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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4474716" data-attributes="member: 3285">To Walk in Carcosa: Part 1 – The Road and the ForestTwo or three inches of snow lay on the ground.  The landscape they passed through was one of high mountains, rivers and streams, heathland, and thick wood.  “I hope ye know where yer going,” said Captain Drak Scarbelly, ka-klumping along behind Kham and Ilmarė with his peg-leg.  “Talathiel told Sebastian that Montague Edwards was the Laird of Libertyville,” said Ilmarė. “And Dril told us Michael Evans is actually Montague Edwards.  With Lucius missing, this is the most logical place to look first. If they were going to hide somewhere, Libertyville would be the place to do it.”“You didn’t have to come along you know.”  Kham was back to his old self.  The lack of Ghoul Juice left him irritable.“Aye, but we do intend t' stop this Kin' in Yellow business ye keep natterin' on about. If it means puttin' an end t' this threat t' Freeport, then I’ll see it through.”“Very noble,” said Kham.  “What about your boat?”“The Bloody Vengeance?” Rask snorted.  “Aggro has been cap'nin' it all this time, he can han'le it fer another day.”After an hour and a half, they arrived at Libertyville; a village of just two dozen or so stone houses.  From there, a snow-covered muddy track headed towards the Loch, through a thick forest of old pines mixed in with ferns, heather and outcrops of granite.  “Look at the trees,” said Prolk.Rather than all the trees growing straight, many of them strained towards the Loch—on some, the root system was partially exposed where the whole trunk has tilted considerably.  As they moved through the forest, the groan and crack of roots breaking under the strain is a constant companion.“There’s no wildlife,” said Ilmarė. “Not even birdsong.”Just half a mile down the road, looping, the rutted track led away to the north then the east.  There was no indication that it had been taken recently, but after following it for a full mile they came to a monolith standing in a small clearing.Kham frowned.  “This looks familiar.”Ilmarė squinted.  “It reads: Expectant we raise our muzzles to smell the air for hatred, we strain our ears for the sound of love.”They kept moving. Ilmarė froze.“What?” asked Kham.“Shh!  Do you hear that?”They strained to listen.  There was a distant crashing noise.  Something was coming closer and closer through the thick forest. “It’s coming from the south,” said Ilmarė. “But it’s not at ground level.  Whatever it is, it’s high up—splintering the treetops as it comes.”“Get down!” shouted Kham.  A huge sac, rippling and throbbing and flecked with light, moved squid-like, pulling itself through the air by long, groping tentacles that sawed on the wind and pulled on the branches with equal purchase.  It didn’t go far. Just two hundred yards further down the road, a track led a short distance off into the forest.  The thing clung to a second monolith like a child’s forgotten balloon. “That monolith’s got an inscription too.” Ilmarė fingered an amulet at her throat. “We, the mute, lame, the stupid, the dull, the weak.”  She turned to Kham.  “It must be talking about you.”</blockquote>

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