wastes, without knowing where exactly we were supposed to go; we didn't know actually how to come back either... if we would ever come back.
It seemed like we were running into circle within the fog that suddendly arosed. We were growing hopeless. I felt like something inside me was changing... to the worst.
Much like if the mere land was consuming us.
Actually Blackbeak began to talk to himself. We were asking him who he was talking to, but he gave no answers back, like he was too busy to answer two people at the same time.
After a day wandering in the nowhere, Blackbeak began to take a certain direction without actually explaining why he would do so. All our tries to talk to him were in made in vain.

After some hours of walking we began to see something blurry in the distance.

"Here is the civilization we were after, Av'ial" Blackbak said.

It was actually a city, unfortunately only ruins were left.

"How on Alterra did you find the way for this place?" Av'ial asked in return.
"Let me just say that I know it..." Blackbeak said with a grim smile on his face.
"This is the Black temple of Fnord. There is a labyrinth underneath this dark palace. Don't worry I will led you in there and we will be retributed for our courage..."
"I have never heard you talking like that Blackie, besides how do you know all these things? Are you hiding us something from us?" I asked.
"This was long-forgotten prophecy of the old Crow Beak. Few remember this, but I do." Blackbeak replied.

As we were approaching the desecrated place we were seeing the ruins of what seemed like a glorious city. Even if it seemed that all the troubles for this town happened centuries ago, there were burning little mountains of ashes everywhere, just like if it happened the other day.
And there it was in fornt of us. It was a small black tower with a great opening.

We walked in. All was broken inside. We followed Blackbeak inside. He seemed like he knew where to go. "I have dreamed of this moment..." He repeated to himself.
After reaching the main altar in the big room after the entrance we found some stairs behind it that were descending into the unkown.

We were feeling uneasy to proceed. "Don't worry, my friends... I will led you in the obscurity..." Somehow I didn't feel any better after hearing this from Blackbeak.
We knew anyhow what was our mission and followed Blackbeak into the depths of the earth.

After reaching of what was the first floor beneath the temple we were hearing a weak chanting in the distance. Like if a ritual was going on in the distance. Our steps were like drums, echoing in the silence of these old rooms.

I felt we were surrounded by dark powers. They were watching us from the shadows... waiting for us.
We had only the light created by the magic of Zan to light up the hallways. No torch was burning to give us some answers about where to go. Still Blackbeak was proeeding like if he knew what he was doing. "We are going the right way... I feel it" He was saying.

And after some time wandering in these dark dungeon, the shadows began to bring to life. They were the servants of the Void... I remeber what Av'ial told about the Great War and what I was seeing was the worst thing I ever saw. The nightmares that we never want to see were taking form and were about to attack us.
We were ready.
When we started fighting those Voidspawn, Blackbeak did not do so much. Suddenly he just ran deeper into the grim, endless chambers that were filled with the Servants of Darkness!

"Blackbeak!!! What are you doing?" No response back. We were too busy rejecting those things. I suppose he was killed along his foolish run. He could never escape their grasp.
They were simply too many.

After defeating this wave of malice, we tried to look for some clues about the place we were into. We eventually found a book in this forgotten realm of doubt.
Zan, bearing the wisdom of her race, began to read the book:
"So it came to be that the One who created us all was banished encased in a prison he could not escape in the realm of Sorrow and Pain. After sowing chaos across the land of Its creations for decades, It was hunted down by the cursed spawn of the same origins. He used an artifact called Soulstone to contain the essence of the Void, Lord of the Middle Realm.
Eventually the cursed creation captured the Void within a Soulstone, and buried him under an ancient, forgotten Temple. There, the Lord of Never Ending Time sleeps and awaits the time of Its rebirth. He will seek a host to possess - one that is easily controlled. He will then arise to end once and for all the lives of those whom It created in the first place."

"There it is! We just have to found this 'Soulstone' that is cited in this book and maybe we can have a chance to stop the Void" Wood said.
In that moment when our hopes were finally getting up, we were about to witness one the worst things that the darkest pool of the Void could spawn.

"You worms of life have entered my crypt!... Prepare yourself, living ones, to serve my Master for eternity! HE..HA..HA..HA..HA..ha"
It was C'ireol, the fourth Great priest of the cult speaking.

"You thought you were so clever... One by one my minions fell to your sword,.. and axe, ... and staff, ...! I know the soulstone is the Key!"
"I know that my master seek it, to destroy it... Nargel was foolish enough... weakling... to fall by the hand of you, pitiful creatures of the West."
"I am searching the depths of this labyrinth to find the key to the victory of my Master... my minions will find it wherever it is hidden..."
"... And there is nothing you can do... to stop it! HE..HA...HA..HE..he..."
"Then... at long last... the Army of my Master will ravage the lands of Alterra ... and I shall sit in the dark counsel and execute Its will... in the end all the living... will be mine!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA....."

His laughs were chilling our bones.

"Now my dark acolyte, sing the song of the end of these foolish warriors... and welcome them... in the ranks of my new servants...."

The light went on across all the dark chambers composing this riddle beneath the earth. From the dark alleys, still not lit up, the dark minions of C'ireol were craving to serve their master. We needed to make an escape form the horde of mindless creeps. The ones we have defeated came back anew, ready to battle us again.
They were getting ground slowly... we saw that there was a room in the distance and we all ran up to it.

We have barred the entrance, but cannot hold them for long... Now the drums are real... the pebble-filled ground is shaking at its rhythm.
The drums! THE DRUMS!.... In the deep they are following the actions of the followers of C'ireol.
We cannot get out of this room.
We are trapped.
The shadows of the corridors are taking form and they are moving toward us.
What are we supposed to do? We cannot get out...
Protectors of Alterra! Give us strenght!.... Protect us in this moment!
The room around us is changing and getting gloomier than before. It is reflecting our fears and turn them into reality.

They are coming for us!.....

[nazgulking]

Here is the entry of Wood, the wanderer bear.

A terrible loss afflicted our group. Scar have left us in the attack of the Great priest of the cult. I want to write down what I wasn't able to tell.
Scar was the only friend that always cared for me. Even when I left Frosty Hollows because I wanted to follow what I thought was the right path for me, he was with me.
Even when my parents turned away their eyes from me, you were the only one that was by my side.

I keep tight to my heart the good memories with you. I was there with Scar in his last moments, maybe the only moment where I could showed my gratitude to him.
"I feel I'm fading... Wood, my dear friend" said my beloved friend, coughing blood on the floor.
"Remember, old friend.... that Evil can knock at our doorstep at every moment... only we... can choose to open the door to it... or keep what is good about our world near to our souls..." He was smiling, the fool.
"You are the only thing that matters to me, Scar. Don't leave me now! I need your guidance!" I said in tears.
"No, Scar. The dream of this wicked world must disappear... Now you have a mission to attend... You know what we have been through..."
"Yes, I know my dear friend. I have been reborn thanks to you. This world... is not ready for me... " I smiled a bit "... yet, here I am.... my hopes in the world of Alterra shaked many times, but thanks to you, I have regained faith in the good that this world can offer"
"Remeber... the times we spent at the sunset, near the lake Urtan?... hehehe.... remeber how you dreamed about how much you wanted to use a bow... against all what your parents have taughted you?"
" Yes" I was saying crying "I remeber how you laughed at all my fears. You said that if I always feared to make any move, I would have never fulfilled my dreams. Agianst everything I fought to get what I thought was right and you... were there to support me, and sometime make me laugh when I was reaching the deepest pits of anguish."
"It is.... so easy to misjudge... my dear friend... and I always saw the good in your eyes... while others where blinded by stupid moralisms and prejudice... You are a good bear... good in the deep of your heart... always remeber that..." Said my old friend.

I remeber when we talked about Utopia. The mystical land where all our good wishes could turn into reality. In the cold nights at the lake, we were wondering about our future and what we would have became. You always wanted to be an armour crafter, while I was amazed about that Avian that came to our city and showed his amazing skills with the bow.
I remeber how you explained your definition of Evil. "A pain under the skin". For you, mercy and been compassionate were the victorious cards in this world.
You said that you wanted to give me something that was stolen from me. A chance. A chance to learn... to find what I love.. to live... and in the end my reward would have been a family. It would have been composed by the two of us only. You wanted to give me all this by staying by my side. You sacrificed yourself... you have benn injured... and when given the chance, you choosed to forgive... always.

"What if Utopia was not a place. What if Utopia was a group of people? I think they could be called friends... and we are the embodiement of it." I told him
He smiled back at me.
His breath was getting heavier and the coughs were suffocating him.

"I can sense he's leaving us" Zan said "I can do one last thing to help you two stay togheter, even in death"
"What?" I asked.
"I will use the same magic that the Bale used when He concealed the Void... I will use it to encase the soul of Scar within you, Wood"

Her sword was shining like the brightest of the stars. The forbidden magic used by Bale and the Void... for once... was used to do something good in the end.
Scar was right. He always was. The power cannot be good or evil. It just depends on how you use it.
I felt that the soul of Scar was leaving us. I was seeing through his eyes, thanks to the magic of Zan.
The vision was blurry... and the light... a warm light... so wonderful... he was leaving his bear form and becaming pure energy and, finally, flowing through me.
I was seeing from my eyes again, but I felt something different. I was feeling that he was there... in my body. I felt his warm and cheerful presence near to me.

I was happy.

You will now be always with me, brother. Your memories. Your dreams. And when I will need, You will be there... on my shoulder... giving me good advices... like the old times.
When I see my face reflected... I see you, my dear brother... smiling at me... and supporting me...and a sense of peace was finally getting an hold on me, after many years of anger, and hate. Finally I have found the peace I was looking for. With the friends that are now with me in this quest, I now feel complete.
I don't care if I will die in the pursuit of the truth, I have found what I was looking for. I have searched for it everywhere in the known world.
From the sand plains to the frost peaks... from the forests to the lakes... and it was always there, near to me, at the reach of my grasp... without knowing it.
All the bears of Frosty Hollows told me that my choice was unredeemable. I should have followed the way of the sword. I was the curse of my race.
They were wrong, and thanks to that I knew the only bear worthy to be known. You.

Come by my side, dear Scar. We will walk now as one beign. How ironic. Also how beautiful is this sensation.
In this world of darkness, our pact of friendship will make us strong and give us hope. This land of despair must vanish. I must do it for Alterra... for you.

We are now walking into the pitch black, lighted only by the sword of Zan to find the soulstone, before C'ireol does. We have to do it for all that is good in this world.

Here is the end of the entry of Wood, paladin of faith of Alterra.

[nazgulking]

Here is a small contibute of all the clues about the fate of Blackbeak.

While we were venturing deeper into the cold earth of Fnord, we apporached what seemed to be a Boneyard of some sort.
The stink of death was surrounding us. Bones and evil was all around us. In our investigation for any sign of the fabled Bloodstone, we found traces left by Blackbeak.
Between eerie laughs in the distance and distorted wails we found some sort of tomes written with a strange reddish ink.
It was Blackbeak writing in riddles:

"I can see what you see not. When I turn, the shadows move, showing the path. They are whispering, concealed within their veils. I can see what cannot be, the way to the bloodstone is clear. I can see the light where the shadow should be."

Monsters were waiting in the putrid darkness awating for their next meals while we were moving onward into the unknowned.
The fouled place was the last place where we wanted to go in all our lives, but couldn't stop, since we were getting closer to the solution of this puzzle and another tome was found:

"Beyond the hall of the Fallen lies the Chamber of Stone. Eternal death awaits any who would seek to go beyond that passage. So speak Saunaz and so it is written"

We were feeling that Blackbeak was transforming with the more tomes we were reading. Until we approached what Blackbeak called the hall of the Fallen.
The room was filled with the armours of unnamed soldier who ventured here for even further unknown reasons. They were so many that we couldn't count them. Until we heard again that eerie laugh, but this time it was in the room we were in. The armours were getting up like if their previous master were still wearing them in that very moment.
Some violet flames were taking place of the eyes of the dead soldiers. They were speaking to us.

"Life... so much life.... you have it too much.... why don't we have it, as well... we want it... Give your life to us"

They a thousand of them, to say the least, and they were craving to make us one of them.

"Our Lord and Master Saunaz created this domain to protect its great treasures, those who died in attempt to steal that treasure will be forever bound to defend it. A fitting end, isn't it?... HAHAHAHAHA" C'ireol said in the distant darkness "You will become an eternal servant of the Void when you will perish within this domain. Enter the hall of the Fallen and embrace your faith..."

We were slicing the hordes of the undead armors, but the more we were slicing the more were getting back up. We were so short on solutions that they were unto us, until Zan created a big magic explosion that drove all the dark servants of the Void against the walls. In that moment we choosed to run into the next room, to avoid certain doom.

We got into the Chamber of Stone

After shutting the door behind us, we heard again that twisted wail. It was the horros of C'ireol. It was its lair waiting for us.

"Abadon your foolish quest. All that await you is my wrath. You are too late to save the Avian. You will join the hordes of the Fallen and serve the cause to revive Saunaz. HAHAHAHAHAH" C'ireol said and in the middle of the room, togheter with its haunting laugh we saw a violet light that was getting darker and a great earthquake was shaking the room.
The stones of the room were getting out of their postion: walls, floor, ceiling. All were loosing pieces and gathering at the center of the room creating what was the great Priest.
A great Golem in the Center of the room, with no arms, with an horny head and spiky teeth. Its disgusting violet eyes were looking at us.

"Ah this is always what I was. I was changing my shape whenever I wanted when I was a mere mortal. I was giving advices to my king to take control of all others. And after wage war against the inferior beasts of the mainland. You aberration of life... your travel ends here,,, hahaha"

We charged at him and tried to cut the stone composing the Priest to no avail.

"You can cut as much as you want, but these stones will only break your weapons. Let me show you how you have to handle these...."

All around him he was making levitate the stones taken from parts of the room ans used them against us. They were fast projectiles and we were able to avoid them, while he was frantically and maniacally launching them at us. " DIE! DIE! DIE! HAHAHAHAHA"

We were seeing that beneath the stones, taken to kill us, an endless chasm was awating to make us fall into its mouth. We didn't have time enough to counter him, unless we wanted to end our travel here.
The mouth of the Great Priest was an endless source of the servants of the Void, taking form from the black fog of Darkness emitting from the fangs of the foul priest.
Zan created a big fireball and directed it toward C'ireol. It opened an openeing big enough to let us see the Violet hearth of the priest. Wood took his bow and fored at it.
The Priest shouted in pain.

"Cursed you furries. I will kill you with my hands!"
"What hands? You don't have...."

Wood didn't have time to finish his sentence, while the Priest used his magic to gather more stone from the room. He repaired the gap we created and created too enourmous hands made for one purpose: crash us!
With its big hands he made Wood crush to wall. He was injured but still alive.
"HAHAHAHA! I will squeeze you all! In the end you cannot stop him from rebirthing! HAHAHAHA"

While he laughed at our fail. Zan created another fireball this time ten times stronger, in order to perforate the stone armour and pierce the heart of Darkness. He succeeded.
"ARGHHH! Master, please don't leave me die... I will sacrifice them... and give a second chance...Please.... I.. am... serving..."

Probably the sacrifice don't work the way C'ireol wanted. He crumbled and the material existance of the Priest was falling apart. Zan took the wounded Wood out of the room before the floor collapsed revealing the chasm beneath it.

Here ends the contribute about our findings so far.

<Written with a strange reddish ink>

Hail and tears to Saunaz, Lord of the Void and Encager of Souls. When I will awake my Master from its sleep, he will attempt to posses a mortal's form. Saunaz attempted to claim the body of the second Priest of the order, but my master was too weak from his first resurrection. My Lord requires a simple anchor to this world, and so It found me perfect for the task. While the priest was left maddened by Saunaz's unsuccessful possession, I ventured deeper into the grims of darkness and presented myself before my Master. I now await Its call and pray that I will be rewarded when he at last emerges as the Lord of this world.
Fear, people of Alterra, for the your call to the inevitable fate has been sorted.

[nazgulking]

"My Queen, this is an emergency!"
"Who is contacting me?... Zan???"
It was Zan, Paladin of the Knights of Cydonia, who was telepathically calling me, the Elf Queen of Alterra, because we were about to witness an important part of our future.
"I am sorry to disturb you, your Highness, but the situation is dire I need to ask you one thing"
"What is it, Zan? Why the situation is so dire to oblige you to contact me? You would never do it unless strictly necessary. Please do not hesitate any more and tell me everything".
"My Queen, the fellowship we forged back in Alterra is shattered, most of their members have died in the process to gain the truth about the land Fnord. The forces we were asked to bound were unboundable. The lands the were asked to travel and reclaim were stronger than we anticipated. Whatever you may hear about what happened to our fellowship out here. Know this. I have killed them all. My pride did. The pride and the presumption to encage the beast with an handful of people. I would like to ask you one last favor."
"Don't you think you are a bit harsh toward yourself, Zan? Anyway what is it that you are asking me?" I have asked her.
"See through my eyes, because I don't think we will return alive from our travel here. You must see what Saunaz is wanting for Alterra..."
"So be it.."

Then I have used my powers to see through the eyes of Zan.
"This morning was the most glorious morning in the history of the Cosmos..."
"This is Blackbeak, he is now the host for the rebirth of the Void in this world" My blood chilled.
"Peace is upon us, a gift for every beign for this plane. The victory is at hand not just for our cult, for our generations too. The time for questioning is over. Rising from the shadows, from our pits. from our hideouts we must now all open our souls to the magic of the Void. There is only one purpose in this travel. The void is the way and the life. Today the sun rises on a new world and new people. The sacrifice is only the beginning."

The madness of the lies of the Void was going deep in the mind of the Avian and he could not be saved anymore. The last two elements of the group sent to investigate the misteries of these lands were approaching the source of all evil. Their purpose was clear and finally they were seeing the host.
Levitating in mid-air with a sinister flow of dark energy coming from some dark crystals shaped as thrones and penetrating his head. Looking more closely the Avian host was wearing a crystaline crown and seemed that it was the mean through which the Void was about to possess the Avian.
Before any move could be made any forward, a mass of dark servants of the Void attacked Wood and Zan. They defended themselves proudfully and, in the end they were able to get on top of their enemies. They were about to taste the victory until a great shake came from the upper vault.
Smash after smash, greater cracks were decorating the ceiling of the room.

"You know who is coming?" The host asked.
"We call him Rake. It is the third priest of the cult. He was a bloodthirsty warrior and he asked to have "MORE" blood for his chalice. Differently from the other priests he have no intellect, he is just pure rage and uncontrollable madness, not expect any speeches from him, just...pure...violence"

As soon as the Host finished his speech the ceiling was broken apart and and a flood of black water was coming out filling the room the dark mud. Out the current from above, the priest emerged and with his black flaming eyes pointed at Zan and Wood and shrieked. He was at first walking slowing and suddenly stopped.
With a position of his hads he diverted the flow of the black water to form some sort of shiled all around him. Then he began to use telekinesis to throw the rubbles around him at what was left of the fellowship. The situation was dire and Wodd said to Zan:" You go and stop Blackie from been possed, I will bait him!"
"Ok, thank you friend!" Zan said and she run into the room of the Host.
With tail of her eye she saw Wood charging at the Priest and with it doing the same toward the Ursan.

There it was, the solution to our problems. The host was wearing the Soulstone as a crown. Suddenly the head of the host shaked and he looked at Zan with barred and maddened eyes.

"Peaceful, Isn't it?" Said, slightly laughing, the Host with a menacing grim on his face "Now the way is paved toward the inevitable rise of the Void in these realm, oh and look, seems like your friend have failed"

Zan turned her look back. She saw the priest with Wood impaled on its arm. With a firm and quick move the priest removed the body of the Ursan from the arm and let him roll on the ground. It was an horrible vision.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooo!" Zan screamed.

Rage, something so powerful that an Elf could never feel. Something so uncontrollable that reasoning was not possible. Zan was overwhelmed by that feeling, which is not part of our blood. Probably influenced by the malevolent influence of Fnord, she began to hear a voice running through her head.

"Return the stone... <heavy breath> ... complete the circle... <heavy breath> ... Release me from this ... CAGE!"

Against her will she began to charge at the Host and, while shouting, stabbed the Soulstone with her blade.
"I have failed my Queen, forgive me..."
Thank to the act of Zan she destroyed the mortal existance of the Host, but, at the same time, she permitted Him to cross the planes.

"Zan! Zan! Do you hear me? Are you All right?" I asked her.

She got back on her feet and and heard a voice in her head "Now... We.. Are.. One... Beign!"
And a great swirl of dark energies ran across her body and changed her. In mind and body. The Soulstone was used as an helm. And all those dark energies ended in a dark beacon. It was so big that all people of Alterra could see it.

"Weep and despair, people of Alterra! Your time of peace have come. Peace as my eternal servants. Now my reign of Darkness have risen from the ashes and I will regain what is rightfully mine."

The beacon began to accumulate and created a big dark sphere in the air. Eventually the ball exploded creating a Dark tide across our skies. From that time the Sky is as dark as the pits of Frosty Hollows. Sitting on his dark Throne the Lord of the Void awaits to reclaim Alterra.

The Dark age have began.

[Phoenixking]

Anymore entries? And will you make more not just those entreis? :]

[nazgulking]

As for now I want to stick to one entry per group member. I want to experiment the diary narration. Since I don't have the full story in my head but glimpses of the main story arcs, the story just gets its form as I write more entries If i see that I need more space to write, be sure I will (As I did in the history story arc)

[Xscoopx]

.....BRAVO!!

[Zeolanctus]

Great story!

[nazgulking]

The second entry have been fulfilled. The journey into the dark lands of Fnord continues.

[nazgulking]

The third entry have been written. Will our heroes withstand the forces of evil? I will let you know in the next entry...

[LINKERY(Link)]

Amazing!

[Phoenixking]

You said it was dark :O lol i didnt shake at all i was just like this emote
:O :O3 :$ XP

I liked it alot though :3 but i though you meant it would be DARK lol

[StompArtist]

You are talented at this. You should get with Red and write graphic novels...

[nazgulking]

You are talented at this. You should get with Red and write graphic novels...

Thanks for the support
I may think of allying with Red for the greatest of all visual stories

[nazgulking]

Here we are with a new entry and an introspection of the friendship of two component of the group. In the next step we will undertsnad what happened to Blackbeak. Stay tuned.

[Phoenixking]

Black beak is mysterious im curious as to what happened to him lol and nice one at the fourth taking a rest of the darkness :O

[nazgulking]

Now we know what happened to Blackbeak, what our heroes can do to stop Saunaz from awakening? Stay tuned.

[nazgulking]

And with this it ends the Chronicles of Fnord. Hope you enjoyed reading this