Saul,
Thou art in the desert north of the city of Malmuk. I hath determined that the last incarnation of the golgatta has been reactivated – which is why it took the cult so little time to make it function. I hath discovered some vague references that lead me to believe that this ancient golgatta was created somewhere in this region. I am hoping that you will be able to discover more specifics about its location and weaknesses in the great library of the city. If the scenery does not look familiar thou art correct you are currently south of the kingdom of Aperia in the land of Kadar – the lands of fate.
I hath scryed on Fain and your brave dwarf friend, Tap and they doth seem to be fairing well. Take heart that you will be able to destroy or dismantle the golgatta and free them.
Serindea
Agradon 23, 1213
Last night there were bright lights north of the city – the people in the village were quite scared. The harvest is approaching and the priests claimed that it was a sign of the gods displeasure at the lack of sacrifice and would mean a poor harvest. Hopefully the gods are more merciful but incase I will begin to put an extra allocation of wheat into storage.
Zaese 9, 1213
It has been a while since I have written. There are strange tales coming from the lands to the north. Rumors of creatures from the sky and mass enslavements. We have seen many people fleeing – they have been ½ starved and we have had trouble with them stealing food. The harvest has been fairly normal but we are all nervous because the river level has dropped steadily and is now at the lowest level that anyone has seen. The priests keep calling for sacrifice to appease the gods, I fear if things get worse there will be much killing.
Zaese 27, 1213
A distant cousin from the north came to our home today. He said that his family had been taken by the sky creatures. He had fought them and was knocked out and escaped by crawling north for days. He was torn and bloody – lending credence to his claim. I did not know what we could do for him – the river has completely dried up and we have turned to digging wells and have been lucky to find water.
Cenai 31, 1213
I had to ask the cousin to leave for his own safety – the priests were eyeing him as a good candidate for sacrifice – being an outsider. The trickle of refugees has stopped. My family is doing better than most because of the extra food we stored. We have to keep it secret – Jamil’s family was stoned to death by a mob – accused of hoarding food. The priests were gleeful at the deaths. Malatha has asked me to leave – to go further south.
Jwinver 8, 1213
Everyone has been having headaches for days and several people have said that they are better if they walk north. We have tried to leave – walking south but the pain became to great. If I had listened to Malatha earlier we would have been gone by now. I fear we must die or walk northward to face the skyfareres.
Kaleal Ibn Mirza, Salduil, Gwarea 4, 1527
Of the seven I sent north only Zarif, Uwais and Ranon returned. I grieve for the lost of the other but we have learned something as well. I feared mostly for the mages but it appears they are most suited to resisting the call of the skylords. Sorrow is heaped upon sorrow for their news is worse than we believed. They found the is a massive construct in the desert north of the dead city of Malmuk. It seems all the cities in the north have submitted to the skylords and are slaves to their will. The mages captured and interrogated a slave – and they discerned that the skylords fiercely guard an area deep in the heart of the complex. I will take these findings to the council and recommend we send a small group to try and enter the complex itself and gain more knowledge in the hopes of finding the source of their power.
May Fate guide and guard you,
Erol Ibn Dekel
Kaleal Ibn Mirza, Pakduil, Ysana 27, 1527
As-Salaam aleikum. Our scouts report a great army approaches from the north headed straight for us. It appears that our constant raids have gained their attention. We will be sending the four who call themselves the wind of the desert to strike at the heart of the keep while the skyfarer’s attention is on the battle. Everyone knows that this is a great risk but hopefully fate will smile upon us and grant us success. We could choose to do nothing and die or choose to fight and die – the decision was easy. I hope to write again soon to tell you of our victory.
May Fate grant you every blessing,
Erol Ibn Dekel
Kaleal Ibn Mirza,
Fate has spun a web of celebration and sorrow. Our warriors and the army of the skyfarer’s clashed upon the dunes of Casandrea and the ground was red with blood. Erol asked the battle captains to draw the fighting out for as long as they could to give the wind enough time to enter the citadel and discover and destroy the source of the skyfarer’s power. We have fought them for three weeks and drawn them further and further south – away from their base. On the 23rd day of battle as the afternoon sun blazed down upon us and our swords grew heavy a sudden silence spread across the field as most of our opponents stopped fighting – arms dropping to their sides as if they were puppets with their strings cut. Those who had been dominated by the skyfarers woke from their possession and many fled the field while others joined our army and turned on their former masters. We fought northward to the skyfarer’s citadel destroying those who stood against us. When we reached the outskirts of the city surrounding the stronghold of the citadel the ground shook and a wave of earth and rock rolled outward and over friend and foe. A rumble filled the air and we looked up and saw a glittering ship rising into the sky. In the aftermath we saw that many of our warriors and much of the city and the citadel had been swallowed up by the desert. We gathered our injured and buried our dead for the long march back. Our rejoicing at our victory was tempered by the cost. So many had died in the battle but many were freed and although they could never take the place of our friends and family they were made welcome in our cities and towns. I am saddened to tell you that my father’s body was found. I had hoped that he would be found alive but it was not Fate’s plan. We face a great challenge rebuilding our lives after this war but we will at least be free.
Your Obedient Cousin,
Rana Bint Erol