A Report from the Dragon's Eye
Submitted to the Carle by Laurana Willowleaf Morghun
I had been in Rhegedd with the Black Fox tribe for 3 weeks before the War Band arrived. The area was rife with disease and I was helping to heal those afflicted.
Myself and some of the Black Fox joined the War Band as it gathered behind the front lines of the Dragon army. On this night, some of the band collapsed, poisoned. The cause is unknown to me, but they were quickly healed, and the remainder of the night passed without incident.
Later that night Eomear took half of the war Band and left for the eastern end of the Vale of Tears.
On the morn, the War Band passed through a small village, which Happy had come across. Scouts were sent out from this village and found dead daemons, and troops from the Dragon army. They also discovered several bodies that had been drained of blood through wounds on their necks. As we left the village the War Band had its first encounter with some of the daemons from the ritual circle. There seemed to be different types, and were different colours, some casting magics at the band, whilst others fought with great strength.
That night we were visited by a group of dwarves asking for our aid in closing a gate within their city as it had been over-run by daemons. The War Band was victorious, and succeeded in closing the cities gates. As a gift of thanks we were given the Hammer of Govannan, a dwarven Ancestor, to aid in the repair of our armour and shields.
Later, Von Raven approached the camp, requesting to speak with the Warmaster, Owain. We were told Von Raven had asked if we would cleanse the dragons Eye of corruption by ridding it of a daemon called the Cthon at its centre. Von Raven also asked that when this was done he be cleansed of the corruption within himself, be killed and laid to rest.
He said his brood would watch over the War Band through the night and protect our camp.
This did not last however, as the next morning daemons once again attacked the camp, some casting high level magics. Leaving no time for another attack, the War Band quickly broke camp and headed out towards the Dragons Eye. We travelled all morning and finally made camp a short way from the ritual circle itself. The War Band then decided to pay a visit to the Dragons Eye, despite warnings from King Skeld of the Black Fox.
As night fell the camp was again attacked by waves of daemons, and undead. This night also saw the War Band being attacked by abominations of Morlock's army, which were bringing disease into the camp. Once again Von Raven sent some of his brood, this time a group of female vampires, to watch over the camp on the approach from the dragons eye. These where once more distrusted by everyone but Firenzi, who seemed quite taken with them.
All through the night the camp was attacked by another group of vampires, led by a vampire named Ellen, these attacked us in our beds whilst those on guard did their best to keep them at bay.
Through some miracle of Steel, we all managed to survive the night.
Next morning we observed ghostly figures gathering at the Dragons Eye. They where shadows of the past, and began re-enacting a ritual which had taken place many years ago, in which the last Penddriag had claimed he was the Dragon. This resulted in the true Dragon destroying both him and his kin, the rest is history. At the climax of this ritual the shadows turned into very real daemons and attacked.
We journeyed through the lands and came upon the burial site of the last Penddraig. After our ritualists appeased the spirits of the tomb with words and gifts, king Skeld was able to take a torc from around the Penddraig's neck.
At this time the tribes of Cymrija each put forth a representative to protect the torc and its bearer till the time comes that a new Penddraig is found. The tribes finally recognised the Morghuns as a tribe in their own right, and myself as the Morghun representative.
That afternoon the camp was repeatedly attacked by the abominations of Morlock, the attack so fierce we were driven back towards the Dragons Eye. The onslaught was continued until the War band stood aside and Morlock was allowed to enter the ritual circle, which was immediately sealed and a ritual began. I do know that the ritual failed, and as such the War Band attacked the abominations guarding the circle, which then opened. A woman ran from the circle, which I believe was Morlock's lost love, Eleanor, and he followed her.
However, the ritual some how released the Cthon from the circles centre, and it was very powerful. Von Raven then appeared casting magics at the Cthon, which seemed to have an effect, so our mages and incanters followed suit, and the rest of the War Band chanted our ancestor's names. The Cthon fought back with magics of its own, but we prevailed and the Cthon was defeated. Von Raven then vanished.
Morlock was found, grieving over Eleanor's body, I believe she was killed in the chaos of the battle against the Cthon and abominations. His crown and book where taken from him. In his grief Morlock surrendered to the War Band, his throat was slit and both he and Eleanor where sent to wind by Kellen, using the flaming sword Holocaust.
With the Dragons Eye now free from corruption, it could be repaired. Llyr the Builder, who originally built the ritual circle, undertook this task. That night the camp was again attacked by undead. With the banner again depleted, and the healers power growing low, it was left to our skilled physicians, including Khane, to prevent deaths within the band.
We had learned earlier that day through messengers sent from the Dragon army, that Eomear was overdue, and people unsure of his whereabouts. Kellen, Flynn, Magfen and Drake therefore tried to contact him through mindspeak; unfortunately they could not, and were rewarded with a temporary loss of vision. They were given spirits which seemed to make this worse, not better, but still insisted on standing on the front lines, much to my own annoyance.
Later that night Owain, Firenzi, Kallistos and several other band members, all who had some form of ritualistic power, were taken by Von Raven's forces.
Next morn wave upon wave of daemons hit the camp; our healing was almost depleted as we pulled back to the eye, where scouts had reported movement. We watched as Von Raven, some of his brood and the captured War Band members performed a ritual to, I think, cleanse Von Raven of his corruption. However, the members of his brood seemed to turn on him, and a vampire named Patrick took over the ritual, calling Von Raven weak.
We were close to loosing many, when Eomear arrived with healers and extra forces, enabling us to destroy the remaining undead, and stabilise all of the injured. Von Raven had been aiding us during this battle. It seems his ritual had worked, he was cleansed, and agreed to be put to death in the circle, his body was then dedicated. The wounded where than transported to Willow Abbey, and the remainder of the War Band, myself included, left with Eomear to join the band he had left behind.
We have banished the Cthon and cleansed the Dragons Eye, defeated both Morlock and Von Raven, but most importantly, we kept each other alive.
The blessings of the Goddess be with you.
Source: Sam Howard
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