Category: RPG

alt.shadowrun.history – Genetic Anomalies and Purity

Dennis December 18, 2013 1 Comment

Psionics
Just after the eruption of the super volcano underneath Yellowstone in March 2021, a rare few people started to experience what can only be described as telekinetic powers; able to move small objects by will alone. The world’s attention was focused on the ecological and humanitarian disaster happening all along the Pacific rim, so for a long time the chatter about these new psionicists was dismissed as a hoax.

Eventually, when most of the chaos had died down and enough supporting evidence had been gathered, people finally started to take this phenomenon seriously. On October 7th, 2028 several large universities and other bio-medical institutions held a joint press conference to confirm the existence of psionics and release what little knowledge had been gained since their first appearance in 2021.

Publicly, not much is known about what causes psionics to manifest, nor is it understood how it works or why psionics seems to be limited to simple telekinetics. The debate is ongoing about whether this will be all there is, or whether the future holds more diverse and more powerful psionics in store for humanity. So far, careful conclusions are correlations are being drawn between the emergence of psionics and the global climate shift. Some say it’s the next step in human evolution, brought on by great hardship. Others maintain it’s likely a mutation on a genetic level caused by severe pollution. And then there are a wide range of other theories, ranging from the fantastical to the downright bizarre.

Metahumanity
Shortly after the confirmation of the existence of psionics, more and more cases of mild congenital anomalies were reported in new-born children all over the world. Initially overlooked as achondroplasia, acromegaly and other common genetic defects and mutations, it took over a decade of research to determine that these were entirely new and distinct mutations in the human genome. Four new, basic human genotypes were eventually discovered to exist along side the common homo sapiens sapiens. These new “races,” for lack of a better word, were being born to homo sapiens sapiens parents indiscriminately and while rare, enough cases were available for study and eventually some careful conclusions on the characteristics of each were reached.

Homo Sapiens Pumilionis
The homo sapiens pumilionis is found to be a much shorter and slightly stockier than sapiens. Their muscle density rivals that of some lizards, leading to elevated strength and constitution. They also seemed to be far more resistant to toxins and pollution and because these were some of the first cases discovered and researched, they gave birth to the theory that they were the result of an over-exposure of one or both of the parents to pollution. This could never be verified, but the rumour has persisted and has come to include all other new sapiens genotypes.

The pumilionis is commonly referred to as “stunts” or “squats” for their stunted and squat appearance, on average standing only 140cm tall, but weighing in disproportionately heavier than that. Some human rights groups have taken issue to the vulgar names, but research has shown that the majority of the pumilionis don’t take issue to the names.

Homo Sapiens Nobilis
Homo sapiens nobilis is a rare genotype whose exotic physical characteristics have made them instantly popular in the media. They are slender and agile and generally stand a little taller than sapiens, at an average of 190cm tall, without sacrificing any of the muscle and bone density. Their faces are somewhat longer, their features somewhat finer and their eyes are generally a little larger, making them quite pleasing to the eye. Research has also indicated that they have a slightly elevated chance to show signs of psionics, with 1,43 out of every 100 people being psionically active, a slight jump over the 1,09 out of every 100 people for the rest of the sapiens.

All in all, this has lead to an overactive media attention being focused on the “exalts”, as they have become known, something which exalt rights group have encouraged. Their popularity have set them apart from the other new genotypes who, unlike exalts, have had to deal with much more bias and negative stereotyping.

Homo Sapiens Robustus
The homo sapiens robustus is the most common of the genotypes, and are often referred to as “crudes”. They derive their vulgar name from their bulkier build, high strength and strong facial features. Often sporting smaller eyes, a stronger brow and slightly broader noses than humans.

Another distinction that has earned them their name is that their scores on mental aptitude tests have consistently averaged lower than sapiens, while stunts and exalts didn’t show any signs of mental deficiencies. This has lead to some ugly stereotypes of crudes being strong but dumb, an idea that the Organisation for Highly Gifted Crudes, a sub-division of Mensa International, is trying to change. Statistics suggest that the average crude IQ, adjusted for age and nationality, around 93.

Apart from their physical and mental characteristics, there’s one more thing that sets crudes apart from the other genotypes, and that is that the fertility rate for female crudes is generally elevated, with a higher degree of multiple births than women of other genotypes.

Homo Sapiens Ingentis
Lastly, the homo sapiens ingentis stands much taller, averaging at 240cm in height and reaching truly staggering heights of 320cm. They are much stronger, and much hardier than the other genotypes, even the crudes, but unfortunately they suffer from an even worse form of mental deficiency with their average adjusted IQ’s hovering around 89.

Their stature being what it is, with their weight generally hovering around 150kg, many people feel intimidated by them. Studies show that people consider the ingentis to be so alien to most others that people have a hard time showing compassion for them. It has lead to people calling them “titans” and being more prone to treating them as something not human. Social isolation is common for titans, compounded by the fact that they are the least numerous of the genotypes. This is partly due to the difficult pregnancy that mothers have to endure, which has lead to a higher number of titan pregnancies being terminated before coming to term.

Homo Sapiens Sapiens
The remainder of the people are just plain humans, which is why media dubbed them “plains” or “regulars” when talking about the distinction.

	Population	Average height	Average weight
Plains	72%	175cm	80kg
Stunts	8%	140cm	65kg
Exalts	5%	190cm	85kg
Crudes	12%	180cm	110kg
Titans	3%	240cm	140kg

The Genetic Purity Council
A vocal minority, the most influential of which is the Genetic Purity Council (GPC), is afraid that psionics will destroy the fabric of society. They believe that the emergence of psionics is the result of deviant mutations in the human genome, brought on by pollution and lifestyle. The group claims to have proof of the existence of more powerful psionicists and that governments and corporations are actively using these psionicists to subjugate the rest of society. They have yet to release the evidence but have managed to use the claim to gain a political foothold.

As a result, their lobbying power is significant and their viewpoints are often seen and heard on different news networks, some of which are known GPC-sympathisers. Politically, they are gaining support among the poor and rural as they appeal to the disenfranchised. This has lead to widespread bigotry and occasional violence aimed at psionicists, especially exalt psionicists, since they are often seen as elitist, even without their added psionic abilities.

Their stance on the different human genotypes is much softer, which some argue is disingenuous when analysing their overall message. They claim to promote compassion for the “mutant” because “it” can’t help being an abomination and aberration. The GPC has labeled their research into the eradication of mutations top priority, citing their “inevitable achievement” as “the single greatest medical and social achievement since eradicating polio and women voting rights.”

While the GPC distances themselves from attacks on psionicists and “mutants”, top ranking and influential GPC members have been known to privately fund and support “vigilantism”.

Advanced Psionics
Of course, the GPC isn’t entirely off-base with their claims. Of the small amount of people capable of tapping into their psionic abilities a small subset of those individuals have shown nearly limitless potential.

The existence of people with advanced psionics (AdPsi) has remained a closely guarded secret. Governments, corporations and groups like the GPC eagerly pursue the recruitment and acquisition of such individuals and most people that show signs of AdPsi mysteriously disappear.

Over the years, several “extensive” and “thorough” investigations have been done into the existence of AdPsi, but the repetitive conclusions meant that the search by all but the most dedicated truth-seekers and skeptics has been halted. Carefully planned responses to claims of the existence of AdPsi have resulted in public ridicule and dismissal, so the people who believe in AdPsi have become as secretive about their beliefs as the people with AdPsi abilities have become about their abilities.

Every once in a while, an incident that defies explanation will come to light, which leads to a flurry of speculation in the media. People caught on camera showing extraordinary feats of strength and agility will often cause a bump in Matrix-searches on AdPsi abilities and lead to week long discussions in the chat-rooms in the deepest recesses of the Matrix.

People willing to show off their ability to levitate, ignite materials, read thoughts or turn invisible are highly sought after by news organisations because it will inevitably cause a bump in attention. Ultimately, these people either have to recant their statements, turn out to be hoaxes or disappear altogether.

But in the end, a whole host of footage has been collected of unexplained AdPsi phenomena, and some believe it will eventually lead to the revelation that AdPsi is real and their practitioners have been there all along. This keeps the conversation going and while governments, corporations and the GPC are trying to scrub the Matrix of these rumours, they have been unsuccessful at that particular game of whack-a-mole. But that doesn’t mean they’re not trying.

alt.shadowrun.history – The Yellowstone Caldera

Dennis November 28, 2013 1 Comment

The eruption of the Yellowstone super-volcano and the collapse of the 30 by 75 miles wide caldera underneath was something geologists and climatologists had been dreading for over a century. When it finally blew on March 3rd, 2021, it set off a chain reaction of earthquakes and eruptions throughout the Pacific Northwest. It didn’t take long before the San Andreas fault line was destabilised and the destruction continued along the Pacific rim, causing massive eruptions of volcanoes and igniting the Ring of Fire. It would take more than a decade before the eruptions finally abated and the Ring of Fire calmed down again.

The ecological and economic impact was enormous. The initial eruption in Yellowstone covered about half of North America in a four foot thick layer of ash. Roughly 600 cubic miles of material was belched into the atmosphere. The aquifers and lands of the worst hit states and provinces were so polluted that they could no longer actively sustain human life and the influx of refugees caused enormous civil unrest in remaining states and provinces. Food and water shortages lead to riots, pollution and radiation sickness lead to overcrowded hospitals.

Politically, both the United States and Canada were in turmoil. During the initial eruption, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) mistakenly issued an alert of a possible nuclear missile attack from an unknown source. The president of the United States and the prime minister of Canada, and their respective cabinets, were moved to Peterson Air Force Base and secured in the Cheyenne Mountain nuclear bunkers near Colorado Springs, Colorado. Essentially flying towards the area that would soon be worst hit. The electro-magnetic wave that was discharged in the initial explosion and the subsequent shockwaves that followed for weeks interrupted communications with the base and most of Colorado was lost in the wake of the disaster.

By the time the situation had been put somewhat under control, different political groups had jockeyed to fill the power vacuum that was created by the loss of both cabinets. This lead to several southern states seceding and forming the Confederate American States (CAS) on September 22nd, 2021. The rest of the United States and Canada, with the exception of Quebec, which formed an independent state, politically joined to form the United Canadian and American States (UCAS) on February 17th, 2022.

Due to the huge quantities of ash being belched into the atmosphere during the eruption, super storms started to ravage the western part of North America. This left only the coastline of Washington and Oregon as well as large parts of California, habitable. Seattle, Portland and Vancouver joined up with the UCAS while California decided for independence, being the least hit state on the Western coast. Later they would negotiate a treaty with Japan in return for protection from the sabre-rattling from Aztlan to the south.

Refugees were being evacuated from the uninhabitable wastelands of the western part of North America as fast as possible. The frequent earthquakes, numerous irradiated zones and freak storms claimed countless lives. A quarantined zone (QZ) was established and the roads and airspace to and from it became heavily guarded. Riots erupted along the border of the QZ as people tried to enter it to search for lost loved ones. The military brutally quashed the riots and congress passed decisive laws governing the QZ and access to it.

The refugees that made it out of the fire ended up in the frying pan. The cities closest to the quarantined zone quickly became overcrowded. Seattle, Portland and Vancouver were the only cities outside of the Californian cities to survive on the west coast and their habitable land was severely diminished, creating claustrophobic and dense urban areas.

The devastation reached right up to Seattle’s borders, locking them in between the Pudget Sound and the quarantined zone. When Mount Rainier erupted, Puyallup got covered in ash and slag all the way up to South Hill, turning the lush and fertile district into a barren nightmare unfit for habitation. The rest of the districts got so overcrowded that some people, mostly refugees and SINless, took a risk and moved into the wastelands of Puyallup.

Vancouver faced similar conditions as Seattle. When Portland was lost after an outbreak of VITAS, the lieutenant governor of British Columbia immediately instituted martial law. Laws were quickly passed for the Seattle and Vancouver exclaves to have increased law enforcing authority to deal with civil unrest.

Pollution is rampant, cities are overcrowded, nutritious food is scarce and clean water is expensive. VITAS outbreaks occur with a frightning regularity. As a result, health care is only available to those who can afford it. All of this has lead to continued civil unrest.

Wars are being waged over the remaining arable land as countries scramble to provide food for their citizens. Europe, Africa and Central Asia are least hit by the catastrophe and most of the food production comes out of these regions. South America is faring better than most along the pacific rim due to the rain forests’ surprising resilience to the pollution.

Corporations are making considerable profits supplying one or more of the many waring governments and factions with the arms and technology to keep fighting, most notably Ares Macrotechnology and Saeder-Krupp. Agricultural technology is also big business, competed over by Aztechnology, Evo Corporation and Shiawase Corporation.

The fierce competition is presided over by the Corporate Court, a group made up of representatives of each of the AAA-megacorporations that owns the Zurich-Orbital Gemeinschaftsbank. Conflicts between the corporations are resolved by the court according to an extensive set of treatise set up between its members. On rare occasion the court doles out retribution against a corporation that has crossed the line. The threat of this retribution keeps all of the corporations in line, but that doesn’t mean corporations don’t fight their fights in the shadows.

alt.shadowrun.x

Dennis October 10, 2013 No Comments

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been working on a concept for an alternate Shadowrun campaign that I’ll probably get to run somewhere early 2014. Right now, most of the fruits of this labour are a bunch of small disconnected documents with ideas in it, which I’m going to try and expand upon and post here as consistent campaign setup.

Currently, I have no working title just yet, but it’s going to be a non-canon, unconventional Shadowrun campaign in which the fantasy humanity meta-types (orcs, trolls, dwarves, elves) have been replaced by different types of human mutations and magic has been limited to sorcery and physical adepts and changed to psionics. This, of course, has radical consequences for the history, so I’ll supply an alternate history as well.

Another change is that we’ll start transitioning from SR3 to SR4, mostly in the hope to utilise the new hacker/rigger rules. As a result, the year will likely be 2070 or so, but with the alternate history, it won’t really matter much.

Tilverton

Dennis September 22, 2013 No Comments

Day 7, Ride 3, Month 5, 1372 DR

Because one our shadow-cloaked assailants got away and others might have still been around, we decided to stay awake through the rest of the night. We searched the remains of the attackers and I found a necklace with a circular pendant, its outer ring purple, the rest filled by black. I felt it had a religious importance, but no matter how much I tried to recollect if I had seen the image somewhere before, I couldn’t dig it up. The rest was as clueless as I was. I decided to hold on to it, which, upon further reflection now, may not have been the best idea. There is no way of knowing whether a symbol of an obviously evil and dreadful god didn’t somehow hold some sway over us.

We covered up the traces of our camp but left the fire burning in the hopes it would distract any other, would-be assailants. We made another, fireless camp several hundred yards down the road and we tried to get some rest. When the sun started to come up, I prepared breakfast while the others inspected the body of the assailant we had taken with us. Of all of them, this one was the least mutilated after battle, although his forehead was caved in by my hammer, it was clear he was just a normal human, albeit with a strange, ashen grey skin. He was wearing clothing that seemed not of this time. Old, ancient even, and ceremoniously pompous-looking. The only real armour he wore was an archaic looking breastplate that Ebon decided to take along with him, probably because it looked expensive. Ebon also lifted a small purse off the man, which held strange coins made from various metals.

When the sun was at its zenith we no longer held the Spiderhaunt Woods to our rightand we moved into the southern tip of the Desertmouth Mountains. I went off trail and found a stream of fresh water for our horses to take some rest.

At the end of the afternoon we reached the top of the mountains from where our view offered us the ability to start plotting our next course. We decided to give the horses some more rest after the arduous climb and found a good, sheltered place with a good vantage point up as well as down the road. I took the first few hours of watch while the others slept. The wind picked up and howled through the valleys. Akadi was with us that evening. The night went by without incident.

Day 8, Ride 3, Month 5, 1372 DR

The following day was windy and chilly. Without too much ceremony we broke up camp and continued travel. I remarked that Akadi would be with us that day and Abel responded with ignorance and derision. He shall have to make his way through life without the gods.

The landscape changed when we reached lower ground. We had to make our way through small canyons and crevices. I’ve been very lucky in finding fresh water for us and the horses, and for that I gave thanks that day.

At a certain point my companions pointed off in the distance toward an onrushing sandstorm. I remarked that this what you get when denying the existence of Akadi, and Abel continued his blasphemy. As if in my element, I quickly found shelter for us. I covered Stygos in several of my blankets and tried to keep him calm.

Ebon’s horse panicked and ran out into the storm. Two hours later, when we had ridden out the storm, the first out of Abel’s mouth was a snide, blasphemous comment. Remarkably, Ebon’s horse was still alive, but barely. It took hours getting Ebon’s horse up and walking again. We moved slowly, but we moved.

Hours later, we came upon a city — the city from my vision! The darkness I had seen was there, too, writhing and moving constantly. It was a horrifying image, even more so than in my vision.

Ebon and Thorim spotted a group of people close to the city. It was likely they had seen us as well, but we thought it prudent to make camp and investigate the following day. The fear was that the people would be hostile to us. The watch remained uneventful and we awoke without incident the following morning.

Day 9, Ride 3, Month 5, 1372 DR

During breakfast Ebon revealed he had spied on the camp outside Tilverton and counted less than a dozen campfires. Abel started diguising himself quite convincingly with Ebon’s help. I asked what the likelihood was that he would be recognised and he said he didn’t think it likely. He also thought it unlikely there would be any repercussions for us if he would be recognised, something which Thorim clearly didn’t believe. He also revealed that Abel Silver wasn’t his real name. Something I hadn’t ever considered before.

We carefully headed towards the city and spotted Cormyrian banners. Ebon decided to scout ahead and spotted between thirty to fourty people, mostly soldiers but also sages and wizards. The darkness in the city was deep and eerie.

We were met by a group of purple dragons, which is what Cormyrian knights call themselves, apparently. They asked our business and ended up escorting us to their commander when we told them we were investigating the happenings on order of Lord Morn of Daggerdale. Their commander turned out to be a woman by the name of Caladnei. She was very serious and none too happy with our presence or our attitudes. Well, mostly my attitude. She rubbed me the wrong way, so instinctively started mouthing off, something I regret doing now.

She and hers had been there for a ride and had sent several excursions into the city, only to have the troops return mad and gibbering. She claimed no form of magic was capable of working close to the city, and when I tried the simplest of prayers, Abaddon never responded!

The discussion didn’t prove to be too fruitful but we gave the items we lifted from the ashen men that attacked us. I asked after Heron but nobody knew about him or had spotted someon resembling his description. Ebon managed to swap his horse out with another while Abel and I put our ear to the ground, but unfortunately we both came up empty.

Leaving, Just Leaving

Dennis September 15, 2013 No Comments

Day 4, Ride 3, Month 5, 1372 DR

Much later than desired, we finally hit the Tethyamar trail with Thorim in our company. I was glad to put Dagger Falls behind us and finally set out. We were wished a safe travel by the guards at the ford as we waded through the cold waters and as if wanting to hammer the very point of my departure home, they called me “Lord Leman.” Unfortunately, as soon as we set out we got waylaid.

Just outside of town we found a group of farmers, surrounding a body of a man laying in a ditch along side the road. The body belonged to a guard, one of the Freedom Riders. After other Freedom Riders arrived, they confirmed him to be a guard stationed to the south, at Anathar’s Dell. A quick look at the body it appeared he had been attacked from behind and stabbed to death; several to the back, one to the throat. None of the farmers had seen anything, having just found him here in the early morning. A quick search of the surroundings also didn’t reveal anything, which didn’t surprise me. He hadn’t been jumped by brigands, the wounds were too precise. Nobody with the skill to wield a blade with that accuracy would be so careless as to leave clear traces for us to follow.

The decision didn’t come easily, but I felt it had to be done and ultimately I let Abaddon decide whether the situation warranted it, so I tried communicating with the departed.

The Rite of Selection is an ancient tradition in the priesthood, usually performed right after a large battle. The fulgurator, or “he who reads the signs in lightning”, would sift through the detritus of battle, bringing a merciful death to those who were suffering needlessly, binding the wounds of those who endured and looking for signs of great endurance and struggle. A good fulgurator could read the signs of war, could find a fallen warrior surrounded by a heap of dead enemies and follow Abaddon’s guidance to finding a worthy disciple. The fulgurator would kneel at the body, lay it on its back, open their eyes to the heavens and place their weapon back into their hands and ask Abaddon for communion. In a few questions, the fulgurator would confirm whether or not he read the signs correctly, whether the warrior could and would be a son to Abaddon.

This isn’t the way I thought my first communion would be. Then again, I’m an archon, not a fulgurator. I don’t have the patience that my mentor Heron had. I am a filthy mercenary at the core, not a teacher and sheppard. No lordly title nor an expensive horse under my arse will ever make me forget that. I was never meant to perform the Selection, but it gladdens me to know that Abaddon will allow me to do so, perhaps in the future. I was also somewhat surprised and overjoyed that Abaddon blessed this act when performed on the dead guard. I decided to take it as a sign.

Communion with the dead guard was a powerful and dreadful experience the likes of which I am unable to put down in my journal. Every time I think I have found a way to describe the sensation the words come out wrong and I tear up the page. Instead, I will simply note what it was that I found out; the guard was sent from Anathar’s Dell to Dagger Falls, in order to warn Lord Morn that Tilverton had fallen. He was stopped by a man with a dark cloak and hood and attacked from the rear by a similarly dressed man with a knife. He also mentioned the two men wore a circle on their clothing, which I have interpreted to mean that it was a symbol of some sort. Sifting through my knowledge of regional mercenary bands, I came up empty, and there are too many priestly orders that use the circle to represent themselves.

We decided to return to Dagger Falls and speak to Lord Morn. He was shocked and immediately requested us to depart for Cormyr and investigate the situation. It has struck me as troubling that now that we were part of the noble peerage of Daggerdale that there no longer was any talk about compensation, no talk about recompense. He phrased it as a “request” but used his lordly voice to command us into going. I didn’t like it, but since we were heading in the direction of Tilverton anyway, we decided to accept the charge.

When we returned back to claim the body of the dead Freedom Rider, the other guards had since recovered his horse, which had been standing somewhere off in the distance. Before bagging the body and placing it upon his horse, I performed the second part of the Rite of Selection, which I was fairly confident Abaddon would grant me at that point; the preservation. After the communion was over and the fallen warrior had accepted the Lightning Lord’s offer of ressurrection in His service, the body would need to be healed and preserved. There is probably a more dogmatic reason for the preservation, but I always thought that a newly resurrected son of Abaddon wouldn’t be so happy with a rotting corpse as a living shell. So with Abaddon’s blessing, the body wouldn’t whither and decay for a while, giving us enough time to return him home to Anathar’s Dell without him stinking up the place.

The weather turned wonderfully foul, with thick rain clouds rolling in overhead and my spirits were lifted considerably as Abaddon smiled down on me. I had done well that day.

Later that day we arrived at the Ruse’s Mage at Blackswitch and found it packed to the gills. We managed to snag the last two rooms and after giving the stable boy my instructions to care for the horses but to leave the body bag untouched, I spent a while praying on a hillock overlooking the village pond. It’s the same hillock where I’ve prayed everytime I’ve been to Blackswitch. It’s the hillock where I decided to invest some of my earned gold and look for a suitable horse, which eventually lead me to my trusty Stygos. I’m fond of that hillock for reasons I can’t quite put into words. After prayer, I went back inside the inn and ordered to mugs of black foam and peeled my soaking wet clothes off. While the inn was busy, it was filled with locals with locals fleeing the rain and no travellers we could ask about the situation down south. After food and plenty of drink, I went up to go and sleep. The only entertainment in the room by that point was Thorim recounting stories I had already heard or was part of. Bah.

Day 5, Ride 3, Month 5, 1372 DR

It was still dark outside when I woke up from a disturbing dream. I had seen Heron riding a horse in dusty, rocky hills I didn’t recognise. I also saw a fair sized city I didn’t know, which, upon reflection, could well have been Tilverton. A strange darkness descended from overhead and started to envelop the city and shroud it in blackness. I opened the window and stood and stared out into the turbulent darkness while Thorim was still snoring away in his bunk. My meditation was broken hours later when Abel walked in to wake us up. Morning had come.

Before heading down, I kicked Thorim’s bed with enough force to receive some signs of life. Downstairs I gave Delward the universal sign of food. He brought food. Abel was quiet and annoying. I felt good due to the thunderous weather, but I had so much on my mind that I kept to myself. After breakfast we unceremoniously departed and headed back down the Tethyamar.

At the end of the day we reached Anathar’s Dell and we headed straight for the Freedom Riders’ garrison to return the body of their fallen brother. The last time we were here I remember they had elves astride large hunting cats, but this time I didn’t see any as we rode in, probably hiding from Abaddon’s blessed storm.

When we delivered the body to the garrison we got a disturbing report that Tilverton had disappeared in its entirety. The tale sounded fantastical and without too much merrit, but it did coincide with the dream I had the previous night. I was so distrubed by this that I went to talk to Abel in his cottage after we had taken lodgings at the Anathar Arms. I told him about my dream and his mind being obviously more keen than mine started to try and make sense of it all. His conclusion was as fantastical as the story about Tilverton’s disappearance, and one that I will only share with you, the reader, once two conditions are met; first, we need a little more proof and second, I need to actually understand it in order to convey it you.

Day 6, Ride 3, Month 5, 1372 DR

Disappointed of not having been granted another vision, I woke up to calm weather. Had the weather previously picked up and acted as a messenger, delivering Abaddon’s vision to me? Or had the weather died down to show me that I was heading down the wrong path? A fulgurator would have known how to interpret the signs. I need Heron now more than I ever did before.

I visited the Brightblade clan’s smith, an old greybeard that had done some work on my armour when I was here last. He remembered me. My thought was to invest my money into getting an upgrade in armour; I would rather have my back shattered by plate armour than by a sack of coins. Unfortunately, the greybeard didn’t have anything that suited my needs or fit my body, which was unfortunate, but it was good to practice my stale Dethek when talking to him.

Halfway into our day we stumbled upon a merchant of homestead utensils and non-perishable foods. He told us about the turbulent state Cormyr is in. He didn’t pass Tilverton because “the stonelands” were beset by savage raiders. We stocked up on food and moved on. He had three guards, so he was obviously making good money selling food. Delward at the Ruse’s Mage had said that the harvest would be a bad one this year, meaning food supplies would be low. The merchant was a war profiteer. I hate those. May the people of the dale persevere through that type of opportunism.

We made camp off the trail and spent the night under the stars for the first time in a long while. Roland no longer being around, food wasn’t as good as the last time, which is why I invested in bringing good food along. I caught first watch, which went by uneventfully.

At the tail-end of the second watch I was woken up because Abel’s silly pet cat had spotted something approaching camp. It all went very fast but four or five humanoid creatures, clad in dark… armaments, cloaked in the essence of darkness itself, attacked us. We defeated them with overwheleming force and not too many problems. I was trying to reason with them but they wouldn’t listen. After the battle, Abel remarked how they resembled the shade who took the orbs from us at the Teshford Arms all those weeks ago. He also remarked aloud whether the darkness didn’t have something to do with my vision. He was finding more evidence to support his theory. We’re not there yet, and I certainly don’t understand what’s going on, but soon I will have to write down what Abel thinks is happening.