As I sit as this in trying to recover, I decided to try to write it down to process what all just happened over the last few days.
I was thinking I was safe, that I finally found a group of good people, odd people to be sure but good. I thought I would be able to put past behind me, but I was wrong, so very wrong, and the Master knows where I am, and I do not think he will stop until he has me again.
Nulka was missing that morning so we wandered the city doing a few errands while asking questions about Nulka. We met some strange people in the bar named Ash and Jerry. I guess the rest of the group had asked them to investigate a strange farmer. The farmer had caught Jerry and took out his eye and tongue. All they could tell us is that in the middle of the night he left with empty carts and brought back full carts but nothing else, other then that the farmer really wanted his privacy. I feel bad for Jerry, but I think both may just be useless.
In the late morning, we were heading to see the captain of the city guard about Nulka when we were surrounded by purplish fog and suddenly Nulka showed up with two other people that the rest of the group knew: Tito and Rendar. Without saying anything, Nulka launches a fireball at us! I do not remember him being this powerful when we fought the Manticore, but he injured everyone badly and even knocked the fuzzball unconscious. All 3 of them then pointed at me and said in chilling unison “we need that one!” In fear I just reacted and yelled out “No!” as I reached out with my mind hurling a big rock at Nulka.
We fought back and forth, and I thought we were all going to die at several points. A lady Mira showed up partway through the fight to join us. The others knew her as the owner of the magic shop. We ultimately won but Rendar died while we had knocked Nulka and Tito unconscious.
The group had seen similar purplish fog before when they went to some temple to Kovish, but they think this was different and just an illusion. Wulf was on me right away with questions about it and unfortunately, I do not have a lot I could say. My memory is too fragmented and scattered to know but it did feel familiar. All I could really tell them is that a powerful person, who once tortured and experimented on me, wants me back. They let it go, but I do not think it was sufficient an answer. I wish I had more to tell them. The research I had done led me to believe they were not nearby but up in Woodberry. I think it is to the northeast about 5 days from what I am told.
We took the bodies into a special room Mira has in her shop to hold people. I have to say the fact that she had such a room was creepy. Suddenly, when some of the group went to leave the hidden door swung shut and we were locked inside. Nulka and Tito’s bodies rose from the floor and they both spoke with the master’s voice saying, “My pet, why do you resist?”. I told them I was never going back, and they responded with “You will, one way or another”. When I said no again, the master made Tito’s head spin completely off!
I asked the master what he did to me and he said he unlocked my potential, but I do not want that, I just want to be left alone. The master then threatened me with “Come back to me or one by one anyone you come in contact with will fall under my gaze and control”. I was terrified of both going back and others being hurt. There was nothing I could do so fled into the corner as far as I could, shaking, and saying “no”.
The
most amazing thing happened through, Wulf, York, and Corvus came to stand in
front of me like a wall.
(The
picture is not part of the journal, but I had to include York’s amazing
drawing)
I am not sure that the Master would have been as impressed, especially given that York had already vaporized the end of another sword just a few moments prior, but it was the only time I can remember people ever standing up for me like that. It felt good to have people like you enough to stand up for you.
The Master then killed Nulka too, exploding his head.
People are dying because of me! I do not want to go back; I want to refuse but I do not want others to die. Can I really escape him?
The group was still in shock when we went to bury the bodies.
Later that night they asked me more about what I knew of the master. Again, I said that all I have are fragments of memories, but that all I remembered was that the master was a tall dark shadow to me seen through flashes of arcane light. He was humanoid in shape, but I have no idea what species but that I remember it looked like he had purplish flesh. I was usually below him, but he seemed tall, like 7 feet tall and thin, wearing robes. And finally, that I did not remember ever hearing his name, only that he was called Master.
Our only lead to find him is the town of Woodberry, but I am scared to go. We decide to get any needed gear and go seek Wulf’s parents in Glade’s Edge for advice as it is partially on the way to Woodberry.
That night I had horrible nightmares.
I was a child, walking along the beach, feeling the sand between my toes as waves wash over them. I see another Gith child nearby and off in the distance is another person… a bald-headed woman… possibly Gith? She is out of reach but as I move closer, I see that purple fog again and her eyes are glazed over with purple flame. She reaches over and she rips off my arm!
Then I see myself in a dark small space, void of light and I can only perceive things with my mind’s eye. A doorway opens and I see the silhouette of the Master and hear “Come my child” scream through my mind. I crouch back into the furthest corner and start shaking in fear. In my mind again he says “No my child, I said come” as I begin floating forward toward him…
Then I find myself in a large metal room with a window overhead and again I see the same silhouette above me that says in my mind “Begin”. There is another child tied to a chair across from me. I try to talk to the other child but he lefts himself off the ground with his mind, bursts his bonds, and tries to strangle me with psychokinetic force. In a panic, almost instinctually, I fight back and the psychic energy springs from me pushing against him. It goes back and forth until the other child’s brain implodes, and I hear the master whisper proudly in my mind “Good. Good. Good.”
Was that a dream? Was that a memory? I do not know. I am afraid of him and afraid of what the Master was trying to do to me.
We leave Falanton the next morning for a horrible trip to Glade’s Edge. The first few days were raining, and York looked exhausted. Then it was foggy and could only see a few feet in front of us.
At one
point we were attacked by a spider and Corvus tried to hit it with Alchemist
fire only to catch himself on fire. I made the mistake of trying to help him
only to get the Alchemist fire liquid on myself too. I won’t make that mistake
again.
(The
picture is not part of the journal, but I had to include York’s amazing
drawing)
When
we got close to Glade’s Edge there was a Gith in the middle of the road. He was
massive and wielded a great sword. He did not look possessed like Nulka did,
but rather extremely calm and dispassionate.
He
said in my mind “The Master Calls”. I asked him why he served that master and he
said that the master makes him powerful. Indignantly I told him that I did not
want to serve the master and to leave to which he replied with only “No” and
teleported behind me. York then attacked him there.
He was
a powerful foe and swung his great sword with not only the force from his body
but also from his mind with psychic energy. At one part of the fight, he
knocked Wulf unconscious and held his sword above Wulf’s head saying to me in
my mind “The Master Calls”. I did not know what to do. Wulf had clearly stood
in front of me like a shield just a few nights before and keeps putting himself
in harms way to protect me. I would fight for Wulf, I may even die for Wulf,
but I totally panicked at the through of going back to the Master for Wulf. I
am ashamed of myself. I should have given into the Gith to protect Wulf, but I
did not. I tried to reason with the other Gith but he just struck at Wulf.
Fortunately, Wulf did not die, but I am ashamed.
After
the attack on Wulf, I was so angry with myself and the other Gith that I lashed
out at him with my mind just like I did at the other child in my dream and was
able to toss him aside and into a tree.
(The
picture is not part of the journal, but I had to include York’s amazing
drawing)
It made me exhausted, but it also felt good. I believe the Master is wanting me to be able to do that and become his soldier like that other Gith.
The fight continued when Corvus struck a strong blow with his sword
and cut off half of the Gith’s face.
The Gith never flinched or even reacted to any pain.
Finally, I was able to strike a blow to his head with a rock and kill him. In my fury over trying to kill my friends, I used that rock over and over to bash the rest of his skull apart until he was decapitated.
As a sorry bunch, and with Wulf still unconscious we limped into Glade’s Edge…
I do not know what to do. I do not want to go back, but I do not want
others put in harms way for me.
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