Today I ventured to the Crux Ansata Jhelom office whereupon I found the Lady Danica, who appeared deep in thought. After greeting her, she spoke of having a lead on Bellatrix Adhara that she wanted checked out. I was sent off the Shrine of Chaos in Ilshenar to meet with ‘Him’ for more information.
Upon arriving at the shrine, more or less in one piece, I almost missed a miserly little Leprechaun that seemed to be waiting for something or someone. This Leprechaun, Quinn, snapped at me to leave as he was indeed waiting for someone, someone who was enslaving creatures across various lands. After a bit of coaxing, Quinn admitted he was a broken spirit, wishing for his demise, but fearful of what lay beyond. To my surprise, he asked if I would help him prepare for death, and requested that I bring him several items which he required to complete his goal. After returning with the items he sought, he agreed to help me and sent me to Moonglow to speak with a man who was also broken. The man would be found near a large telescope. On my way out of the shrine, I passed by a few others whom Danica had sent for the same purpose.
I quickly recalled to Moonglow, under the assumption that the man Quinn had spoken of was the astronomer, Selcius. When I approached Selcius, I noticed he seemed quite distressed. He told me that Bellatrix had paid him a visit and had demanded an old book that had long been hidden away. He explained that the book was in fact an old school journal, but he was unsure why she wanted it so badly. When questioned about Bellatrix’s schooling, Selcius became even more agitated and started screaming that it was his fault, that he had taught her magic as a child. Calming down some, he explained that Bellatrix Adhara was Danica’s sister and that her real name was actually Charlotte Amandine. He explained that Bellatrix had been troubled and hated Danica for a reason unknown to him. Asking about the journal, Selcius told me it was in his home, just south of the telescope by which we were currently standing. I bid the astronomer farewell and left to take a look at the journal Bellatrix had wanted so badly. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived, there wasn’t much left of the book, save for a few sheets of ash and a location: Claudia’s Cave.
On my way back to ask Selcius about the cave, I ran into SunWolf, one of the others also investigating the lead Danica had spoken of. To my relief, SunWolf knew of the location of the cave and we ventured there together. A quick look around yielded only half a journal page which simply stated: Collecting Memories, Next To Find Flint And Christine!” Once again confused by the clue, I turned to SunWolf for answers. He spoke of a grave or memorial of sorts and we were once again on our way, now working together to solve this puzzle.
Sure enough, we found another note at the memorial site. Bellatrix knew we were following her and Cromwell was her next target. A search of the Cromwell estate resulted in two more notes. One speaking of memories as powerful weapons, the other was the question “At What Tavern Does The Serpent Rest? At What X Do The Lines Meet?” While I was making notes on what we’d found, SunWolf and I were joined by Maiya Al Khadir and Celes. Together as a small group we left for the Serpent’s Cross Tavern.
Everything at the tavern seemed to be in place with the exception of a Chaos Shield that had been placed out front. An etching found on the shield was yet another clue to follow: “A Sign Of Chaos To Mark Your Way, Its Master Was Far Greater Than Any Of You!” After spending a few minutes brainstorming as to the meaning of the etching, and checking out a few possible locations, we decided to try Lord Blackthorn’s Castle.
Stopping to look at the memorial for the fallen Lord in the castle gardens, the group came across the last of the notes Bellatrix would leave for us. This note was more a threat than anything else, stating: “No More Clues, No More Games. Your Memories Are Mine And Your Doom Assured!” This seemed to be a dead end, until SunWolf noticed a Bird of Paradise sitting on the nearby hedges. The bird, at the same time reminding me of one of my favourite poems, hinted that “…the Lord saw her rise in a book… Yes, a book, inside, inside…” Following the hint, we checked out the library on the second floor and came across a small, dusty tome. The tome spoke of how a girl would be born, the darker half of a pair. She would kill her parents and hate her sister. She would pass into myth but return with memories past. She would wreck the world under the banner of Chaos. The sisters cannot be parted from the world alone.
What can this mean?
Faeryl Tyr'athem
Knight Lieutenant of the Crux Ansata
With much help provided by SunWolf, Maiya Al Khadir & Celes, without whom this report would not be possible.
Upon arriving at the shrine, more or less in one piece, I almost missed a miserly little Leprechaun that seemed to be waiting for something or someone. This Leprechaun, Quinn, snapped at me to leave as he was indeed waiting for someone, someone who was enslaving creatures across various lands. After a bit of coaxing, Quinn admitted he was a broken spirit, wishing for his demise, but fearful of what lay beyond. To my surprise, he asked if I would help him prepare for death, and requested that I bring him several items which he required to complete his goal. After returning with the items he sought, he agreed to help me and sent me to Moonglow to speak with a man who was also broken. The man would be found near a large telescope. On my way out of the shrine, I passed by a few others whom Danica had sent for the same purpose.
I quickly recalled to Moonglow, under the assumption that the man Quinn had spoken of was the astronomer, Selcius. When I approached Selcius, I noticed he seemed quite distressed. He told me that Bellatrix had paid him a visit and had demanded an old book that had long been hidden away. He explained that the book was in fact an old school journal, but he was unsure why she wanted it so badly. When questioned about Bellatrix’s schooling, Selcius became even more agitated and started screaming that it was his fault, that he had taught her magic as a child. Calming down some, he explained that Bellatrix Adhara was Danica’s sister and that her real name was actually Charlotte Amandine. He explained that Bellatrix had been troubled and hated Danica for a reason unknown to him. Asking about the journal, Selcius told me it was in his home, just south of the telescope by which we were currently standing. I bid the astronomer farewell and left to take a look at the journal Bellatrix had wanted so badly. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived, there wasn’t much left of the book, save for a few sheets of ash and a location: Claudia’s Cave.
On my way back to ask Selcius about the cave, I ran into SunWolf, one of the others also investigating the lead Danica had spoken of. To my relief, SunWolf knew of the location of the cave and we ventured there together. A quick look around yielded only half a journal page which simply stated: Collecting Memories, Next To Find Flint And Christine!” Once again confused by the clue, I turned to SunWolf for answers. He spoke of a grave or memorial of sorts and we were once again on our way, now working together to solve this puzzle.
Sure enough, we found another note at the memorial site. Bellatrix knew we were following her and Cromwell was her next target. A search of the Cromwell estate resulted in two more notes. One speaking of memories as powerful weapons, the other was the question “At What Tavern Does The Serpent Rest? At What X Do The Lines Meet?” While I was making notes on what we’d found, SunWolf and I were joined by Maiya Al Khadir and Celes. Together as a small group we left for the Serpent’s Cross Tavern.
Everything at the tavern seemed to be in place with the exception of a Chaos Shield that had been placed out front. An etching found on the shield was yet another clue to follow: “A Sign Of Chaos To Mark Your Way, Its Master Was Far Greater Than Any Of You!” After spending a few minutes brainstorming as to the meaning of the etching, and checking out a few possible locations, we decided to try Lord Blackthorn’s Castle.
Stopping to look at the memorial for the fallen Lord in the castle gardens, the group came across the last of the notes Bellatrix would leave for us. This note was more a threat than anything else, stating: “No More Clues, No More Games. Your Memories Are Mine And Your Doom Assured!” This seemed to be a dead end, until SunWolf noticed a Bird of Paradise sitting on the nearby hedges. The bird, at the same time reminding me of one of my favourite poems, hinted that “…the Lord saw her rise in a book… Yes, a book, inside, inside…” Following the hint, we checked out the library on the second floor and came across a small, dusty tome. The tome spoke of how a girl would be born, the darker half of a pair. She would kill her parents and hate her sister. She would pass into myth but return with memories past. She would wreck the world under the banner of Chaos. The sisters cannot be parted from the world alone.
What can this mean?
Faeryl Tyr'athem
Knight Lieutenant of the Crux Ansata
With much help provided by SunWolf, Maiya Al Khadir & Celes, without whom this report would not be possible.
