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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zora" data-source="post: 2760954" data-attributes="member: 30156">Journal entry 11/25/05Pepa, to continue my story, this is what happened next:The woman in black, Merras, a priestess for the harlot-god Shar, came forward chanting something to which I later found out attempted to alter the recent memories of my companions and I, succeeding with Telemnar, Nikos, and Erim.  The had no recollection of Elder Furnael, only of Merras coming out of the cloud asking for our help.I suppose my dwarven stubbornness prevented me from being affected by her enchantment.  Nevertheless, I strode towards her to seek vengeance for the dead of Camber, ignoring the cloud of death.  My sole desire was to end her existence.  Slipping into a cold, silent fury, I drew my hammer as I approached.  Phaele was quicker, sending a ball of lightning to strike at her and the cloud prior to my arrival.Suddenly all was black as she cast some arcane magic to engulf us all in darkness.  I could hear my friends wondering what was happening.  Phaele said something about her enspelling us and being able to see us in the darkness.  I swung a mighty blow that missed her by the smallest of margins.  She was good, and had magic assisting her.  I could tell that raw power was not going to win this contest, so needed to rely on skill as much as strength.  Telemnar called out to me, but I did not answer, for I was remaining as silent as I could, listening for any slight movement or sound to give her away.  Finally I heard Liadan’s mace ring true on the armor of the harlot-worshipper, and I used that to connect with my hammer and cause her some amount of pain.She moved away, me silently following, when Nekaya suddenly arrived, canceling the darkness with her Hakra.  The priestess did not care for this, while I was overjoyed.  Still, she was skilled enough to avoid my hammer and bring down a column of fire upon us.  She was overly cocky, as she had a chance to escape when we were all dazed by another of her spells, but she took the time to heal instead of flee.  Her mistake.Seeing this would not end well if something wasn’t done soon, I dropped my hammer and went to grab her.  She resisted briefly, but I got a good hold of her.  Erim put a sword to her throat asking for her surrender.  All I wanted to do was push her onto the outstretched blade.  She spit out some profanities and struggled against me, but to no avail.  Just as I was reaching to hold her mouth shut as I held her arms pinned, my companions knocked her unconscious.  I had the fleeting feeling of happiness hoping she felt as helpless at that minute as the townspeople must have felt at the tragedy that befell them.  I bound her and asked Nikos to carry her.Thinking that was the end of it, Liadan and I went to confront the death cloud, hoping to kill it while the others were making their way to the Winter Stronghold to rescue any survivors.  While heading towards the cloud, out from an alleyway came Wyrstalker.  He informed us that our friends were heading towards the people responsible for all of this.  I flatly asked him if he was involved, and he said that after it started, he has been using guerrilla tactics to attempt to thwart those responsible.  I asked about Olson, not forgetting what had been done to him, when he showed us his arrows, which did not resemble the ones used to kill Olson.  I asked if he wanted to help us, can the three of us went back to the Winter Stronghold.Little did we know that during that time Pascal and Burleau were there, trying to get through the last door of defense.  The rest of my friends were in a heated battle with them, both sides using walls of energy and throwing spells at each other.  I rushed Pascal and Burleau, passing a wall of fire just to stop in front of a wall of lighting separating me from the two of them.  Arrows flew past from Telemnar and Nikos, while Liadan and Nekaya were circling the lightning wall, ready to rush the pair.  Phaele cast a spell that caused a loud boom, deafening Pascal, who then cast something at Phaele, rendering her witless.  I moved through the wall, lightning burning me as I desired to ply my hammer about Burleau’s neck and head.  Nekaya, Liadan and Telemnar finished them off.I attempted to knock on the stronghold door, but no sound was made, nor did it move.  I tried using a light from my coin to flash an “all clear” signal under the door, but to no response.  Just then, another greenish cloud started coming down the hallway towards us and the door.  Knowing it would kill any survivors, I drank the anti-poison draught I had, and Liadan and I went to confront it, with Nekaya, Telemnar, and Nikos behind us.  Suddenly a light shone from the center, as a wave of flame emerged and engulfed the entire hallway and room beyond, stopping at the stronghold door.  The only one affected by the flames was Wyrstalker, which was odd.  Erim stated that it was cast to not affect those of good heart.I was surprised it didn’t affect me, as the thoughts running through my head the last few hours would hardly be deemed “of good heart”.Out of the cloud stepped Gadron.  He said that these people were hunting him.  He looked as though he had been through a battle himself.  We asked if he could help Phaele with her condition, and he obliged.  I know I should trust him, but right now I can’t get over the fact that all these beautiful people died for him, and he doesn’t seem to care.  He says there are no more survivors and that whatever’s behind the door to the stronghold is better left there.He asked Phaele and Erim to go with him, as he needed to “cleanse” the town.  As mad as I was, I went looking for survivors, with the rest coming with me except Nikos, who went with the spellhurlers.  I told him, if he does anything to them, to kill him.  It was wrong of me.  I was letting my emotions get in the way of rational thought.  The rest of us went to confront and disperse the last death cloud.We didn’t find any survivors, and the other three met us and said we had one hour to get beyond the walls of Camber before Gadron started the cleansing, and we would be lost.  It was with weary heart and watery eyes I went to gather up Stone, Olson and as many of the other bodies I could find to give them a decent burial.  In my anger, I almost left the ring Covenant gave me at the spot where Stone had fallen, as I was wondering where the new beginnings were for the dead of Camber…but I decided to keep it to put it to a better use.Another odd thing in all this: Nikos came back leading an older-looking Califax.  Not sure how that happened, not sure I care.  We meet Pakkin outside the walls, where he tells us there are groups of demons stationed at parts of the city wall.  Looking for some way to release the tension in my muscles, we go hunting them, only to find them climbing the walls back into Camber.  Knowing my heart, Telemnar put his hand on my shoulder and bade me wait.  Shortly thereafter, a blue-white glow covers the town, and a large, glowing blue arcane symbol appeared on the front gate.  It said “closed”.We escorted Serrah and the now 23 in all survivors of Camber to the Puffleweiss farmstead.  It’s not a short journey, as everyone is exhausted and going it by foot.  A few outlying residents have come to see what happened and to discuss the rebuilding of Camber, or the building of a new Camber.Serrah has stepped forward to lead these survivors as her strength returns.  She will be a good leader.I spend the next day helping with the burial of the bodies.  I perform the ceremony for Stone.  Grandfather, take care of him.  He was a worthy defender and a good friend.  Stone, I’m taking the armor you wore and will wear it proudly, hoping that the day I exact vengeance on Furnael, one of the last things he sees is your armor.I tell them to expect an order of supplies within the next fortnight or so.  As soon as I can get to the next town, I’ll be sending as many supplies as the ring Covenant gave me can buy.  I figure it’s the least Lathander can do to help this small community start anew…</blockquote>

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