Crescentia - Return to Darkness

[Never Darktide]

[These will be a little disorganized - recollections from Crescentia's life before the Sword Coast, as well as stuff that actually happens on the server, will be included. If I screw up the latter...sorry to anyone involved. I try.]

Into the front of this halfling-sized journal is written: "If this is found, burn my body and deliver the journal to Candlekeep. Their sages may find something that may help my fellows suffering under the pacts of their ancestors, or at least deliver my family the final closure of my death."

I

I remember it all now, so clearly.

The power of magic unleashed as the blast ripped through my sister, only to be accompanied by the searing pain of my own death. The long wait in the cold plains of Myrkul, hearing my sister's crying voice, as an eternity passed before I knew life again.

And then I left. It's been seven years. I don't even remember the name of that place where we died.

How can the death of one insignificant fool bring such memories into a new light? I used to think it was funny: "Well, I had to leave home because my sister and I accidentally killed each other..." But now where there was laughter, there is only pain.

This is the journal of Crescentia Yushis. I am a warlock of the Sword Coast, suffering under the terms of a demonic pact formed some generations ago. My family all thought I was a freak when my powers manifested not long after my fourteenth birthday, only to see them apparent in my twin sister as well. Has every cursed person of this bloodline hidden their powers so effectively? I wish I knew. I wish I was rid of this forever.

Fortunately, I am not alone. I have met a number of warlocks of varying capacity and motives...although foremost among them is Teo, who has agreed to teach me more formally. His exercises are difficult, especially for me having used my powers without any sense of direction for the last seven years. However, hard work...and much "practice" on the orcs of the Woods of Sharp Teeth...has paid off, and my abilities are not only controllable but grow rapidly.

But the nightmares.

Without the nightmares, there would be no reason to worry. Not long after I arrived here, my dreams shifted from the idyllic recollection of places with no names to hellish fantasies ridden with fire and brimstone. The demon that appears...he is surely the one my ancestor dealt a pact with. And now, he wants into this plane. Through me. I try to understand the words the demon speaks...but it is no use.

Last night was the worst. I felt sick enough after remembering...and then when I tried to sleep, the nightmare was back on a whole new level. The demon had my sister in his grasp, using her as bait, threatening to destroy her soul forever...I did not sleep at all. I simply sat at the fire long after any sane person would have left, staring into it, seeing the image replay over and over in my mind.

Teo has declared that this cannot continue. I want to keep trying to understand the demon...but it is too much of a risk. So now I lay here in the Friendly Arm Inn, my mind warded from the demon's curse, and we will hope, for the first time in two weeks, I will sleep soundly.

[Never Darktide]

II

I witnessed murder today.

Kyran did nothing wrong. He spoke his mind fairly...and he was silenced by an overzealous fool. It is fortunate that he was able to be resurrected...and it is a shame Thedran did not suffer the guillotine for the affront not only to the law, but to his precious Watcher's tenets.

Worse yet, two paladins have already rushed to his defense. I doubt if Aranath would have cared if Thedran had done the deed anywhere but at Candlekeep's gates...and Aerin seemed more concerned about Thedran's internment. Fools. Is the life of a man worth so little when he can be so quickly returned from Myrkul's grasp? The Fist are already unconcerned about the real problems of this realm...and now its guardians will let the law slide to defend one of their precious "heroes"?

I cannot trust them any longer.

I still see Baynarah's face as I look into the fire, though, this third night I spend without the nightmares, I've almost forgotten them.

For the first time in seven years, I wonder if she's still alive. I suppose there's no reason for her not to be, that these dreams are all made up by the demon to take advantage of my paranoia...but I don't know. I suppose that, soon enough, I will know...and be reunited with her, for better or for worse. Perhaps she has surpassed me in power...though I doubt it, for while my time was spent reading, hers was spent helping people and trying to become favored among them. I bet she hasn't even left the village yet...if only I could remember its name...

All shall be known before too long, whether I like it or not.

[Never Darktide]

[The writing on this entry is a bit shaky.]

III

I...am not sure what happened last night.

I woke up staring up at the sun. First thing I realized: splitting headache. Second: I was invisible. I pulled myself up, and realized I was at the kobold ruins. Haven't been there in ages. Either I forgot where I was going to sleep, or I drunk-slept-walked a whole mile. I didn't have any nightmares, so...must've been the sleepwalking. That's a good sign.

I was bored and still completely out of it, so I ended up following a party of adventurers, without being seen of course: a hin thief I once gave a cursed necklace to, another hin who was a fairly good shot with a crossbow (reminded me of Molly, really), yet another hin who was slightly crazy and packing two large swords, a rather grim human, and an oddly silent dwarf. Ended up saving them all from an ambush of bladelings and imps after the dwarf silently ran off and and got himself killed. It felt strangely good. Something tells me it wasn't worth it.

Then I saw Aerin and remembered, sort of. Don't know how seeing her got me to remember. Would've been a shame to forget it all though...

Teo said that there's nothing I can do about my pact except live with it and stop trying to be popular. I don't want to be popular, I just want my word to count for something. Sodding paladins and nobles...

Oddly, I'm looking forward to seeing my sister again soon. Unless she tries to kill me. I know - somehow - she's not dead. I don't know what she's like now...but she's not dead. And knowing that, I think I'll be ready to face the nightmares again.

[Never Darktide]

IV

Apparently I've been getting drunk lately. This would account for the bottles, empty and full, of wyvern whiskey in my pack. I think I'll crack one open now.

[There is a small splatter on the page here.]

Oops. What a waste. Apparently I fought two armies while I was drunk. Kobolds and undead. And I tried to scratch a lich. That can't have gone well.

The headaches are SODDING TERRIBLE. But I guess that's another reason to drink, to get rid of the headaches. ...why am I doing this...

I do remember some elf talking sod to Kaltyra, and something else Kriana or someone said about sticks. Shiny paladin sticks. Those druids are alright.

Still no word on my sister. Kriana tells me I screamed something about a demon as I came out of a drunken coma one night, and I remember waking up in the Cloakwood mines. Sod it. I haven't really been in a state to talk to Teo lately, although I think he saw me once in my state...ugh, like I said, why am I doing this? I guess I'll have to try to remind myself to write again when I'm a bit more inebriated. Try an hour or so.

As for those I may be abandoning: sod 'em. I'm here for myself, I'm not a shepherd or something. Especially considering the people I deal with.

Especially considering my back could be the next one to get stabbed. That is not happening.