Day
82
I have spent the last few days trying to reach my first destination,
the northern side of Kholusia. It being the closest, I presumed it would be the
simplest, but going forward I shall try to keep my expectations lower. To reach
it requires scaling a sheer cliff face, since the elevator that reaches up so
far has ceased to function.
My first thought
was to pursue fixing the elevator, but no one would even consider the thought. Not
only was there no one skilled on the mechanical side of things, neither was
there anyone to do the damned labor. For ages this place has required on magical
beasts of burden, and with them defunct they refuse to raise a finger beyond
what they consider ‘acceptable’. What a pitiful bunch.
The only other
option I could come up with was someone skilled at scaling the rock itself. A
search for that proved fruitless as well. Those who once had the skills no
longer have the equipment, having had other things to maintain in the meantime.
Anyone who seemed even willing to consider it looked like they could barely
hold themselves in a standing position, let alone climb a sheer rock wall.
Most, I feel, were only interested at the prospect of being paid or fed. I
doubt they would have even helped, and instead followed me out of town and
robbed me blind.
In a final act of
desperation, I sought a potential interested party in Eulmore itself, but was
denied entry in any measure. Unless I was being selected by a sponsor, or had
the wealth to become one myself, I was to stay outside with ‘the rest’. I
assumed on the spot about what kind of prospects I had in getting a sponsor
from Eulmore interested in leaving Norvrandt and departed. I have spent the
last few days in Lakeland, plotting my route onward.
Day
89
While traveling
through Lakeland once more, I made my way towards that distant forest of Il
Mheg. Upon reaching its outskirts, a local guard patrol asked me what my
intentions were, to which I explained my goal.
To say it went
well would be the boldest lie I ever told.
They accosted me,
‘guiding’ back to the Crystarium, the entire time telling me that I must have
gone mad with pixie magic. The fools couldn’t wrap their heads around the idea
of traveling to into those ‘demon dwellings’ with such a ‘foolhardy’ cause. I
made sure to let my displeasure be known.
I was relieved of
them by another set of guards at the gates of the Crystarium, who were ordered
to render me unto the proprietor of the Pendants for the next few nights, until
I was deemed ‘of sound mind’. I spent a few days cordoned in my room without
much to do save re-read the journal. When finally they released me, I made sure
to keep mum about my intentions to continue my quest, and went on my way.
The last few days
have been spent gathering up and reading from some arcanist’s tome. Much as I hate
to admit it, those uncouth brutes may have had a point in their thoughts on my
current venture. Heading into the pixie’s domain without any means of
protection is a fool’s errand. I have spent the last few days learning to toss
a spell or two about, which will hopefully keep me well enough armed for my
travels. I can pick up more as I rest each night.
Day
92
It is in these
words that I fear I must apologize to those who tried to stop me from
journeying to Il Mheg. I am willing to eat any number of crow, especially if it
could change my path and remove me from this horrid place.
It was under cover
of night that I arrived in the area, as to better avoid the patrolling guards.
I presumed from here I would be able to find some semblance of civilization. To
me, I thought that surely the tales of the place were tall, and that likely
there were people about that did not wish to be found. Oh how I wish that had
been the case.
I had not been here
for but an hour before I happened upon one of the pixies proper. After I
managed to recover from my amazement, I was forced to contend with this
creature, who chattered about with seemingly no end to energy or questions. Before
I could even say a word on the matter, a second appeared, and then a third.
They each
proceeded to tug at me, one on each arm and one on my head, to the point where
I felt they were going to pull me into bloody pieces. Once I had screamed long
and hard enough for them to stop, I calmed them as best I could. That did not
stop their trampling on my person, as next they were rooting through my pockets
and my bags.
This lasted for
hours, and days later I am certain I have yet to recover every piece of my inventory
that they stole. Once they had grown bored of that, they moved onto new games,
demanding I play along. When one of them referred to a rather human looking
shrub, I realized that my decision was already made.
The sun had risen
by the time they seemed to have grown bored of me and wandered off. If only it
had risen sooner. Then perhaps I would have been spared hours of inane games of
hide and seek, or other odd pass times they have produced. Not inane because of
the childish games themselves, but because they were impossible for a mortal
creature such as I to play against my fae foes. No sooner would I hear one of
them chuckling behind a tree that they would suddenly turn invisible, and
appear elsewhere.
I found a suitable
enough place to pitch camp, but only managed some few hours of sleep before
being shaken awake and pulled into more games. This continued for days, until
finally I managed to bore them enough that I be allowed to rest for a suitable
amount of time. Half-starved and dehydrated, I collapsed at camp until this
morning, at which point I found a proper time to write.
When I emerged from
my tent to begin cooking breakfast, I found a small parchment. I was tempted to
rush back into the tempt before being pulled into more games, but still felt
alone. Upon reading it, I was surprised to find that it appeared to be a letter
of inquiry, offering for some sort of mutual bargain. Below the letter was a
crude map. I have recorded the letter below, to which I will be following up on
later today:
Outer
Thing,
I inquired into your items and incidentally
intercepted one that you will wish to reacquire. Follow to my fallow field, so
that we may face as friends. This discussion will likely dissuade you of any detrimental
deviations you may have.
A
Fae Friend
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