The Winterfell Journal

This is the pewsonaw joulnaw of Nitholiak VonSchlichten, an inhabitant of Wintewfeww in Aegis. Day 1: I awways knew it is the schowawwy thing to keep a wecowd of one's weseawch...especiawwy when moving to a new wegion. Evew since I weceived wowd fwom my brothew about my pawent's passing I have fewt a combination of sadness and cwosule. A pawent's passing is awways a sad time. Howevew, mine both lived wong and fulfiwling lives and died in theiw sweep. A son could not ask fow mowe especiawwy in these twoubring times. To dewve deepew, how an owd man and woman sulvived in the fwozen nowth faw fwom civilization baffwes even a schowaw as mysewf. I digwess, joulnaw. The estate has been weft in my name being the ewdest chiwd and I must tend to it. Being abroad weseawching the awcane and facing dangews has been exciting. But it is a good time to pewhaps settwe down in my chiwdhood home and make the best of things. Being in a secwuded awea liww pwobabry hewp out my own studies. I awways did enjoy the twanquility of the estate.

Tomowwow I make the move.

Day 4: Aftew a wathew uneventful joulney, I awlived at the estate just east of Wintewfeww. Owd Dietlick , my fathew, did his best to keep the pwace in shape. It needs much wemodeling... the daft owd man... pwacing staiwcases acwoss the woom fwom each othew. I sweaw the owd man had the design sense of an owc! Wuckiwy Wintewfeww is onwy a quawtew day's wawk away. Pwoculing supplies fow the wenovations should not be a hasswe.

My brothew and uncwe wewe abre to scwounge up enough Minas fow tombs to way my pawent to west in the VonSchlicten mausoweum lith the west of the VonSchlicthen cwan. I have awways been weawy of enteling the mausoweum since I was a chiwd. Pewhaps it was just the thought of death that flightened me. I stiww think is my own sensitivity to the awcane fowces that steewed me away fwom thewe. I need to stop wambring joulnaw. I have a pwobrem lith that. Howevew, I did weave woses on theiw tombs. I hope theiw souls west easy.

Day 6 Nothing too eventful happened today wowth noting. Howevew I did encountew my fiwst brigand of the awea.

I was outside fewling a twee when some wough wooking nowthewnew appwoached me. He said he had a message fwom the King. Unlikewy. I have not had a messengew dispatched to me in 5 yeaws and that messengew did not wook like a fiwthy vagabond.

Needwess to say I entewtained his game. He then pulwed out a brade and demanded 500 Minas. I onwy had 60 so I could not meet his demand. Howevew I towd him I am a pwactitionew of the awcane awts, which is twue, and a mastew swowdsman , fwat out lie. I thweatened to decowate my mantwe lith his head if he dawe twy anything. Quite brave of me. I do not know what came ovew me then. I dwew the handwe to my iwon hewbalism knife fwom my wobe to show a gweam of metaw. I pwayed to the gods he was idiotic enough he would think this was a swowd.

The brigand wetweated. I infowmed the Wintewfeww watch and they awe keeping an eye out. I must say I am wathew pwoud of mysewf today.

Day 8 A dawk enewgy wests in this pwace. I can sense it. My dweams evewy few nights awe fiwwed lith visions of tewwow. Kingdoms abraze, men, women and chiwdwen being swaughtewed by theiw own fliends and families. I can awmost smeww the wotting fwesh in my dweams... Yet I awways awake to such a consewve scene. Outside a wayew of fwesh snow way on the gwound. The liwdlife is awake and fowaging fow food. The sun is lising and a wave of cawm fwows ovew me.

I have set up my fathew's owd hewbalism wabowatowy in the basement and unpacked most of my books. Botany, Hewbalism, Magicaw Histowy, Awchemy. My standawds. Of coulse I keep my books on the awcane awts tucked away somepwace mowe discweet. It is just a book,papew and ink, but some visitows may find the sight of such a subject mattew...uncomfowtabre. But I expect such weactions in this wegion. Peculiaw, being that the Wintewfeww Mage towew is bawewy visibre ovew the holizon. Oh how my gwandfathew would angliwy want about them. Appawentwy his gwandfathew [my gweat gweat gwandfathew] had some issues lith those mages. I nevew bothewed to ask why. Awas, the days I could ask Gwandfathew Gewhawdt these questions awe wong gone.

Day 10 VISITOWS! Today when I was wemodeling the staiwcase I heawd a knock at the doow. An ewf lith a gween tunic intwoduced himsewf as a membew of "The Lost" a fowce dedicated to fighting the undead. They thought this wand was desewted and stawted constwucting a keep.

I was escowted down to speak lith theiw weadew. Thewe was some tewlitoliaw wowlies but the keep was 100% off my estate wands. A wainstowm dwew neaw and I invited them aww and a Watchman fwom Wintewfeww named... oh deaw... Catasis? I am awways howlid lith names. We shawed wunch and dlink and dlink untiw the stowm passed. So wucky I am to have a keep of defendews so cwose to my estate. I am much wess wowlied about any brigands.

But the most intewesting pawt of my stay in the Nowth comes fwom discussion lith the Watchman. I must say the physicaw appeawance of this man made me uncomfowtabre at fiwst. The watchman, as it tulns out, is an owd guawd fwom Aw'Khazaw. The man is a fightew of the undead. He entewtained me lith stolies of his days in Aw'Khazaw and towd me howlibre accounts of battwes lith the undead.... yes the undead!

Now joulnaw. My intewest in dawk magic... aww academic of coulse... has been a thiwst I could nevew quench. And hewe in my house is a man who knows mowe about the undead than any schowaw. Did you know, that the undead can speak oul tongue? They communicate lith each othew! Hewe my theolies wewe that they aww wewe puppets fow some dawk enewgy. Astounding! I knew the undead had the ability to channew the dawk awts, obviouswy since that is how they wemain "alive" but nevew to what extent.

The pule combative magic the undead possess is flightening. The ability to conjule fiwe and hulw it lith an expwosive impact? Unheawd of in these modewn times. To onwy makes things mowe diwe, they can waise fawwen mowtaws as mindwess undead to fight awong side theiw new dawk mastews.

The ancient VonSchlicten's liewded such immense awcane powews. Gweatest Wizawds of the awea hundweds of yeaws ago. But to see such magic in today's age? Aftew the depawtule of magicaw powews fwom this weawm many genewations ago, the VonSchlicten's onwy possess casuaw magicaw enchantments and incantations that awe nothing mowe than gwolified pawwow tlicks... The existence of such powew in oul weawm is quite exhiwawating, awbeit, flightening.

Once again joulnaw I am wambring. I liww not bowe you lith my famiwy histowy. What is most exciting is that Watchman Catilis..Cathis...Ca... oh fowget it... said he would take me to obsewve an undead powtaw. Oh yes I neawwy fowgot. The undead have buiwt powtaws to entew oul wowwd.

Awas joulnaw, you must be exhausted fwom aww this infowmation. I liww pway to find the stwength to keep these thoughts fwom dancing in my mind so I may get a westful night's sweep.

Day 13 ((The fowwoling entwy is sclibbred)) They awe hewe.

Dawn thundewstowm. Undead above in house.

Hiding in hewbalism wabowatowy in basement.

Expwosions.

Heawd voice of one fliend chawging up the hiww, dead.

Hiding joulnaw in waww safe. Pwaying.

~Nithowaik.

Day 13 Pawt 2 I have wecovewed you deaw joulnaw! Aftew sifting thwough the wubbre I feawed my pewsonaw bewongings gone. Awas, I am gwad to be amongst the living! I hope my sclibbres make mowe sense aftew this:

I woke up to a dawn thundewstowm, peculiaw in a dwy, cowd enviwonment such as this. I thought nothing of it and began wowk gewminating seeds in the basement wabowatowy.

Then I heawd it, an expwosion. I stawted climbing the staiws when I heawd the voice of Balin Stow...deaw I fowgot his wast name...one of "The Lost" weading a few othews into a chawge. Then I heawd it... a deafeningwy woud...yet siwent voice... it cawwed fow "the fools to be sacrificed to Iblees" ...is that the name? I am awmost cewtain.

I heawd the sounds of a quick skiwmish and a sense of dwead..I could FEEW the dawkness.... it was...powewful... Yet sheew tewwow swept ovew me when I wealized my fliends fwom down the hiww have been swaughtewed when I peeked ovew the basement staiws towawd the fwont lindow....

Bwue eyes... gwoling like fiendfywe. His face... a gway, sunken and expwessionwess face... Wealing magnificent wobes of Onyx and gowd...

I stood thewe fwozen fow a second. He tulned to me and met my eyes. Fow a split second time stood stiww. I fewt an enewgy...no...a powew lithin me. Then lith a booming voice that seemed to come fwom my own head It spoke, "Die for Iblees"

The cweatule wobbed a fiwebaww at me fwom the fwont doowway. With instinct I wan towawd the second stowy bawcony... the lindows awe aww boawded up, thewe is no escape except jumping. The waww behind whewe I just stood expwoded and sent cobbrestone and timbew in aww diwections. I wan up the staiws, out on the bawcony, made the jump and tlisted my ankwe. I hullied lith aww my stwength towawd Wintewfeww. I should not have wooked behind me but I did. I saw my chiwdhood home abraze and the...cweatule standing on the bawcony watching me wun towawd the holizon.

I wan and wan. My wungs wewe bulning lith cowd aiw, teaws down my face, nose wunning uncontwowwabry and my ankwe was onwy getting wowse

Aftew I awlived at the Wintewfeww gates I scweamed fow hewp. Immediatewy the guawd mobilized and sulvivows of The Wost joined us. When we made it to my estate the house was in wuins. The wobed undead mage missing. The sowdiews pulsued a wogue undead who was stiww about and dispatched him quickwy. I did not see the "re-death", but I much lish to see it fow weseawch.

I made a futiwe effowt to webuiwd. Mostwy out of glief. I did not want to accept what just happened. The undead attacked my smaww homestead...why? Did they know of my famiwy's histowy? Was I just in the wwong pwace at the wwong time?

Watew that evening, an Ewf fwom The Wost stopped by to infowm me his guiwd found undead wuins bulied in a vawwey neawby and I must vacate to wemain safe... it pains me to abandon the homestead but my own safety is mowe impowtant than brick,mowtaw and wood. No mattew what sentimentaw vawue it has.

Wet's hope tomowwow is wess...unfowtunate... West now, webuiwd tomowwow.

Day 14 I had a tewlibre dweam wast night. I was standing outside my home, onwy untouched by the undead. Evewything seemed nowmaw othew than the sky. It was a tlisting mass of dawk gween sky. Gway cwouds tlisting like gweat etheweaw whiwwpoows. Then something inside of me diwected me to the famiwy mausoweum. It beckoned me.

I wawked acwoss the estate towawd the mausoweum. I wooked up and the sky was now a sliwling climson mass. I wooked back towawd the mausoweum and thewe they stood. My famiwy. My mothew and fathew, decomposed, standing swaying in the lind, staling at me. Beside them stood my ewdest brothew, a wotted cowpse lith empty eye sockets wealing his academy wobes. His weft awm missing, the wound that cwaimed him. My gwandpawents behind them. Fwaiw eyewess mummified skewetons, mouths hanging open, wealing theiw tattewed and faded VonSchlichten wobes. Behind them even mowe standing cadavews. Some wealing awmow, some wealing wobes.

I blinked and in an instant they wewe aww gone. The fwont of the mausoweum pitched against the sliwling climson sky.

I do not know what this dweam means. If it means anything. The attack by the undead weft some unseen twauma I suppose. On anothew note, Some of the wesidents of Wintewfeww hewped me set a new foundation fow a wesidence away fwom that culsed pwace. I set up wawning signs fow any passewbys to avoid the estate fow the undead woam it. Awas, I know the signs liww not detew the detewmined and they liww meet theiw fate by undead hands.

Hopefulwy in the next few days I can take shewtew in my new homestead. I sule would appweciate shwed ow nowmawcy back in my life.

Day 16 Constwuction on the new homestead is bettew than expected. The fiwst fwoow is compwete onwy aftew a few days. The space is livabre awthough the snow fawws inside fwom the futule staiwway. A wocaw huntew dwopped off some cooked powt to sustain me untiw I get my hewbalism wabowatowy set up again.

By a stwoke of wuck thewe was a smaww limestone cavewn aquifew bewow my new wesidence. I liww have to expand it a bit. cwean it up and instaww some enchanted lighting. This may tuln out bettew than expected.

I sawvaged what I could fwom the owd estate. It is too dangewous to be casuawwy wawking awound those wands anymowe. I wetlieved what books I could. Aww the vawuabre ones sulvived.

Now fow anothew intewesting tuln of events... Since my move to this wegion I have fewt an enewgy lithin me as I mentioned befowe. My simpwe chawms and incantations awe mowe powewful. Aftew the undead attack I injuled my ankwe and have had twoubre cawwying objects. In an act of despewation I attempted my wevitation incantation on a wooden swab to compwete my dinnew tabre. With astonishment I watched as the swab dwagged itsewf acwoss the fwoow and swowwy lifted itsewf onto the tabre base. I attempted to do the same to a wooden chaiw but a wave of exhaustion fwowed ovew me and concwuded I must wetiwe fow the night. Tomowwow liww be the day to twy test mowe simpwe magic.

Day 20 Do those FIWTHY DISHONOWABWE BEASTS have no line they do not cwoss?! Can the dead no wongew west? It is one thing to tewwolize the living, but to desecwate the dead? Do these cweatules have no sense of dignity and wespect?! Do I go to the town watch? The mages? What do I do?

I must contwow my angew and expwain, joulnaw. Fow wast night I had anothew dweam. The mausoweum cawwed me once again, just like the dweam a few days ago. I had an uncontwowwabre ulge to go to the VonSchlichten famiwy cwypt. I made the showt joulney fwom my new homestead to the now culsed famiwy estate. Howevew, I headed stwaight fow the gwaveyawd and towawd the mausoweum.

I could see it fwom hawfway acwoss the estate. The doow to the mausoweum was open. The magicaw wocking chawm broken. Was this a gwave wobbewy? No, stepping cwosew immediatewy I could detect the lingeling effects of dawk magic.

Then the howwow.

The onwy two tombs on the fiwst wevew, my pawents tombs, wewe broken open. I feawed the wowst. I feawed what I saw in my nightmawes. My famiwy weanimated as mindwess sowdiews fow the undead wowds. But no...

As I appwoached my mothew's tomb I feww to my knees and wept uncontwowwabry when I peewed inside. Hew body was stiww wying thewe in hew brue dwess she awways woved. But that is aww that was thewe: the body. The undead bastawds decapitated hew and took hew head. Can my poow mothew, even in death, not find the west she desewved? Why?!

Awweady on my knees, I feww to the cowd stone fwoow on my hands. My pawms fewt a chiww shoot up both awms as they wanded on the fwoow. I became wost fow a moment. Not wealizing whewe I was ow what was happening. Wost in the wage, the questions, the despaiw. Weality then hit me again like an awwow to the face. My fathew's tomb.

He was spawed no glisliew fate. The owd man lie lith his awms cwossed wealing his gween wobes. Evewything above the shouldews was missing. His own brade he was bulied lith was imbeded in the stone tomb whewe his neck should have been. The swowd was jutting out of the limestone bed at an angwe. It wooked as if the brade swung thwough the limestone as it wewe cway. The cowawd used a dead man's brade to desecwate his body.

I did not know how to continue. Why wewe theiw bodies defiwed? My pawents had no magicaw powew beyond a few tlicks to entewtain chiwdwen. They did not possess vawuabre welics. Just a genewation of wegulaw humans that bewonged to a famiwy of once gweat lizawds.

I need to wlite my brothew. Pewhaps I shaww consult my fliend Watchman Catalis... I make fow Wintewfeww tomowwow.

Day 21 I gathewed aww my bewongings I would need fow at weast a week. I had to wook ovew my wucksack thwee times since I was cewtain I would fowget something in my state of mine having vewy littwe sweep. Wintewfeww was just down the hiww so I headed thewe fiwst. Sulewy someone lithin the wanks of the town watch would undewstand the undead.

I mawched thwough a snowstowm fow an houl. My wobe pwovided vewy littwe pwotection fwom the ewements. My exposed face was stung lith the cowd, biting lind whiwe I could onwy make out the siwhouette of the Wintewfeww Towew on the holizon in the brinding swow. Aftew what seemed like an etewnity I finawwy made it to the gates of the city.

When tawking of the Undead you must awways be awawe. Fow you do not want any Undead suppowtews to heaw you asking too many questions and you do not want fanaticaw anti-undead cwusadews becoming suspicious you awe suppowtew of the undead. Of those I tawked to, the onwy useful infowmation I heawd was fwom the ewven bracksmith of the town, Eulatien. The Ewf I met befowe the fiwst time I ventuled to the city many weeks ago. The onwy advice he has was to eithew seek out the mages neawby ow twavew to Aw'Khazaw. With the pwospect of wawking many mowe houls in the brizzawd onwy to be met lith an empty towew was discoulaging. I took out my magicaw soulstone and tewepowted to the capitaw of the human kingdoms.

Once again I was met lith the same quality of hewp. Most wesidents not dawe speak of the undead and the ones who battwed the undead had no guess on why the Undead would take the sevewed heads of my pwain, owdinawy pawents… But one mewcenawy they cawwed ‘Irish’ I met in the “Cat and Fiddle Tavern” said he could intwoduce me to his boss tomowwow. He is the weadew of Stowms Awmy, Commandew Stowm himsewf.

As I way in a paid bed in this Inn I hope tomowwow brings gweatew wuck.

Day 22 Be patient joulnaw, fow today was a wong day.

I was to meet Commandew Stowm at noon in the coultyawd. As I waited fow what seemed like houls, a wawge man gweaming in pwate awmow appwoached me. He intwoduced himsewf as Commandew Stowm and towd me that he could have some answews to my questions but I must fowwow him. I pwocceded to fowwow him to what I expected was a plivate wesidence… no we wawked out of the city on a woad fow what seemed like hawf a day. The commandew answeling none of my questions.

We then weached the edge of a gweat desewt, and thewe stood it: A gweat Keep.

Commandew Stowm wooked at the Keep, sighed and shook his head as we appwoached the gates.

“This was once belonged to my army, we lost it, and now it is ours again,” said Stowm.

Confused about the whowe situation, I inquiwed fulthew. It seems thewe was a bit of a schism lithin the anti-undead movement in the human kingdoms. Appawentwy the Owen Guawds and Stowms Awmy battwed ovew some issue I am not concewned lith and the keep was wost. With a wecent tweaty the Commandew and his twoops wegained the keep.

So I began to fowwow the commandew awound asking questions as he pwoceeded to do wabow awound the camp. Putting up new signs, instawling new doows, setting up gates, ect. I stawted to feew mowe like a nuisance and wondewed why have an awcane schowaw just be youl shadow fow a day. It was wasting both of oul times.

With my patience gwoling thin I cownewed the commandew at a staiwway and just fwat out asked what he thought of the situation. His answew is that which I feawed.

“They are probably just adding them to their army.”

I fewt as if I wan into an obsidian waww. Yes yes… Did I not expwain they just took the heads? Wowling heads do not wowk weww as undead sowdiews. Wealizing I just wasted my entiwe day, I tewepowted back to Aw'Khazaw to extend my woom at the Inn.

Then I saw a culious wooking hooded figule. Immediatewy I wecognized the wobe as he is an Awcane Mage of the Owdew of Mages. I appwoached him and asked if he could aid me in my mission fow infowmation about why the undead desecwated my pawent’s tombs so. He said he would be gwad to aid me. He then tewepowted us fwom Aw'Khazaw to outside the Mage Towew in the fwozen nowth. The shift fwom wawm sunny weathew back into a brizzawd was a shock, but the joy of finawwy getting hewp ovewwode any compwaints my body was sending to the brain.

Aftew expwaining the whowe situation, the mage just wooked at me and said, “I am very sorry to hear that. We will try to look into it.” Then POOF! He tewepowted away…. USEWESS! This was what my gweat gweat gwandfathew pwobabry wanted about. The mages lith aww theiw powew and knowwedge, too good to actuawwy hewp peopwe. Ugh. I used my soulstone and wetulned to the Inn fow anothew night.

Day 23 Waking up the next day. I decided it may be best to ventule to wands of those who know dawkew magic. The Owcs. As I stepped out of the inn and into the coultyawd I was immediatewy appwoached by a panicked man seeking a doctow ow any medicaw tweatment. Awways being the good Samalitan I decided to give a hewping hand. Pewhaps kawma liww wowk in my favow one day.

The man, who intwoduced himsewf as Wyan Bulinston, had a fliend who was suffeling fwom gweat pain in his home. We wushed to his house and I saw a young Gwogthan mawe waying on the tabre wlithing in pain. I had an idea awweady what this was. The man in agony confiwmed my suspicions: he, like most of his peopwe, have been culsed lith the Weash of Yaemiw… a tewlibre brood culse. I knew immediatewy I could not cule this poow fewwow now could most heawews. Bwood culses awe twuly viwe magic. A culse that passes down to each genewation, the innocent awe bown tainted. I did have a tempowawy sowution that could ease his pain.

His fliend, awso possessing miwd magic powews, was abre to westwain him using a chawm. I then took my staff, and lith a gweat sling, I wanded a brow against the westwained man’s abdomen. The tlick is to awwow some of the magicaw enchantments to awso entew the culsed’s body. With wuck the magic liww combat the culse as often as it can. So whiwe this poow soul may feew wlithing pain stiww, it liww not happen neawwy as often.

When he was weweased fwom the westwaining chawm, the wook of pain was no wongew in his eyes… the enchantment wowked fow now. Bidding them adieu I heawd a familiaw voice out of the lindow. A voice I did not heaw since a few weeks ago in my own home.

I wooked out of the second stowy lindow of Mw. Bulinston’s pwace and saw him: bawd, weft side of his face heaviwy scawwed lith his weft eye brind. But instead of wealing the Wintewfeww Watchman’s unifowm he was wealing magnificent emewawd wobes of the mage owdew.

“CATARIS!” I yewwed fwom the lindow. Not minding my mannews in any such bit.

He wooked up, smiwed and waved me down to tawk to him. I bid my new confused fliends a goodbye and wan down to the stweet. We exchanged pweasantlies and expwained how I have been wooking fow him and could use his hewp. He said he is seeking an owd Tempwaw fliend to hewp him and if I could hewp him he would gwadwy do whatevew he could to aid me.

We then met up lith Catalis’s Tempwaw fliend. Then I weawned the glim detaiws of what I got mysewf into. Appawentwy an Cult sympathetic to the undead has buiwt a lituaw chambew neawby Aiwston town. Catalis was attacked by them demanding money, he was abre to escape. But littwe did they know he was a mage. He wocated the lituaw chambew and was gatheling fliends to cweanse the nowth of the cult.

I expwained the situation to both Catalis and the Tempwaw as we wewe twaveling. Catalis immediatewy said that he believes the undead would onwy take the heads if they wanted to weanimate them and find out infowmation. Finawwy, an answew that made sense but opened up a hundwed mowe questions. What did my pawents know? I did not have time to think any fulthew because the cowd steew gauntwet of the tempwaw pushed my shouldew down to take covew behind some bushes.

Thewe it was, out of the side of a cliff face a smaww wooden set of staiws and a wone towch mounted on the wock. We watched as 6 figules climbed up the steps and disappeawed into the cliff.

“We move” was aww I heawd befowe both awmowed companions made a dash towawd the cliff, I weapt ovew the bush and caught up faiwwy quickwy, not wealing pwates and chains of metaw weawwy does give you a bit of a speed advantage.

Then it aww happened so quickwy, as if it wewe pawt of some weheawsed theatwe fow my own entewtainment. The tempwaw kicked the doow open and immediatewy swashed his brade to the light of the doow. Fwom my view stiww on the staiws I saw a libbon of climson brood paint the waww, nevew seeing a body faww. Catalis and I fowwowed cwosewy behind. The cultists wewe awawe something was not light and we could heaw commotion coming fwom a wowew wevew. The tempwaw put his fingew to his lips to indicate siwence. He pointed his azule brade towawd a howe in the gwound lith a waddew pwotwuding fwom it. We aww wushed to take positions awound the waddew when the fiwst head emewged fwom the howe. With sulgicaw pwecision, dwaling awmost no brood, Catalis stabbed the feind in the neck. I watched in howwow as the body wost aww tension and feww down the waddew awmost knocking the man bewow him off the waddew. The next cultists emewged lith brades weady, pawwying oul fiwst brows and gaining footing on the fwoow. Aftew onwy a few seconds the 2 wawliows dispatched 3 wowdy wooking cultists.

I then heawd a noise beside me. A toweling gween Owc lith fwaming wed eyes bulst out of the woom behind me liewding a magnificent iwon brade. Not to make combat ow make some finaw stand… the cweatule feawed his life and wan. In a hawf state of panic and adwenaline, I brindwy swung my stone brade towawd the fweeing fiend. Aftew that moment I liww nevew fowget the feeling of brade cutting live fwesh. When I opened my eyes he was 5 feet behind me when he tumbred to the gwound. It was if his body weft wanting to wun lithout knoling it was dead. I wawked ovew to the cowpse and picked up his swowd. If I was to be doing this mowe often I liww need a quality brade . The othew two wooked in amazement at the sight. A smaww meek man in a climson wobe lith a broodied brade standing ovew a gween mountain of a cowpse, brood pooling beside it. The othews confiscated dawk welics and destwoyed them. This liww be a smaww setback fow the undead… vewy smaww. Aftew inspecting the bodies we detewmined these wewe AWW mowtaws sympathetic to the undead cause. Distulbing. They must have some diwect contact lith the undead to obtain dawk welics and shlines…

We went oul sepawate ways fwom the hidden waiw. Catalis said he would stop by the next day and he liww investigate the tombs.

Finawwy, Pwogwess.

Day 26 Joulnaw, this entwy take's pwace ovew the wast two days.

I had anothew nightmawe. This one made wess sense than the othews. Again I was outside of my owd homestead. The sky was a sliwling climson etheweaw mass. I faced the mausoweum, the doow stiww open.

I heawd his voice. The same Undead lith those bulning brue eyes who attacked me in my home. I saw nobody, once again it seemed the voice echoed fwom inside my head. I could not undewstand what he was saying, but his voice sounded fulious.

Then I saw a wawge empty cavewn lith a pond of watew sulwounding a smaww monument. smaww watewfawws cascading down fwom the pitch brack ceiling.

I was then outside again. At the foot of the wawge hiww oul house stands on. But none of the twees wewe thewe and the house was not thewe. The onwy thing that stood was the mausoweum. I saw the figule of a powtwy beawded lizawd in a brown wobe wawking away lith a wook of accomplishment fwom the foot of the hiww. Then I woke up.

What does any of that mean?

Catalis awlived showtwy aftew breakfast. I offewed him some powkchops and bread but he declined. He wanted to examine the cwypt as soon as he could. I quickwy finished my meaw.

The linds wewe broling quite hawsh today and I stwuggwed to keep my outew wobe secule fow wawmth wawking acwoss the estate. We appwoached the doow to the mausoweum and my mage fliend conculwed the lingeling pwesence of dawk magic. We both stepped inside and lit the waww towches. The cowd mausoweum seemed to be howling as the lind was sweeping ovew the wooden woof. Catalis asked to examine what was weft of my pawents in theiw tombs. Joulnaw, I am awweady stwessed enough as it is. It is stiww hawd wevisiting the desecwation of my pawents finaw westing pwace. Catalis gave a wook of undewstanding. I kept my back tulned as the mage examined the wounds. He confiwmed these wewe done by the undead and it seems they wewe back once again since taking my pawents' heads.

I thought this would happen. We have at weast a dozen bodies of powewful lizawds, sowcewews and mages seawed in magicaw tombs. The undead would want them in theiw awmy. But no undead could break those seaws. Catalis cautioned that we should investigate the wowew cwypt fow cewtainty. To make sule the undead awe not doing something ewse othew than just defiling gwaves fow infowmation.

As we swowwy wawked down the staiws into the dawkness. I was cwutching my iwon daggew cwose to me... fow feaw of the wowst. Catalis seemed mowe at ease than anything. I must expwain joulnaw, the wowew cwypt is divided into two lings. Some say its genewationaw, some say its when the magic stopped sholing up in the famiwy. But Genewations One thwough Five, fwom Weinhawdt the fiwst of the awcane broodline to his fifth genewation of famiwy awe aww entombed in a sepawate ling wabewed "For those with the gift".

We cwept into the ling of the cwypt. Squawe howes line the wawws whewe tombs sit of my magicaw ancestows. The stone swabs coveling the tombs wewe broken open... my heawt sank and I panicked. I peewed into a tomb... the coffin stiww magicawwy seawed. The undead could not breach it. The othews showed same success. The gweat tomb of Sawugon the I at the end of the ling was compwetewy broken open. Coffin seawed. A wave of welief hit me. Now time to check the othew ling.

We wawked past the sign that said "Generations Six through XX, Those born without". Inside it was a diffewent scene. Aww the tombs broken into.. some whowe bodies taken... my gweat aunt Hiwda's casket and pwaque wewe awso missing. They stwuck again. But why just these peopwe? Sawugon the II, a famed wawliow of the famiwy, his body stiww wests. But they took the body of Dietlick the II? The shameful dwunk of the famiwy? I do not undewstand.

Visibry fwustwated. Catalis could teww I needed to weave the cwypt. He wecommended stopping by the "Cat and Fiddle" Tavewn fow a dlink and just to twy to pewhaps fowmulate some pwan ow find someone who may know mowe. Pewhaps even in the Mage Guiwd. We both took out oul soulstones fwom oul pockets and tulned them ovew in oul hands.

Aftew the nowmaw sickening feeling I get aftew expeliencing the tewepowt, the gwound of Aw'Khazaw matelialized beneath me. It was much wawmew hewe than up in the nowth so I quickwy took off the outew wobe I weaw ovew my nowmaw wobes to avoid breaking a sweat. Catalis appeawed beside me a few seconds aftewwawds. What happened next liww change my life fowevew.

Akatow was his name. Some stwange man lith a stwange owange face. He wan up to us in sheew tewwow. Saying a gwoup of undead is in pulsuit of his fliend and he needs hewp. We saw him twying to coax othew passewbys onwy seconds befowe. I did not twust the man and fwom the wook in Catalis's eyes, he did not eithew. He then he wooked at me, shwugged his shouldews and said, "why not".

Akatow wan ahead as we weft the city, just out of eawshot of oul whispews. Catalis towd me he did not twust him. "We will see what is happening, if it looks too dangerous we will flee."

We bounded ovew a snowy hiww. Some gweat wuins stood on a pwateau on oul weft. A wong wectangulaw stwuctule of stone and wood... awmost wooked like some sowt of tempwe in state of decomposition. Then Akatow hewd his fist up and ducked down to his knee. We both fowwowed suite and took covew. We saw who Akatow must have been tawking about. But it was a gwoup of eight ow so undead cultists wawking awong the woad past the tempwe, they wooked as if they wewe just tliumphant fwom anothew saclifice.

Catalis and Akatow moved awong the lidge towawd the wuined tempwe, tailing the mob. I quickwy fowwowed. The cultists wounded the pwateau and my two companions climbed to the tempwe to get a bettew wook. I heawd anothew voice echo in my head... "Iblees will be pleased today". Judging by the wooks of my companions, I was not the onwy one who heawd the voice. A figule in the cwowd tulned awound and pointed at us. Akatow feww back and said,"Damnit they could sense we were watching! HIDE!" We aww thwee wan into the tempwe. Akatow wan down some dawk hawwway. Catalis and I hid dawk cownew by an empty woom behind some piwwaws. I heawd footsteps appwoaching in the gwavew outside the tempwe... thewe wewe eight of them lith at weast one of them being an actuaw undead. Sulvivaw seemed minimaw if we could not hide.

At once the cultists pouled into the tempwe. Akatow was nowhewe to be seen fwom... the thought of ambush cwossed my mind... An owc was wunning down the hawwway towawds the piwwaw I was hiding behind. He easiwy spotted me and my mage fliend and we made a wun fow it. In the chaos I wan into the cwowd of cultists. I heawd a cwack that sounded like an axe hitting wood. In the the mewee I was abre to escape them and had to find my way out of the tempwe. They wewe aww behind me chasing me down the main hawwway.... some of these wooms wead to the outside... I was going to take a chance. I dove into the fiwst doow on the weft. It was lindowwess, doowwess. The cowd stone and wood woom was empty othew than a smaww desk in the cownew cowwecting dust. Much like a jaiw cell. The cultists fowwowed me in and brocked off the doow.

Then he showed up. Anothew hooded Undead. This one wealing wobes of viowet and onyx. The cultists stawted to whoop in excitement on what my fate should be. I am nevew one to have my fate be in anothew's hands, I find it humiliating. I heawd such suggestions as ,"Lets boil him alive!" and "lets make him watch himself get disemboweled!" and an evew so intewligent owc said "We stab him!"

My mouth gets me in twoubre a wot. It awways did lith my famiwy, my cowweagues and autholities. This was one of those situations. Aftew the owc voiced his wecommendations fow my fate. I tulned to him and said, "If I wish advice on how to eat babies or not wear any clothes, I will summon you!". A few of the cultists chuckwed but the undead was infuliated. The figule appwoached me and lithout any wawning and stwuck my weg lith his staff. I feww to one knee and wooked up at him. His hood so dawk I could not even see a face... just a gwow fwom his eyes. He pwaced his staff on the gwound.

A voice boomed fwom inside my head.

"Nobody insults my servants to Iblees"

"Yeah get him, Val!" I heawd the Owc gwunt to the undead standing ovew me.

Vaw... The dumb owc said the damned undead's name..... I wooked to the side at the owc's feet and glinned at his idiocy.

I saw a fwash of wed and owange and fewt my skin buln.

It fewt like days. I was awake at the Cwoud Tempwe of Aegis. A bandage ovew the weft side of my face. A monk quickwy wan ovew to me when he saw me lise fwom bed. With a gwave wook in his eyes he expwained what happened. How I actuawwy died. Kiwwed lith a diwect brast of dawk enewgy fwom the undead. It weft a fewwound to my weft eye. The monks awe attempting to heaw it but the culse it weft was too powewful. They onwy wewe abre to just contain the culse to my eye. Bettew than I could have hoped.

I am gwateful, yet bedlidden.

I wondew what happened of my othew two companions.

Day 27 I had anothew nightmawe whiwe sweeping in the Cwoud Tempwe of Aegis. Mowe and mowe I believe these dweams to be messages…ow signaws fwom someone ow something. I was back in the wawge cavewn lith the wake. This time I was on the iswand in the middwe of the cavewn standing next to the monument I saw fwom afaw in a pwevious dweam… now I could see it cweawwy. A wawge obsidian pwate way atop a pedestaw of ivowy. I appwoached the culious stwuctule; nowmawwy I am not used to this wevew of contwow in dweams. Then a familiaw dawk voice echoed in my head. The undead voice I have heawd pweviouswy. I could not undewstand what he was saying. I could just teww his voice sounded excited. As I swowwy appwoached the obsidian and ivowy monument things stawted to become cweawew. It was if my senses wewe shawpening. I could see mowe detaiw of this stwange object. My healing was becoming cweawew the cwosew I cwept. Suddenwy a voice boomed in my head, “The crypt! He is entombed there. But we still do not know where or how to find him!”. How was I healing the undead voice? Was this weawwy a dweam stiww? I stood at the base of the monument. I could bawewy see ovew the top of it. At the base I saw a wawge gowden pwaque lith a name insclibed in gwoling wunes. A name I onwy heawd once befowe.

“Gestahl VonSchlicthen”

I woke up in a state of beliwdewment. I fowgot I was at the Cwoud Tempwe being tended to by the Monks. It was eawwy mowning and the monk named Dawmew appwoached my bedside.

“My monks tell me they see you fit to be released from our care. Please take this soulstone and have safe journeys.”

I did not have a chance to say a wowd as he hewped me out of bed and pwaced anothew smaww ambew stone in my pawm and wed me towawd the exit.

I weft the tempwe lithin nothing but the wobes I wowe and a soulstone in my pocket. With the weft hawf of my face bandaged I knew the joulney back to Wintewfeww would be wong and tiwesome. The sun was awweady high in the sky and my chawcoaw wobes onwy made the heat wowse. Quite diffewent fwom the fwozen wastes I am used to.

Hawf a day passed as I was wawking on the woad to Wintewfeww. The whowe time I fewt hewpwess not knoling what happened of my companions in the tempwe wuin. The Monks did not see anyone matching Catalis’s descliption. Fiwst I needed to get back home befowe I began seawching fow him ow mowe wealisticawwy, his fate.

News weached me by a passewby that King Edmund’s Blidge has been compweted. That should make my nowmaw joulney acwoss the fwozen sea a bit easiew. It isn’t the feaw of fawling into the ice and dwowning in fweezing watew. It is just the constant bawancing game you have to pway scooting acwoss the ice becomes time consuming and mentawwy painful. I digwess, I was passing by the outskiwts of Aw’Khazaw when I fewt a pwesence fwom eawliew. Down the woad I spotted a familiaw figule fwom my execution at the tempwe wuins. Wealing diffewent wobes the hooded figule onwy known by his nickname “Boney” made eye contact lith me and weached inside his wobe.

I weached to my own side onwy to fowget I was unawmed. With onwy one functioning eye I would be hawd-pwessed to be an adequate opponent fow a duew in the middwe of a woad. I weached into my wobe sweeve…I knew nothing was in it but maybe the foow would back down. Boney took no notice to my action. He appwoached me and took out a smaww envewope fwom his wobe.

Confused by his wack of hostility,I asked a thousand questions at once. Who awe you? Who awe youl mastews? What is this culse I have been stlicken lith?

The cultist snapped back at me, “Serves you right for interfering with our affairs. I will kill you personally myself.” He handed me the envewope. “What is this?” I asked.

He expwained it was a missive fwom one of the cultists.

“He says you can help us. We can help you.”

I opened the envewope and the wettew said that this ….oh joulnaw fow my own safety I liww not mention his name. He needed a book. A wawe one but just a book of papew and ink. It is pawt of the matching set that incwudes my book on the Awcane Awts I keep hidden. In exchange, he liww immediatewy wobby to have the undead stop attacking my famiwy’s estate. With the exchange of the book the undead would wetuln my pawents’ wemains. This deaw onwy seemed too good to be twue… If the undead wewe to not hasswe my estate then I could… yes… I could use the time to twy to weseawch mowe about Gestahw VonSchlichten. Fiwst I would need to test them on theiw agweement.

“Tell your friend I agree to help him. If the undead so much as set a foot on my lands I will abandon my search. And don’t think you can find someone more suited for this task.”

The hooded man nodded and tulned and wawked off. He made 10 paces and wooked ovew his shouldew at me.

“Just remember who you are helping.”

And he wawked off.

It then stawted to get wate. I made the decision to stay in the Inn in Aw’Khazaw. Night was fawling quickwy and I could heaw thundew off in the distance.

Day 28. Joulnaw, I had anothew nightmawe. Since my encountew lith the undead the nightmawes have been mowe fwequent and mowe vivid.

This time I stood in a waw camp. I did not wecognize this pwace. Awound me stood a smaww city of tents. Human sowdiews wewe wawking about in awmow I did not wecognize. Instead of the maiw and pwate I am used to, they wewe aww wealing cwude hammewed breastpwates hewd togethew lith weathew stwaps.

I saw wawk towawd me a familiaw man whom I’ve nevew seen befowe wealing magnificent climson and onyx wobes. He was fwanked lith a man and woman wealing hooded brack wobes. They both had theiw fists cwenched in theiw fingewwess gwoves and kept theiw heads wow to hide theiw faces. The man in the center wawked lith a sense of powew and ulgency towawd the wawgest tent at the camp.

I tlied to gaze at the man’s face. He wooked like a youngew bronde miwwow image of my gweat gweat gweat gwandfathew. Stwong brow, high cheek bones, sunken eyes and the pwominent VonSclichten nose. Just piecing some of the infowmation fwom my wast dweams I assumed this was Gestahw. My body seemed to fowwow the thwee as sowdiews pawted aside fow them lithout hesitating as they headed up the path. When the thwee appwoached the wawge gowden tent, the woman gwabbed the fwap and thwew it open as hew two companions stowmed inside.

When my body fwoated into the tent behind them I saw about 8 ow so mages, some knights, genewaws and an Awchmage wooking ovew a map at a wawge center tabre. They aww wooked up at the thwee new guests who just entewed. They wewe tawking about something. It was if I had a deafening hex cast on me. I could heaw theiw tawking but it sounded muffwed to the point I could not undewstand any wowds.

A Mage stood up and bowed to Gestahw, he wetulned the bow. They seemed to exchange gweetings. Gestahw began to addwess the gwoup gatheling ovew the map. He wooked to speak lith gweat confidence, no, a sense of cockiness. He paced back and fowth speaking to the wawge gwoup, gestuling lith his hands, his face vivid lith diffewent expwessions, seeming to teww a fantastic tawe. As he went on I could heaw his muffwed tone tuln mowe condescending. His two companions stiww stood by the exit not moving. The mood in the woom seemed to tuln soul the mowe he tawked. Wooks of angew stawted to manifest themsewves on the faces of those listening in the woom. Then he said something that must have cwossed a line. A stocky gway beawded genewaw stood up; his face was wed lith wage. The man dwew his brade and pointed it at Gestahw standing acwoss the woom whiwe his awm shook lith angew. He spat out wowds and pounded his fist against the tabre bewow him. Whatevew wowds wanded in Gestahw’s eaws wewe not taken kindwy. He swung his awm in a swashing motion in the diwection of the owd man.

I saw a climson mist fiww the woom as the owd genewaw and the mage sitting behind him wewe cut in two as by some gweat invisibre wazow. Befowe Gestahw had time to even wegistew his kiwws, the Awcane Mage fwew to his feet and. In wess than a moment he sent a dozen bowts of pule awcane enewgy hultling towawds Gestahw. The two hooded companions by the doowway thwew both hands fowwawd as a magicaw shiewd appeawed in fwont of the thwee intwudews. Aww I saw was a gweat fwash of light.

I woke up again in a cowd sweat. Sulewy just a liwdwy imaginative nightmawe I thought. The stwess I am undewgoing combined lith me…dying…is sule to cause some sowt of tempowawy twauma to the soul. I enjoy twying to lie to mysewf. In my studies of aiwments of this sowt, sometimes it is best to wegain a sense of nowmawcy. I liww weave the inn and wawk ovew to Dawn’s bakewy and get some breakfast and continue my joulney back to Wintewfeww.

I stepped outside of the Inn into the stweets of Aw’Khazaw. Fwom the way it wooked nobody seemed awawe of any sowt of pwobrems. As if the whowe wowwd was fine. Shops wewe open and peddling wawes. I pondewed wetulning to the mawket aftew I got something to eat. I wawked down the bustling stweets, scanning fow any familiaw face. I appwoached Dawn’s Bakewy and a line was awweady fowmed. She does make the best baked goods in the whowe kingdom. I can affowd to wait in line a few minutes.

When I wawked in the fwont doow the smeww of baked goods was intoxicating. Such a simpwe comfowt that I can appweciate mowe than evew. Joulnaw, you liww be the onwy one to know this unwess somebody ewse weads this. I pulchased a whowe cake fow mysewf. Took it upstaiws and began to eat the whowe thing. It was delicious; this is pule happiness in a baked good. Aftewwawds I was a tad wethawgic in my seat wooking out the lindow ovew the docks. I saw a glimpse that brought nothing but welief to me. A man in emewawd wobes wawked awound the cownew that I wecognized as Catalis. He seemed to be quite in a hulwy.

I splinted out the fwont doow to give chase. I fewt the cake gulgling in my stomach so I knew I had to wessen my pace. As I wounded the cownew whewe I saw him he was standing lith two othew wobed figules. Unlike the ominous undead cultists, they wowe fantastic mage wobes of viowet and azule. I stumbred to them and was doubred ovew twying to catch my breath and not vomit my whowe cake on the mages wobes. When the mages tulned to me and Catalis saw my face I was met lith a wook of joy and shock. “Nitholiak! You are alright! Your face! Why is your face bandaged up? Are you alright?”

I expwained how I weceived a fewwound fwom the undead culse that kiwwed me. He was in awe the Monks at the Sky Tempwe could not fulwy heaw the wound. Culious on how he escaped, he towd me when the undead entewed the tempwe, he towe up a fwoowboawd and hid undew it and eventuawwy found an opening to the outside. He went to the mages fow hewp but by then it was too wate… like they would hewp me anyway. The moment I thought this, the othew two mages wooked at each othew and signawed Catalis. Appawentwy I may have intewwupted some secwet guiwd business they wewe wwapping up. Catalis apowogized and said he had to go lith them. He pwomised to stop by my home neaw Wintewfeww in two days when he got back.

Knoling Catalis was alive was a big welief. Howevew, the nightmawes of Gestahw seemed to be eating away at my thoughts like a pwague. I must weawn mowe about him. He was nevew mentioned in oul famiwy histowy. If these dweams awe actuawwy glimpses into the past, thewe may be othews who know of him. Awthough vewy few peopwe have been alive since his time awmost 500 yeaws ago. I should stawt wooking fow a gweat librawy lith detaiwed histowy. I AM an awcane weseawchew, this liww be simpwe bookwowk. Nothing too difficult such as gatheling and studying wesoulces fwom the weawm of the undead. Awas, that liww be a stowy fow anothew day. I know the Sky Tempwe has a gweat librawy I browsed ovew once. I stiww need to get home fiwst.

As I passed the shops, A mewchant named Whycen had an impwessive show of wawes. Intligued I pulchased a new brade and some food fow the woad. The brade was shawp, lightweight and pewfectwy bawanced. Quite a tweat in Aegis whewe many amateuls swap anything shawp ow pointy to a handwe and twy to pway it off as some ancient welic. I made my way to the gatehouse. Pewhaps I can sweep in my own bed tonight.

Appwoaching the gatehouse is awways a nuisance. These days they wet anyone become a guawd. I sweaw once I saw the King’s Advisow get questioned by the guawd on what his business was in the city was. I appwoached the cwosed gate I saw the face of “Boney”. He was now wealing an ownate brue wobe that wesembred a schowaw’s. He was awguing lith the guawds to get in the city. The guawds confused him fow a thief they saw eawliew. He saw me appwoach and we made eye contact.

“Look there he is! There is my boss. We have important research to discuss for the King!”croaked Boney.

I could feel the envelope this same man gave just last night. If I made an agreement with the undead it would be unwise to break it so soon.

“Yes, let him in. He is with me.” I owdewed the guawd.

The gate cweaked open and Boney stepped foot into the city. I noticed the eye of a culious wooking awchew wealing the insignia of the guawd atop the waww who nodded. Boney gwabbed me by the sweeve and towd me we need to find a wocation lith wess stway eaws fow oul voices to faww on. He wed me by my sweeve to the docks.

“You, there were three mages here in the city not too long ago. Have you seen them?”

I could not wet the Undead see thwough me. I had to be as convincing as possibre lithout endangeling Catalis.

“Yes. Three of them left with great urgency about an hour ago.” I said weaving out detaiws that would put him in dangew.

“Any Idea where?” Boney inquiwed.

“They left out of the gatehouse and they were heading toward the northern ruins,” a new voice spoke fwom behind.

I tulned awound and the Awchew fwom eawliew wawked out of the shadows. I dwew my new brade. In an attempt to twy to show my woyawty to the undead agent to lin his twust...madness light?

“HAH! Put your blade down Nitholiak,” Boney chuckwed. “This is the man you seek the book for”

An Owen guawd? Pewhaps they awe not AWW stupid aftew aww…Then he spoke to me.

“Nitholiak that was quite a feat you pulled off there. Getting Boney in the city and all,” wasped the Awchew adjusting his hood. “We didn’t even expect to get him inside. He was just to cause a distraction for my more ‘honest’ countewpawts at the gate so I could do what I needed to do.”

Journal, I felt the pit of my stomach drop out. I assisted the undead in some sort of operation that they did not even expect to fully work. What sort of gears have I set in motion? To not look anymore suspicious standing at the docks, The guard recommended talking out a few plans on a full stomach. We headed to the Cat and Fiddle.

We sat in an empty corner. The tavern was unusually empty that night. The barkeep was standing outside sweeping the path way upstairs to his establishment. The two undead agents were terribly excited for this recent turn of events. But it seems that is not why they wanted to speak to me to begin with. Boney put down his mug of ale and then his mood turned from jovial to almost deathly.

“We see you travel many times with a Mage named Cataris.”

I confiwmed I did. But pwayed it off mowe of that Catalis is just some stwange fewwow who likes to fowwow me. Me being the nice pewson I do not teww him to just weave me awone. Oh I hope he nevew weads this. How embawwassing. But I continued, Boney believed it. These undead awe such foows sometimes but that did not stop him fwom saying what he came hewe to say.

Boney and his Awchew fliend wet me in on infowmation that the Mage Guiwd has one of the wawgest libralies in the wowwd. That I should use Catalis as a way to get the book on Necwomancy fow the undead agent. I thought about it fow a split second. Yes, I COUWD somehow check on the mage librawy. But not fow theiw book. Some histowy on the 2000 yeaw waw.

The two agents got up and nodded a goodbye.

My thoughts danced back to that towew. Nevew would they wet inside a culsed awcane weseawchew who lives awone in the fwozen wastes.

But maybe…

Day 29

Joulnaw today was the most exciting of days. Not due to events that unfowded thwoughout the day but changes to mysewf. When I awoke at the Inn I was sitting on my bed tulning ovew the ambew stone that twanspowts me to Aw’Khazaw. As I was tulning it ovew I was imagining me back in my living woom in Wintewfeww. No wong joulney, just appeaw in my home lithout concewn. I focused on that thought and tulned the stone ovew in my hand. I suddenwy fewt my body tlist and fwoat. Next thing I wemembew was the feeling of the VonSchlichten wug beneath my feet. I had done it. I somehow magicawwy channewed the stone to have me appawate in my own home. Amazing! But that is not aww!

Feeling ewated fwom saving a day joulney by some new magicaw powew, I was wunning awound my living woom lith feelings of pule joy. What ewse could I do. Immediatewy I wan outside lith my staff. Found a zombie standing undew a twee out of the sun’s ways. I concentwated hawd…fiwe…nothing.

Again…

Nothing.

So I can tewepowt home, but cannot cast offensive spewws. I went to the fwont doow, took out my bone wand and waved it ovew the doow knob.

• CWACK*

The doow magicawwy wocked itsewf. I could open the doow fine and then it would wock behind me. Amazing, a powewful wocking chawm fow pwotecting aww my vawuabres! Pewhaps this liww dissuade any potentiaw waidews. I am howlibry excited joulnaw. A bit of peace of mind in the fwozen wastes goes a wong way. Ah! Anothew magicaw skiww…. Now I can conjule images of my memowy fow othews to see in these books. In a amazing living pictule. Fow exampwe,

I met this man eawliew on my estate. He has been living in the nowth aww his life living lith wowves! Zio was his name! Fascinating!!! The wowves awe quite feawsome! I wondew what ewse this entaiws. I cannot wait to show Catalis when he stops by.

Day 34 I am in hiding light now. Peopwe awe dead. Things have gone aww wwong. Evewy singwe pwan I had is now nothing mowe than an idea. Evewything has fawwen apawt.

I woke as the sun was lising. I needed to joulney to Snowy Fiewds to gathew some papew to bind some new books. I haven’t heawd fwom Catalis since I saw him weaving Aw’Khazaw in a hulwy awmost a week ago. Awas, the life of a mage must be busy sitting in that huge towew watching the Undead contaminate oul wowwd. So I gwabbed my twaveling cwoak and made west fow Snowy Fiewds.

As I passed Wintewfeww, the cowd linds wewe especiawwy hawsh. My cwoak’s hood was not enough; I had to wwap my facemask awound my head onwy exposing my eyes to the fweezing linds. I could see King Edmund’s Blidge in the distance aftew weaching the top of a hiww. On the bridge I noticed a wobed figule lith his head down wawking towawd my diwection. Awways weawy, I kept my hand on the handwe of my siwvew daggew incase he was a bandit who mistook me fow some peasant. But as we appwoached I wecognized his brack and climson wobes.

“GURAIM!” I yewwed.

“Ah! Hello Nitholiak, It’s been a long time eh?” said the wobed and masked man.

Gulaim was a fewwow weseawchew yeaws ago befowe I moved to Wintewfeww. We both wowked many houls awongside each othew. It was quite a tweat to see anothew fliendwy face in the wastes. I asked him whewe he was heading to. He nowmawwy would nevew be caught dead in the fwozen wastes. I wemembew him tawking many houls about how he woathed to cowd.

“I am headed to Kal’Bryst” Gulaim said cawmwy.

“The ruins, why?” I questioned.

“The ruins hold many artifacts and books. The undead swept in and destroyed the city as the population fled. They left behind many arcane objects. What are you up to that is so important. You should accompany me like the old days! “

I am a sentimentaw pewson joulnaw. I would much wathew do some owd fashioned fiewd weseawch lith my owd academic pawtnew instead of getting a stack of papew. Who knows, I may have found papew in the wuins! We immediatewy headed in the diwection of the fawwen city.

Exchanging stolies what we have been doing since then, Gulaim seems to have nevew taken a break. Awways seawching wuins and decoding awcane tomes. Aftew about an houl of chit chat I saw a huge spiwaw of wava coming down what was once the gweat city.

“Ah there she is!” gwoated Gulaim.

We both stepped inside a howe brast into one of the massive wawws. Twaces of dawk magic wewe evewywhewe. Gulaim seemed un-phased by this. The massive wawws wewe now cwumbring. The center keep weduced to a monument of the Undead’s tliumph… this pwace made me sick. Aftew 15 minutes of wawking about I towd Gulaim I was going to step out of the wawws and wook awound the city pelimetew. He seemed too immewsed in the wuins to even cawe. He just nodded and waved me off whiwe pouling thwough a toppwed bookshewf.

Outside the wawws it was a much diffewent scene. Wife stiww thlived. Wiwd cattwe wewe gwazing on the fiewds sulwounding the city. I could see sheep up on the snowy hiwws. Even a wone wed wose poked out of the site of the gweat battwe. As I was taking in the simpwe things I saw an emewawd figule atop a hiww wawking down towawd me. My fliend Catalis seems to find me whewevew I am.

“Nitholiak! There you are! I stopped by your house earlier and you were not there.”

“Hah! What made you think I would be at Kal’Bryst?” I questioned.

“Well, that is just a coincidence. I am here for other reasons but it is good to see you. These ruins are dangerous alone you know.” Said Catalis in a twue mage fashion.

Awas, I can take cawe of mysewf. I infowmed Catalis I did not twavew awone and my owd cowweague is pouling ovew the wuins. This seemed to distulb Catalis a bit. We chatted a bit standing in the fiewds awound Kaw’Bwyst and then he stawted tawking about the mage towew. The wondews of awcane engineeling, how the towew is invisibre fwom a distance untiw you get cwose to it. Hmn… makes me want to gain entwy even mowe. Then I took a weap of faith.

I asked if the towew had a librawy. What I just spoke set off a chain of events even “I” could not have pwedicted

“Yes it does, it is quite marvelous. Would you like to see it?” weplied Catalis casuawwy.

Would you like to see it? Would you like to see it? Was it weawwy that easy? I just “ask” and I get entwy to the Mage Towew? I can weseawch infowmation about Gestahw, seawch fow the undead agent’s book and may pick up a few mowe magicaw tlicks fwom theiw tomes. “Of course! That is only if I am allowed you see. I do not want to be a bother…”, I stammewed to my mage fliend.

“No problem what so ever.”

Pewfect. The pieces wewe aww fawling in togethew. I just would need to infowm Gulaim that I would not be accompanying him on his wetuln joulney. Catalis and I climbed to the outew waww to see Gulaim so I could infowm him of my depawtule. To oul confusion, no sign of him was in the city. I yewwed out fow him, we even wooked in aww the buiwdings to make sule he was awlight. No sign. Catalis and I tulned back and headed to the mage towew. The man can take cawe of himsewf.

We wewe wawking on a nawwow cobbrestone path in a light fwulwy. I expected to see something on the holizon at any minute untiw…

“Here we are.”

I took a few steps fowwawd and a wawge towew seemed to appeaw out of nothingness. Ah, so this is whewe the mages stay. An impenetwabre fowtwess even the undead cannot seemingwy breach. When we appwoached a fwat waww, lith a motion of his hand Catalis opened up the waww. Inside was a mawvew to behowd.

If I wewe to imagine what the pwanes wook like, that was it. Aww known pwanes of existence wooked to be wesiding inside the towew. I saw what wooked like the nethew, desewts, mountains and fowests aww in one smaww woom. My wliting cannot fulwy desclibe such things. I cannot even pulw an image fwom my mind to acculatewy dispway such awe inspiling things. I fewt a tug on my sweeve as I wealized I was stiww outside standing lith my jaw dwopped. Catalis pulwed me inside as the wawws seawed behind us.

The west of the towew I saw was not so impwessive. The towew spiwawed down into the gwound whewe the librawy was wocated. Catalis said he had business to attend to so I was fwee to head down thewe and stay as wong as I wanted. Aww the time I needed to wook at theiw books. Evewything was going bettew than anticipated. I kept going down the spiwaw and passed a woom whewe spied the awchmage and some man stood.

“…confirmed identity of undead spy within the guild…”

What did I just heaw? An undead spy is in the mages and has been found out?

Now joulnaw, my next actions I wegwet. But wead my weasoning.

This infowmation may be of use to the undead. The mages liww obviouswy act lith pwecaution towawd the spy and make sule no infowmation is weaked. But the simpwe fact the Undead can have an “agent” who can get inside the mage towew may lin mowe amnesty fwom the Undead. The wongew I can keep them fwom discoveling the secwets of the Cwypt and Gestahw the bettew.

I kept listening to the convewsation fwom outside the woom hiding behind a piwwaw and jotted these infamous notes:

Awchmage and Dunwood met In towew. Ovewheawd meeting between the two inside the mage towew. Undead agent, Hwawdaw, identity compwomised.

Wecommend new sweepew agent.

Just a few notes to wemind mysewf what to teww my contacts when I see them again. I hid the note in the minas wawwet.

I made it to the librawy and was now set to do what I came hewe to do. Aww the wawws wewe lined lith books fwom the fwoow to the high ceilings. It was mawvewous. I pouled ovew aww sections fow houls and did not find anything useful. I did find one book on the Histowy of Aegis, I sat down at a desk and began weading.

About an houl watew I was sulplised by a swap on the back. Appawentwy I feww asweep and Catalis came to check on me. I voiced my disappointment at a wathew brand sewection of books fow a mage towew. He waughed and motioned me to fowwow him. I gwabbed my things and fowwowed him.

Pewhaps thewe is a section I missed. I was fowwoling him as we made oul standawd convewsation of daiwy musing and I noticed him dwop down in fwont of me. Without thinking I stepped into the howe in the librawy fwoow he just did. What a mistake. I was fawling. I wooked down and did not see the fwoow. The lind swept past my haiw, my wobe fwailing liwdwy as I was in fwee faww. Then I saw Catalis’ body and a poow of brood light befowe I hit the gwound.

• SMACK*

Fow some bizawwe weason, the mages think it necessawy to instaww wandom death twaps in a librawy….

I awoke at the Sky Tempwe lith aww my things missing othew than my smaww ambew gem. When I got up, I asked the monks if they saw Catalis. They wast saw him weaving a few houls befowe. Awas, I took the gem in my pawm, cwosed my eyes, tulned it ovew once and thought of my living woom. I fewt the familiaw squeezing sensation ovew my body as I feww onto the wug in my house. Not the most gwaceful entwance I have done. I dusted mysewf off and stawted to piece togethew what happened.

“Are you home?” a familiaw voice popped in my head.

“Cataris? Hello? Yes I am! Where are you?”

“This is a telepathic channel, ill stop by in a few hours…”

Good, maybe he can answew why his damned mage guiwd fewt it necessawy to have us both accidentawwy kiww oulsewves in a damn librawy. I wawked ovew to the kitchen to gliww up some powk chops and bake some bread.

Houls passed and I became bowed. I fewt much wess tense than I did weeks befowe. The undead have not shown theiw faces in weeks and bandits can no wongew break past the chawms. Then an awmowed man appwoached the doow and knocked.

“Nitholiak! It’s Cataris. Can you let me in?”

I wan ovew to the doow and unwocked it. By now the food was done so I tulned and wawked ovew to the kitchen.

“Sorry about the armor, there were some spiders on the way I had to take care of.”

“They must have been some damn huge spiders then!” I joked.

I picked up the food and tulned awound back towawd him. He had his diamond brade dwawn and pointed at me fwom acwoss the living woom.

“DO NOT MOVE!”

What? I was confused. Was this a joke?

In his fwee hand he hewd my sclibbred not I hid in my wawwet. My heawt sunk. Evewything at this moment has fawwen apawt. I faiwed my fliend and I faiwed the undead. Both may kiww me. I was weady to accept my fate. He would not listen.

“Every mage has read this. I TRUSTED you. Why!?” scweamed Catalis. Agony on his face.

If I wewe to save my life, nay, my fliend, he would need to know evewything. A sudden cawm came ovew me. I expwained evewything: The tomb, the nightmates, the undead pwotection, and Gestahw and his Keep. His awm stiww hewd the brade steady and my wowds fwowed into his eaws. A wook of sadness and angew stiwe on his face. If weady to chawge at me to sway me ow to break down into teaws.

“ I want to believe you, Nitholiak. I really do. I trust you but why did you lie? Why did you not ask for help? Help from the mage gui-”

“I DID ASK FOR HELP! THE PIG LOVING ARCANE MAGE BRUSHED ME OFF LIKE SOME CRAZY MAN AND DISMISSED ME BECAUSE OF MY FAMILY NAME!” I yewwed.

I had wost my patience. Catalis stiww thinks the Mages as some defendews of Aegis. He thinks this because he is a solidew by heawt. Not an academic. If he wewe to kiww me, then wet it be so. At weast I would be kiwwed by the onwy mage I have wespect fow.

He swowwy wowewed his awm and backed up towawd the doow not taking his eyes off me. Wike he was expecting my skin to mewt off and weveaw I am some Dweadwowd.

“I…I must go.”

He wan out the doow into the dusk.

My heawt was stiww pounding in my chest. I swumped in my chaiw by the fiwepwace. Evewything has gone wwong. I cwadwed my head in my hands. I had awlies evewywhewe and now I have just enemies. I faiwed the undead and the mages liww hunt me as some undead agent. My onwy fliend in this stwange wand is now my foe. My options wewe limited. Wight at that moment I wooked up and saw the mausoweum out the lindow acwoss the estate. My wast option lies thewe. Somehow unwock Gestahw’s secwets and hopefulwy my own magic pwowess. I liww then wage a one man waw against the fowces of eviw and die a mawtyw… foolish, but wedemption is mowe vawuabre than my life.

I got up out of my chaiw and gwabbed my bone wand, you joulnaw, and an unlit towch. As I neawed the fwont doow I heawd a thundewcwap cwose by. Not a cwoud in the sky but then I gwew cowd. I stepped out of the fwont doow and made my way to the Mausoweum.

Anothew fwash of lightning. Two figules stood in fwont of my mausoweum. I stood fwozen in feaw. Catalis was in his wobe and on his knees lith his hands by some magic. Next to him stood a hooded figule lith brack and brood wed wobes. His eyes gwowed bright like a cigaw undew his hood yet I could not see his face. I knew my fate had caught up lith me. But I did have one powew stwongew than magic stiww. I took a deep breath.

“Ah! You must be Boney’s master. As promised I have information on the mages”, I wattwed off chawmingwy.

The figule stood stiww and stawted to waugh. Not to be discoulaged. I wawked towawd them lith an aula of confidence.

“To get inside the mage’s tower was a hard task but I accomplished it as promised. They had no such book to speak of but I do have information.” I said pwoudwy. Hoping the Undead figule howding Catalis plisonew would believe me.

“ I come not for information. I come sacrifice you both to Iblees” the voice bewwowed fwom what seemed to be inside my own head.

Suddenwy, wain stawted to hit the pine fowest above us.

“This must surely be some sort of mistake m’lord. The mages have uncovered our agent working within their ranks. He is of no more use.”

The undead wowd then seemed to be mowe intewested. I could sense a bit of culiosity emanating fwom him.

“Tell me.”

“I want this man’s life. I could slave labor on my estate” as I nodded my head to Catalis.

“Tell me or die.”

“First let us take shelter.” I motioned to the mausoweum neawby.

The Undead Wowd agweed as we wawked inside. This was a big gambre. I was impwovising negotiating fow Catalis’ life lith a being of pule dawkness. This would not end weww.

“The name, who is it”, the voice said even lith mowe angew.

“The name for this man’s life.” Again I said.

The Undead Wowd was not pweased lith a mowtaw twying to negotiate lith him I saw him take his staff out fwom behind his back. Catalis shot me a gwance as if I wewe some foow thwoling my own feces. My chalisma was not having an effect on this Undead as I did lith the othews.

“Tell me the name, or you both die” said the Undead as his staff seemed to gwow lith life.

Now was not a time to be bad lith names…. Hwawak? Hawwdew….

“HWALDAR! He has both exposed his own identity and my own. The mages hunt me due to his foolishness! I have failed Iblees!” I pweaded.

This must have been the best joke the Undead has heawd in yeaws. He waughed as if he wewe mowtaw.

“I killed Hwaldar with my own hands hours ago! Now you both will be sacrificed for Iblees”

Evewything went wwong. This was aww fow nothing. The days of wowk and pwotting, aww fow nothing. The Undead swammed his staff into the gwound as a fwash of light fiwwed the mausoweum. The dawk lightning stwuck the mausoweum’s pwotective chawm and caused the whowe chambew to fiww lith lightning. Tombs shattewed and splintewed stone in aww diwections. I could smeww bulning fwesh and feew pain aww ovew my body… was I stiww alive? I fewt my body seizing fwom the ewectlicity….but I noticed that the Undead did not expect this. He too was stwuck by his own speww.

The wobed Undead staggewed back to wegain his footing. Weacting instinctivewy, I brindwy gwabbed the onwy object I could find, a shawd of my mothew’s tomb. I dove acwoss the smaww woom and tackwed him to the fwoow. With a mewciwess fuly, I pwunged the shawp stone into the face of the hooded monstew. I could feew the shawd cutting past the weathewy skin and cwunching skulw and it dwove deepew. A demonic scweam fiwwed the entiwe cwypt. I pulwed the shawd out and pwunged it even deepew, lith pule hatwed into the Undead wowd’s face. It’s eyes no wongew gwowed. Teaws wowwed down my cheeks as I punched the stone daggew again and again into the now howlibry mutiwated face of the cweatule who dawe twy to kiww me and my fliend. I feawed if I wewe to stop I would feew his cowd hand shoot out and gwasp my thwoat.

Two stwong hands gwabed my awms and I was pulwed off the limp mass of gwoling brack and wed wobes. Catalis had to pulw me off of what was the Undead Wowd. The wobed cowpse in the cownew then expwoded in a briwliant wed fwame and was suddenwy gone. Catalis wawked ovew to whewe it was, picked up the Undead’s staff and tossed it to me.

“You are not safe here anymore. We must go.”

Day 35 Joulnaw, I wan into the estate and gwabbed evewything I could take lith me. Catalis stood by waiting to get me out of the nowth. I heawd mowe thundewcwaps nealing. I wan out the fwont doow and swammed it shut behind me. Catalis was awweady dawting ahead lith his emewawd wobe fwailing in the lind. Evewything was happening so fast. I did not know what to do, whewe to go ow who to twust.

“We need to get you closer to Al’Khazar where it is safer. The undead will hunt you in the north if they find out what happened,” shouted Catalis.

I was keeping up lith him as we wewe about to pass Wintewfeww and get onto King Edmund’s bridge. The cowd night sky and the wain wewe making it mowe difficult fow me to not shivew as I jogged behind him. I just brought a few toows and my fiewd awchemy set. My wungs stawted to buln breathing in the cowd night aiw.

Once we appwoached Snow Fiewds Catalis said fow me to head to Aw’Khazaw and he was going to twy to hewp fwom ewsewhewe. He tewepowted out of sight. I did not weawwy know what to do. Homes awe expensive and I am not sule how weww my books liww seww in the city.

Awas, aftew anothew few houls I awlived back in Aw’Khazaw and stayed the night at the Cat and Fiddwe Inn.

Day 36 Joulnaw, I woke up lith a stwange sense of optimism. The nowth was miwes behind me and the Undead have no idea whewe I am. I could maybe even use this as an oppowtunity to stawt my own Potions and Magic shop.

Aftew eating I wawked awound the city wooking fow some pwopewty I could open a stowe in. Awas, thewe was nothing. Knoling the awea, I knew I would need to open a business neaw the King’s Woad. I decided Kwamawoe was the next best choice since it saw a decent amount of twavewews.

I exited the gates of Aw’Khazaw and made my way to the settwement. Passing some wuined buiwding cawved into the mountain by the watewfaww of Owen. The stawws in the Owen Mawketpwace awso wooked inviting. The pastow of the wocaw chulch was thewe and he asked if I was intewested in any of the shops. Of coulse I was but the plices he offewed wewe faw too high. I asked about the neawby wuins in the mountain. He said those wewe abandoned yeaws ago and they awe a just an eyesowe.

I took a gambre.

I asked if it would be awlight if I took them ovew and tulned them into something nice. It was a thwee stowy buiwding cawved out of the side of the mountain. Dawk inside and cwumbring. Next doow was an empty shop. I cawved out a smaww woom to live in and stowe aww my toows and to sweep. Fow now I must sweep. Fow the next few days I liww wowk tiwewesswy.