At Long Last: News About the Explosion in Elmerton!

In the middle of Boneharvest this past autumn, an explosion was heard through all of the South Farthings, Fiddlehead Hills, and even beyond. This scribe can verify that it was audible from at least as far away as Riverton. Witness accounts had placed the epicenter of the explosion very close to the Town of Elmerton. I journeyed there and found the accounts to be accurate. Apparently, Abraham Blackgate, otherwise known as Boom Blackgate and the patriarch of the Blackgate family, had placed a very large bomb, for a reason unknown to me, a mere mile to the east of Elmerton Lake. When it exploded, it blew away a wide section of swamplands, leaving a large crater that, strangely, has yet to fill with water as one would reasonably expect in such a wet environment. Luckily, the saturated ground had absorbed much of the blast that otherwise might have done much more damage. Unluckily, however, the blast had other consequences.

It is no secret that the lands around Elmerton have strange qualities. It was only a decade ago that 39 square miles of the area were covered by the mysterious Evernight Forest, a place supernaturally starved of both light and sound. Some claim that the Evernight never actually went away. Perhaps that is the case, for the recent explosion seemed to release a dark energy that continuously lashed about the area, dampening any magic and hurting any living beings it touched. The epicenter of the blast was completely obscured by this energy, though out of that center, strange humanoid spider creatures began to appear. They were hostile and began spinning webs across the walls of the crater. Members of Elmerton’s Town Watch and even some citizens were there to meet them and engage them in combat.

Soon, Irvanshirian soldiers arrived to join the fight, and some of the kingdom’s noble houses even sent their own militias to help as well. That battle has raged until only recently. Due to the nature of the wild magic that could not be controlled, the noble houses involved petitioned the aid of the mage guild known as Concori Ayre. The mages who first arrived on the scene proved unable to control the magic; they were forced to call in three ayres from the guild to help. All three ayres are very capable magic users, and in the last day or two they have managed to bring the area under control and even close the portal that had been opened to wherever the spider creatures were coming from.

Coincidentally, since last year, this scribe has had several sources report that humanoid spider creatures were inhabiting the abandoned settlement of Marshall’s Landing, and it was thought that many of them had relocated to Elmerton, likely at the same time as the supposed “Invisible Citadel” was teleported there. The spiders’ leader, one called the Web Queen, has not been seen in Marshall’s Landing since then and also was not known to have shown her face at the explosion site turned battlefield. Instead, she is believed to be within a small patch of forest to the north of Elmerton. The area is surrounded by spider webs, and several of the spider creatures that escaped the battle made their way there, entered, and have not been seen since. The small area must have extra-dimensional properties if it is able to support as many spiders as have been reported to have gone there.

As if all of this wasn’t enough, my initial report to the Magestic Messenger about the explosion was delayed due to my being sent to several places along Irvanshire’s border with Tohmshire to investigate news of portals opening in random places and expelling all manner of strange creatures. The bulk of these portal sightings happened in a cone-shaped pattern heading, from the area of Marshall’s Landing, southwest, the exact opposite direction of Elmerton, so I can only assume the portals were somehow related to the explosion. However, I soon learned that the Portal Authority was hard at work shutting down these portals whenever they appeared and covering up any evidence that they had existed. I did not manage to find any real information about the portals or the strange creatures that may have come through them.

Since the three ayres have subdued the magic at the explosion site, I have not heard any more reports of wild portals; however, it has only been a day or two…

I suppose we will soon see,

Jessup Collingwood

Traveling Scribe

Blood Oath Sworn Against Skye

To All of Elmerton:

Greetings Elmerton, it is I, Bosephus Blackgate. I am sorry for the absence of myself, Boom and other members of my family this past moon. While Rebekkah was having her so called “ceremony” a massive force of shadows, shadow touched family members, and the few remaining true human cannibal Blackgates attacked us in massive numbers. It took hours of fighting for us to finally bring them down. In the aftermath of the attack Boom had to seal off one of our main chambers to prevent further incursions and we had many wounded who needed to be taken care of. We finally have the full story of what happened. I knew that her ambitions knew no bounds- I have known this since before my brother married her oh so many years ago. I knew she wanted to be shadow queen, as that would certainly be the nail in the coffin for me and my family. I knew that she hated us enough to try for something crazy, but I never thought she would be mad enough to try and broker a deal with a Vampire Lord to make her dreams become reality.
This tells me one thing, she is desperate. She is desperate and afraid. She knows that we can defeat her and she is backed into a corner. While that is certainly something we can use it’s also always good to remember that a cornered animal with nothing to lose is always the most dangerous. That being said I am doing something I have held back in doing for a very long time. I did it mostly in the memory of my brother as I was still trying to hold on to the foolish belief that somewhere inside her there was still a part of her that was still human, that could still feel and care. Now I know that if that part of her ever existed it is long dead. I will no longer show any mercy or hold anything back the time has come.
Rebekkah Skye Blackgate, I as the leader of my family have sworn a blood oath against you. You and the perversion of our family name will not only be defeated but erased from history. Every power I and my family have will be turned against you. Every ounce of blood that runs through our veins will be spilled if needed to ensure that you and your “kin” can never sully the Blackgate name ever again. I declare total war on you and your faction of bastard Blackgates and shadows. If our bloodline ends in this new stage of our war so be it. We will not stand by and let you try and drag our once proud clan through the evil you intend to bring on the world. I do not fear death, I have lived long enough.
Myself, Boom and the rest of the true family understand the gravity of what these words mean and are just as ready as I. If not by my sword then maybe by one of Boom’s special gifts your very life and you ambitions will be snuffed out.
May you be forever cursed.
Bosephus Blackgate

There is Still Work to be Done

The war goes on. The destruction of the well was a huge boon to our cause but not the death blow of enemy. Though they have fallen silent as of recently, many of our rebel cousins still live and many of their abominations still draw breath. Skye knew better than to make her monsters her last line of defense. Many of my bloodline have fallen to defeat those who wish to have our family name fall into infamy.
The war goes on, hopefully Elmerton will continue to help.
Bosephus Blackgate

Thanks Be to Elmerton!

(The following has been taken from an unsealed, unmarked scroll found outside the Messengers’ Guild Outpost near Elmerton.)
Thanks be to the heroes of Elmerton!
Due to their assistance in the destruction of the shadow well that our rebel cousins used to create the abominations that devastated our ranks, we are finally making roads to victory.
The winter has been tough as usual but we have won many more fights than we have lost and are now pushing to Skye’s stronghold. Bosephus and Boom keep saying the time isn’t yet right for a total frontal attack to crush Skye but we are itching for a fight!
At any rate, thanks Elmerton!!!
Brody Marie Blackgate

Thunderclouds From a Darkened Skye

Hey, Elmerton topsiders- We have a serious problem. Not sure what y’all did but Ms. Skye is furious. Boom and I, along with a few of our cousins, decided to go creeping through some of her far off tunnels. As we got deeper into one we heard something that sounded like an explosion. We all hit the dirt and an incredible surge of what looked like the black shards everyone is so interested in shot through the tunnel faster than anything I’ve ever seen. They moved almost too fast to see and all at once, they all shot deep into the tunnel we were creeping in. When they stopped flowing we just heard what sounded like a very angry, distant and almost painful scream that was swallowed by a popping sound that could have signaled the closing of a portal. We thought it best not to go any further and called it off for the day.

The next day shadows and shadow-touched Blackgate family members laid what might have been the heaviest assault we have ever seen. Rebekkah herself- looking a little crazed- seemed to be leading one of the first attacks, screaming about how we would be the first to pay for Elmerton’s sins. Thankfully we were able to force back the attack. Boom had to leave one of his “presents” at the mouth of the cavern and produced a massive cave in that sealed us off. That seemed to be enough to take their interests off of us for now at least. We lost quite a few people and our numbers are already small enough, so we are scrambling for healers and to build up our resources and buildings.

We can make due for now and we are fully ready to assist the town whenever is needed but heed my warning- It’s all coming apart even faster than we thought.

Stay safe, Never trust the dark.

Bosephus Blackgate.