I would have like to be able to write this down earlier, but the anguish and pain within my heart have made me cower from writing the events of the last few days down and the terrible event it lead to, hoping that by not writing about it, not talking about it, it would not be real. But I can hide no longer, as a cleric of Berronar I must be strong, how can I hide from pain and help others to accept and live through it, make their lives better even through the hardships? How can I do my duty, how can I aid others if I cannot even help myself. So here we are dear diary, the first step in accepting the fate that has befallen our group. My heart is torn, but I believe this trial has made me stronger, I pray to Berronar that it is so.
After having traveled to Wylea, we had met with the Caliph and managed to convince her that the edict was not a good idea, at least till more thought and other options had been considered. But that was when the first tragedy happened, a man trying to reach the Caliph died just after having told us what was happening, the Vizir had stolen the edict and was planning on making it holy law despite the Caliph's orders. After having bested some guards told to keep us in the Palace, we managed to get to the secret entrance who's existance had been given to us by one of the Caliph's servants. We ended up in the sewers, smells I'd rather not describe attacking our nostrils the deeper we ventured. At one point we found a cavern, which as we ventured through had some slimes attack us. Fortunatly we dispatched them with fair ease.
But we kept hurrying to the Vizir's temple to hopefully prevent him implementing the edict. As we arrived at what seemed to be the entrance to the temple, we got hit by barrels pushed by attackers from the top of the stairs. Tyrion charged, and was badly injured and dying. We got pinnen in the stairs by one of the paladins trying to push through to save Tyrion. I admit I do not know if my faith could have saved me if Tyrion had died, we have traveled a lot together and... (that will have to be for another day). Fortunatly through the battle we managed to find out that the paladins had been sent by the Caliph to protect the temple and do what we had come to do, prevent the Vizir from implementing the edict. But as information reached us that the Vizir was at the harbor we rushed there to find the ships burning, the Caliphs personal ship leaving all of us knowing the Vizir was on board.
Grabbing horses, we rode. I don't remember for how long, trying to save every minute by pushing ourselves and the horses to the limit, time had become a torrential flow who's passing we could not measure. We arrived at a small village, my horse tired from the ride. We tried to get to the stables and hopefully ask the owner for some fresh ones, but all we found were terrified horses and undead attacking us from all over, their left hands and eyes had been cut showing us Vecna's hand in these events unfolding. Pushed by the fact that time was the one luxury we didn't have we dispatched them quickly and continued our ride. The horses grew tired, our bodies also were starting to feel the drain of us pushing ourselves to the limit. Further along we saw a burning watchpost, bodies litered on the floor. Ghesh and myself were compelled to give them a proper sending off, with a quick prayer we added them to the flames so their flesh and their souls would be cleansed before reaching the afterlife. Again there was no time to stop, we rode on reaching Relkingham tired and physically exhausted. But we received news that the Vizir had arrived not long ago, our plan had worked and we had managed to save conciderable amounts of time. We rode to the temple, where our way was barred, we got attacked by humans overcome by drugs attacking us, it pained me to see them die but I could not fathom the concequences if we failed in stopping the Vizir. Undead soon joined the fray, and we were assisted by Nietsch, a paladin of Erathis, and a few of his companions. The first tragedy of the day as Nietsch was killed by Jeryn, a paladin helping the Vizir who had renounced Erathis, althought there was a small concolation in Nietsch having struck Jeryn down.
But there was a pillar of darkness eminating from the back of the temple and again we rushed forward hoping to prevent these terrible events to progress any further. Dispatching some the final bodyguards, we finally arrived at the Shrine of Erathis in the temple, standing before it was Avonazemon, traitor to humanity and his god Erathis, now a minion of Vecna. Before we even had time to react he pulled Adolfiel in a swirling cloud of hands and eyes. We pushed forward, rage a part of some, cold anger in others, fighting for what was right and good in this world. We were pushing him back but suddenly using his powers of the mind he attacked the will of Tyrion taking over his mind. Tyrion managed to brush it off fairly quickly though before causing considerable damage. We kept pressing the attack, even Adolfiel swirling in the mass of hands and eyes managed to pull off some very impressive attacks hurting Avonazemon further. But our luck ran out, Avonazemon managed to take control of Streisan's mind. Probably knowing the battle was lost for him, Avonazemon used Streisan to attack Ghesh who weakened by the battle against Avonazemon fell prone to the ground. Using everything we had we tried to stop Avonazemon, help Streisan break his control but he was just too strong, using all his strength for those last moments defiling everything that was good.
This dear diary is where my passage has lead me to, I do not wish to hide the tears the pain of these last day has caused me, innocents hurt and dying, the valorous paladin Nietsch struck down in his combat against evil. But the true event that I will never be able to forget, and who's pain will follow to my end of days was Avonazemon last act, bending Streisan's mind into one last desperate command, the execution of Ghesh. It is not only the death of Ghesh, a paladin we would all have called a friend, but what truely broke me was to see Streisan's face as Avonazemon's control broke over her as his death neared. I cannot fathom the horror she must be going through, having witnessed unable to help oneself, kill a friend. I admit, and I hope Berronar can forgive me, that at that moment I was broken overwhelmed by the pain that the evil in this world can unleash.
But through the guidance of Berronar, I believe I have found my purpose. This sort of pain, this sort of evil is but a drop in a wave crashing on the world. I must be strong, I must live with the pain so others won't, I must aid those that need it, I will be Berronar's shield upon this world molded by the trials I will face and I pray to Berronar that my faith will be enough to save me and that in death I may face her on Mount Celestia, with my head held high.
