A player handout from a campaign I ran...fifteen years ago? Click here for the rhyme referenced in the journal. I'm not going to post a whole lot about this, as I might reuse bits of it in another campaign. Suffice to say, the names are inspired by Glen Cook and the Taken, from the Black Company series.
Journal of Meron
the Gray
14 Sungold
K. has advysed me
to keep a record -- it may be of use someday.
It is not a symple thing we plan, and much can go wrong. He may die, I may die, even Anagai may die --
though it seems unlykely after so long.
She has been an invaluable ayd to us.
I've found a copy
of the orygynal rhyme in the lybrary of M. Duikyar, recorded by some itynerant
mynstrel four or fyve centuries ago.
It's clearly meant to help, though it also rayses more questions than it
truely answers. We know ten were layd
down, but if syx "crossed over", and only three came back, does that
mean there were once thyrteen? Or did
she create three more, to replace those 'unreturned'. Not to mention, where dyd they go, and what
happened to those three? Thys may be the
key we've been looking for.
28 Sungold
K. has no new
thoughts on the rhyme. It's three parts
warning, three parts hynts & klews & ryddles, and four parts
"identyfication". Of the Ten,
three plotted rebellion. Two were
marryed to one another. Three were
syblings. And one was HER heir. But, it says not whych is whych.
23 Frostfall
Whysper.
Shadowkeeper.
Changer.
Who'd have
thought they'd have names so plain? Here
I've been poring over tomes & codexs old enough to crumble into dust in my
hands, and I find them out from a Pelkoti mynstrel, as part of an old
ballad. There's more, something about a
journey to the north, which awakes dysturbing thoughts of the Waste, but my
Pelkoti is poor. I shall need a translator.
25 Frostfall
Damn fate, and
all Pelkoti too! Kylled in a tavern
brawl, drunk as the mouse in the vynter's cellar. Next summer I'll travel there, and fynd out
what I can. Styll, it could be more than
worth it. Syx went over, three came
back? Only three names are mentioned,
and a journey to the north.
R. has sent a
letter. He thynks he's found several of
the tombs. One is not far from
Wynterdell, a second in the Wythyn, and a thyrd outsyde Gaydrylar. Spread across the wydth and breadth of the
Kyngdoms. It must have been a battle
royale in the end -- the survyving Fallen hunted down one by one, and
"sealed in stone & earth".
There is no record of the ones who dyd it, just hearsay. The last of the ilven wyzard-lords from
Illenda allyed wyth the last of the Nekaryan archmages and the cream of the
Ameryte arcani. You'd thynk someone
would've wryt that down.
19 Fyrelyght
R. is dead. K. confyrmed.
27 Fyrelyght
Receyved package
from R., sent before death. One book of
two, thys one relatyng positions of Fallen tombs & traps. Could a more tymely treasure have come into
my hands? Conferred wyth K. & S.,
both agree. Fallen are abroad,at least
two, probably no more than three. Of
utmost urgency that we determyne whych are awake, and whych styll sleep. I journey to Wythyn at earlyest spryng,
investygate the tomb thereyn. Thence
northwards, Wynterdell, Orbar, Gaydrylar.
S. & assocyates investygate other restyngs. Meet wyth K. & S.
19 Ycegleam
I'm being
hunted. Followed. Both.
Magyks uncertayn, unclear, blocked?
Suspect tyme growyng very short.
Dyspatched Tyuk wyth message for K.
Wyll investygate Wythyn tomb.
2 Snowshyne
Date
uncertain. No way to tell time, cantryps
only lyght. Damned fool Y, ambushed,
caught, imprysoned. Captors skeletal,
possyble awakened by Fallen actyvyty?
Have been fed mynymal & poor foods -- they are awaytyng somethyng,
or sometyme? Relygyous rytual
lykely.
14 Snowshyne
Last
myssyve. Skeletons (ancyent pryests of
Urjyn), have brought in second captive.
Sharpenyng knyves, preparyng for sacryfyce. Fayrly certayn of date, holy day of Lord of
Plague in a day.
Been revyewyng
what I know. Names:
Whysper
Shadowkeeper
Changer
Haunt
Deathshaper
Cryer
Six of ten. Use-names.
Knowledge of truenames key.
Whysper one of three survyvors of the journey. Haunt is a woman.
I had a vysyon of
a shyp, a journey. Umoth-fyre rose on my
wynterhand, set on my summerhand. I was
met by a dwarf, and shown a great gate.
Beyond the gate was a forest, and sylver icycles hung from the trees. Three corpses were hung from the trees. Theyr hearts pyerced by sylver icycles.
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