Monthly Archives: April 2014

You have all been lied to: The veil of lies is so thick over your eyes no one can see through it.
The Gatekeeper is not here to destroy or conquer. He is not here for those possessions that you believe to be so important. Coin means nothing to him; land means nothing to him; title means nothing to him.

No, those are the things you have been told your whole life to consider important. He is the truth. Those who wish to hold you down see the facts of what he is and hold those ideals and truths in contempt.

What is life without a true fear of death? A hollow and flawed life, that’s all it is. A life without the fear of true death breeds the most horrible kind of people: People who have no fear of any kind of retribution.

When the common train of thought is that no one will be truly judged, the demons of men come to life and realize they can be free to rule and free to slaughter. Free to do whatever they wish, hiding it under the guise of the greater cause.

The Gatekeeper offers something so different: The chance at a true and unsullied life. A life where all are held accountable- the way it truly should be! No deals with Fate, no backdoor ways out of your sins. Just true death. True accountability.

Those around you have said that the old way is how they have been brought up, so that’s the way it should be. This rationalization is meaningless. Their own ideas have been warped by countless years of lies that have been fed to them. They lap it up like soup given to the poor at a Ghaatmic Guild Hall.

Understand that the Gatekeeper is not the wave of the future. He is what the future should have always been. He is here for benefit of all those souls that have not bought into the lies of the deluded masses that refuse to realize that his way is the real way. The Gatekeeper is the hated future, the long hated truth that so many are scared of. He is the way it will be, the way it always should have been, the real way of the cycle of life. He is the truth and he will set all of the known worlds free, whether they accept it or not.

The truth is ready for you. Whether you are ready for it or not remains to be seen.

Brodus Masterson

Morticent of the Gatekeeper

I have made a wonderful thing; A terribly powerful, wonderful creature. The Ashynnied, a cultish group of madmen who worship and are controlled by (from what I gleaned from them while I was imprisoned) what they call “the Darkness*,” kidnapped me and forced me to build for them. They sent their ideas and thoughts straight into my head and then controlled me to force me to build, create, and move. I had no idea what I was creating until it was finished. It took  many months, though I am unsure of exactly how time passed while I was under their control, but now it has been released into the world and provides the Ashynnied, as well as those beings they worship, access to the Shadow Realm. I have created the Dark Walker- a golem-like being simultaneously controlled from afar by three or more of the most powerful cultists known as Dreamers. It has little to no sentience of its own, and its awareness of the world around it is directly linked to that of those Dreamers. It has no free will, however, if not actively controlled, its actions and wanderings my vary according to the subconscious thoughts of any of the Dreamers attached to it, which makes it seem as though the golem is acting on its own.

This golem is a conduit between the Evernight Forest and the Shadow Realm- an enticing and powerful passageway, to be sure. However, at the moment, it can only be used one-way: From the Evernight Forest into the Shadow Realm, and then again, it can only be used by marked members of the Ashynnied. This unique characteristic will not, I am sure, deter most interested parties from wanting to have the golem in their control, and already I have heard rumours and rumblings from powerful sources that want to have the Dark Walker as their own. I can only imagine what will happen should this golem end up in the wrong hands.

Though I was controlled while I built this creature, I managed to build in a failsafe that provided a means to ensure that neither the Ashynnied, nor any other single group or person, could have complete control over the Dark Walker. At this time, I am taking the names of parties interested in this information, however I will need protection from the Ashynnied who will, undoubtedly, go to many lengths to make sure that my knowledge dies with me. Contact me if you wish to know more. I wish you the best of luck,

Sardkern Scurath

-The Shadow Smith

*I was able to discern that there are three distinct forms of this Darkness, and I am convinced that they are three separate beings.

If anything positive can be said about Amphelise, and I am not sure it is possible, it would be about her desire for scientific discovery.  As a fellow scholar, I would appreciate her devotion to invention, had it not been for the needlessly cruel way she went about it.   Still, her defeat left various abandoned laboratories and collections that need to be cataloged, if for no other reason than they could prove incredibly dangerous.

Whimpering first drew me to the creatures on the other side of the door.  Upon opening it, I found 3 emaciated things I can only describe as dog-like creatures.  Further exploration found that they had been kept in small cages but were released from confinement only to remain trapped in a larger facility without anyone to care for them.

The beasts were collared and tame.  While I cataloged the contents of the facility, which mostly turned out to be non-magical equipment best described as broken useless junk, the creatures stayed close responding to my every command.  I began to grow enamored with the strange creatures though I am hardly an animal lover.   They seemed unhappy despite my best attempts at proper care.  I thought maybe these pitiful creatures might be happier outdoors and I told them to go outside for a bit. I hadn’t expected them to understand but sure enough each of them vanished.  I thought I might have been going mad but each returned within the hour.

Imagine my surprise.  Not only did these creatures understand me but they were capable of instant travel.   I begin to give them more explicit orders and they were always followed to the letter.  In time I realized if there was a discovery in this facility, it was these creatures.  That is when I began to pay closer attention to the collars.

Each collar was a blend of mechanical pieces and magic.  I am by no means a master mage but I believe their main purpose was control.  Beyond that however, and much to my unease, there was a second component.  Each collar was armed with a very strong magical explosive.  It appeared that my care with the collars had paid off as the explosive was set to detonate upon tampering.  The explosive would likely obliterate the poor creatures and perhaps those nearby as well.  Worse still, the collars are unstable enough to perhaps go off if magic is cast upon or even very near them.

I packed my things.  These creatures were to be taken to those more capable than I.  I was about to leave when 12 men wearing a strange symbol (a shepherd’s crook crossed with a spear) burst into the room.  They had a strict military attitude about them though they were neither the Crown’s men nor those upstart DoD.  They proceeded to rob me of my materials, albeit in a very polite manner.  They took most of the junk.  One of the soldiers grabbed the creatures and looked them over.  He ordered them sent to the Houndsman.  A braver man would have told the creatures to flee.   With a few swords pointed at me, and the hope that my life may not yet be forfeit, I held my tongue.

If you come across those poor creatures, please do what I could not.  But please MIND THE COLLARS.

To the Citizens of Irvanshire,

Over the past several months it has been my primary job to clean up a mess caused by the dangerous reversal of powerful Elemental locations. Normally I would not provide a report such as this but something very strange is happening and I think it is in your best interest to be informed.

I have been working with a very competent group of people, casters and warriors alike, to restore the balance of Nature. Though we have made much progress, completing half of the work, there are still weak spots in Magesta to shore up. Until this morning, I was absolutely sure that the Blood Moon would enhance the aggressive and unusual weather patterns that have been occurring. The Moon is a powerful source of energy and when it is combined with the power of the Blood, terrible and wonderful things can happen.

I was very surprised when my Irvanshirian contacts communicated to me that  active areas have gone quiet and in some cases have even begun to mend themselves. For example, the large hole that opened up, taking an entire town with it, was almost completely gone by the arrival of the Magestream. The only trace of its presence is a long, jagged crack in the ground. I am happy to hear this is the case but I am also unsettled since this sort of behavior should not have happened until all of the weak spots had been addressed.

It is my personal belief that whatever unknown force was behind the enhancement of the Elemental imbalance has redirected its attention and energy somewhere else. Even though I know very little about this force, I imagine that it has garnered the attention of something much more powerful and focused and has been encouraged to cause trouble somewhere else. The Blood Moon can be devastating and the redirection of this force should be very concerning. I fear that the time for child’s play is over.

Regards,
A. Demeter
Assistant to the Honorable First Father

The last weeks of Reapingdusk saw the start of a wave of famine and pestilence started by a Vampire Lord named Zaria from House Amphelise. Thankfully, Zaria was destroyed at the beginning of Boneharvest, so the famine was not as widespread as it could have been. Unfortunately, that still means that many of the storehouses in the cities in the South Farthings and the Fiddlehead Hills have been affected. The winter has seen families suffering from starvation and entire communities have been abandoned as their inhabitants seek places that can offer them solace. However, a small township located in the South Farthings has provided a glimmer of hope for the starving people of this area. The farmers of the town of Elmerton have reported a record harvest for this year and have gladly opened their own storehouses and homes to help those in need.

This relatively obscure farm town has proven to be a blessing for the kingdom, as well as an unexpected diamond-in-the-rough. Those who have taken grains, baked goods, and fruits from Elmerton’s farms have described them as the juiciest, most flavorful, and most filling foods they have ever had! And though Elmerton’s farmers are seeing more business than they have in years, most of them do not seem to be overly worried about the prospect of running out of food. They are, for the most part, happy to be able to help- something their harsh winters and “unique” situations don’t usually allow them to do.

Elmerton, the South Farthings are grateful and wish you the best in the upcoming planting season!

My name is Eiliki Meienkanakinshi and I, as well as many other people in my order, have received a powerful and disturbing vision. I felt it was my duty to share it with as many people as possible, since the repercussions have already begun to make themselves felt. This vision is as accurate as I can remember and, though it seemed directed to me, personally, those in my order who also received it said they felt the same way. It seems as though this was received by many, particularly by those who have had a connection to the Incarnation of War. This vision has caused strife amongst my order and among many of the Faithful to war. Even in the Allegiant, this has become a topic for heated debate. Some members believe that we should be loyal to Hyurog, while others feel as though that is a bad idea and we should try to help Armego regain his position. Still others wonder whether or not it is our place to take sides at all. In any case, it is my hope that word about this vision spreads.

Magesta,

I want you to be ready for the grand opportunity I am creating. It has become apparent that the creatures of this Age are soft and complacent. The need for action has brought me forth, as prophesied, to rectify the lack of character that is all too commonplace.

In the Age of War, true battles were fought, evil was vanquished, foes were crushed, and the brave and worthy were raised to a fuller existence. These were the times when people lived, really lived, to their full potential. And this is the gift I bring to you.

I, Hyurog, the Incarnation of War, am bringing War back to the forefront of existence so that you can realize your truest selves. The weak will perish quickly and the worthy will flourish. Your cold, dead days of mediocrity are past.

Prepare! The days of Struggle and Glory- the Dawn of Victory!- will soon be upon us!