Jagged Shoals Log

[Tykus]

May 17, 752 BC

Ugh, first time in two weeks since I’ve written in here…not that I was in any condition to. Where to begin, the day following Tobodin’s arrival into our party: We all woke up before dawn just to be sure that the daybreak’s shifting pseudo-borders didn’t overwhelm us. True to Tobodin’s word, none of the arid prairie we left behind came anywhere near the step-pyramid that day and, after breakfast, proceeded to explore the abandoned stone edifice. Without going into room-by-room details of the pyramid, most of what we encountered were old stone traps, cobwebs and the spiders to go with them, vines, a teleportation circle, and a mummy that refused to stay down. During our battle with the mummy I discovered that I couldn’t cast my 4th-tier spells. They were still in my mind and no energy or components were expended; the spells wouldn’t trigger. Now, normally, this wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that I tend use some combat- and healing-type spells for personal use just to free up Kamar’s and Katarina’s spell choices. The mummy was doing enough damage to us with elemental spell effects that we were forced to retreat…right into the teleportation circle. The circle was only big enough for two people at most—Kysera went first, followed by Katarina, then Jo’Nah and Kamar. Tobodin was to go next when a blast from behind knocked me into Tobodin and both of us onto the circle, activating it.

It turned out that the teleportation circle was either malfunctioning or trapped. Tobodin and I ended up in a wasteland and the others were nowhere to be found. We were still in Tlacuiltlan as I could still feel the “conformity” sensation in the back of my mind. Tobodin recognized the place was called the Forest of Sentinels, a broad expanse of wasteland dominated by petrified forests and one of the seven cities dwells at the center of the forest, but even he didn’t know where we were specifically as he had never been deep into this region. Tobodin told me that this region borders the jungle from we had just came. There, the pseudo-border is more dangerous as when the petrified forest advances, creatures run a risk of having their bones fossilize, killing them, as the trees petrify around them.

With a quick search of the surroundings, it became apparent that the others had been teleported elsewhere. This was going to be a problem for me. Tobodin was conditioned for the warm environment but I was not. My own endure elements spells last nowhere near as long Kamar’s or Katarina’s. As one direction was as good as another, we decided to head north with Tobodin scouting ahead. Every so often, Tobodin would grumble about my lack of speed but he stayed nearby. We travelled for several days but found no signs of civilization—each day I would lose another tier of spells. When I lost my 2nd-tier spells I placed my sharkskin armor into the extradimensional space of my backpack. With the monotony of stone tree pillars on all sides and the more than occasional obstacle, there were times we did find ourselves travelling in circles. By the time I lost my orisons, it had been a week since the temple, I was beginning to suffer the effects of dehydration, and there was still no sign of civilization.

On day eight, I was having trouble with my mindblade. I couldn’t concentrate enough to focus and I was feeling feverish. Tobodin had decided to scout around while I rested in the shadow of petrified log pile. He was gone long enough for me to wonder if he had abandoned me. Shortly before his return, I had the misfortune to attract the attention of a hungry spinosaurus. It was only through Tobodin’s timely arrival with an ally that kept me from being dinner. Just as the beast was about to eat me in one gulp, Tobodin leapt onto the beast’s head while a gout of flame from above struck the beast’s haunches. I then passed out.

I awoke several days later in a tent with a young female half-elf hovering over me. Smiling, she called to someone outside the tent and Tobodin entered. The young lady’s name is Xocchi and Tobodin had brought her back to treat my illness. It turns out that I had contracted a local disease known as magewaste. The disease progresses by preventing abilities such as spellcasting or manifesting, then proceeds onto special abilities such as forming mindblades or meldshaping. Once the mystic abilities are suppressed, the disease then attacks physically, displaying symptoms similar to dehydration sickness and attacks the body’s overall stamina. Tobodin states that I was fortunate, Xocchi had told him that I was in the last stages of the illness when they found me. Another day or two, I would’ve been dead from the disease (spinosaur notwithstanding).

Xocchi is a spirit shaman like me, only more powerful and native to Tlacuiltlan. Age-wise, she’s as young as Kysera and is descended from an outlander human and a local elf. From what I’m told, the elves here are called “painted elves” and dominate the region of petrified forests. She is considered an exile from the elves as they see a half-elf as bad luck and, as such, she wanders the realm as an adventuring hermit. Perhaps “wander” is an inaccurate term as her mount is a dragon; but this dragon is unlike any I’ve ever heard about or encountered. In appearance, Xocchi’s mount is reminiscent of a wyvern in shape and size except for two crucial physical features. This dragon doesn’t have the stinger-tail associated with wyverns and can breathe fire! This dragon is also purely an animal. It doesn’t have the intelligence or magical/supernatural abilities associated with true dragons or lesser drakes. The fiery breath weapon is nothing more than a controlled, biological, alchemical reaction similar to what the tiny fire beetles back home are capable of. Tobodin says that his race has stories of such beasts in their original home prior to their summons. Xocchi says that her mount’s species is also capable a high-pitched sonic attack while they’re young, before they develop their fire breath. This makes me wonder at the true origin of dragons. Sages back home, those familiar with such things, have noticed similarities between dragons and certain dinosaurs—I wonder, is this is the common ancestor?

I figure that I’ll be ready for travel in a few more days. Magewaste is very resistant to disease-removal magic and if a person survives it, recovery has to be slow and natural as the changes wrought by the disease render the body equally resistant to restoration- and healing magics. Xocchi says that these changes aren’t permanent and will go away shortly.

My thoughts keep returning to my comrades and what happened to them. Were they killed, transported to a new realm in this world (or out of this world, for that matter), or a far worse fate? I need to know. Tobodin just told me that a rumor is coming out of one of the cities that some long-lost princess has suddenly returned to the city. Supposedly, this occurred a few weeks ago. I plan on leaving tomorrow for this city, Tobodin says he’ll guide me to there and Xocchi wants to come along. Her knowledge of the deadlier plants and conditions of Tlacuiltlan could be helpful, given my recent experience with magewaste. I don’t know what the dark forces of this world have in store for me but I intend to at least find out what has happened to my friends.

May the few spirits of goodness in this world guide me safely.

[Tykus]

May 21, 752 BC
Three days! I missed Kysera by three…lousy…days! Tobodin, Xocchi, and I arrived in the city of Xic….

[Tykus]

March 5, 753 BC

Finally! After nearly nine months as a prisoner, I have managed to retrieve my possessions and escape the city of Xican. My last entry was cut short because apparently my inquiries into Kysera, the city’s “lost princess,” weren’t discrete enough and I had attracted the attention of the city’s ruler.

Xican’s population is primarily skarn—a race of reptilian humanoids who generally look human but have spines coming out of their forearms. They are devoted to the ideal of “perfection of form” and have a strong tradition of using incarnum. The faulty teleportation circle had teleported Kysera to this city, dropping her right into the palace’s gardens. With her appearance, the people mistook her to be a mishtai princess (mishtai are the skarn’s progenitor race). Knowing Kysera, she probably enjoyed the attention until the city’s ruler decided to try to marry her (if the stories I’ve heard are true). Whatever transpired between him and Kysera, she fled the city before I arrived.

Tobodin and Xocchi stayed outside the city—both of whom are seen as dangerous by the city’s residents (Tobodin and Xocchi both warned me that they wouldn’t enter, the former due to appearance and the latter due to her companion dragon), so I was on my own. My inquiries into Kysera’s fate led to my arrest. Although I could have (and did) take on several of the militia, I surrendered when it became apparent that I had no way out.
The city’s leader, a male skarn by the name Ikellis Sur, had been humiliated by Kysera’s escape and when word of my inquiries reached him, I was arrested. The confrontation (the first of many) was long and involved. Ikellis was powerful. I could feel his presence in the room. His walk and poise were very measured, like a monk. When my initial “interview” was over, I was thrown into the palace dungeon and tortured. Ikellis kept me around as his plaything for his arena for aggressive ball games and gladiator matches. Ikellis even would occasionally enter the matches. He would always taunt me during our confrontations as he would consistently beat me in every match as his combat prowess exceeded my own.

During my imprisonment, I learned more about meldshaping from a grizzled old man who was pretty much forgotten by Ikellis when I came along. The old man taught me the secret of blademelds (which is surprisingly similar to shaping my mindblade); and, although it took me all this time, it was this training that helped me escape. For some odd reason, Ikellis had kept my possessions together, even this journal. It was easy to see that Ikellis had read my journal. Part of me thinks that I could’ve won my freedom if I defeated him in arena combat, but the point is moot now.

It has been a week since I escaped, heading south—back into the jungle. The skarn patrols long behind me. I had almost forgotten about the morning terrain shifts. Tobodin and Xocchi are long since gone, I guess they had assumed that I died inside Xican. At least Xocchi taught me a few low-tier survival spells for jungles and wastelands. I have no idea of where to find my friends. I’m all alone now.