Enigmatic Portals and Prophesies

Another installment of Lirael Glimmereye's journal as he progresses as a Yuan-ti Cleric of the Twilight Domain/Rogue. He is a character in a D&D 5e High Fantasy home brew adventure campaign. Today's installment is the first part of our last session where we journeyed to had time to investigate things and discovered several more unexpected paths the adventure could take.

Past Journal Entries:

1. Lirael Glimmereye - Backstory
2. The Prophets of Minwa
3. A Journey Into the Dreamveil
4. The Silent Struggle
5. An Answer Well Received
6. The Headmaster's Assistance
7. A Surprising Revelation and Realization
8. A Princesses' Journal Found

After donning the Rose Plate Armor, I found Landriss in the Library. The absence of Varrin led us to believe he might have sought solace in a tavern, embracing his bardic nature. Something told me not to expect to see him before we left for the Palace in the morning.   

Then we embarked on an unexpected journey within the hallowed halls of the Academy. We found ourselves engrossed in a discussion about the significance of the Rose heraldry adorning the armor. 

  

The Rose, once a symbol favored by the mad King Behenny, bore a complex history. Initially tied to Crannog's Fomorian creators, it transformed into a mark of resistance as Behenny succumbed to madness. King Garland, vanquished Behenny and halted the corruption, however, disdains the Rose in his own heraldry, preferring the Garland. Yet, other nobles, like Lord Belle, proudly display the Rose, and rumors swirl of its resurgence among others of the nobility. Especially, among the non-elven races of the realm. 

  

It seemed that wearing the Rose heraldry wouldn't cause too many complications for me going forward, but I'm still a little concerned about how the King would view it being worn at the palace. 

  

As we delved into the library's depths for more insight about the Rose's heraldry, an unexpected interruption came in the form of a young Academy student dropping a peculiar book on our table. The masked Shadar-kai who sent it to us with the instructions to drop it on our table.  upon us vanished into the shadows, leaving us bewildered.  

  

When we look over, he appears to be a Shadar-kai or Astral Elf and has a mask on and that has an almost a purple glow to it. It's kind of like a changeling mask and he has jasmine purple that goes down to his shoulders and pauldrons under his black cloak. 

  

When I quickly look down at the book, it an owl embossed into the cover, but the eyes are empty sockets, and it has a lock on the side - a tome that needs gemstones into it. and does not have the key to what's keep it closed. 

The Owl Tome from our mysterious benefactor, we'll look closer at this another time
Created by Microsoft Bing Image Creator - 2023

  

I see Landriss disappear and appear a little way from the man, and I pick up the book and any notes that Landriss might dropped and hurriedly move to catch up with them.  

  

As I'm moving towards them Landriss speaks to the man and the stranger responds, "Something has told me that it will be of use to you, if you can find a way to open it."  

  

When Landriss asks "Who are you?"   

  

"Just a nobody."  

  

"Why don't I believe that everybody is somebody".  

  

Even as he responds to Landriss' question, he continues to move down the staircase. Landriss stops at the top of the stairway and lets him go. He stops again and looks back at us and says, "Brace yourself with what's to come and you will face an enemy that you will not be able to defeat, sooner than you think and I am not an enemy."  

  

He then opens a portal it as he sinks into it. When the portal closes a stone is left behind and it is very heavy, and it feels that it causes a distortion to the gravity around it. 

  

The enigmatic stranger's cryptic words lingered, warning of an imminent, insurmountable foe. 

  

We asked if there was a place where we could research and discuss what had happened in private and one of the students led us to a lab room. Then went and got the on-duty professor, who name we later learned was Lark.  

  

In the sanctity of an Academy workroom, we sought answers. We viewed the stone through one of the lab's magical lenses and through the professor learned that the stone, was an Astral Onyx, and resonated with Dunamancy, a manifestation from the cosmic void.  

  

The book, an owl-embossed tome with gem-locked eyes, held secrets that begged unraveling. Then to our surprise, the stone seamlessly locked into the owl-embossed book, to which Professor Lark stated that it might unlock with another Onyx. That the person to talk to about another one, on the campus would be Agatha. He would arrange for us to go there if we liked. 

  

Then my interest is piqued by the magical viewing glass and take off my breastplate and ask if I can examine it under the glass. I still couldn't believe that it isn't magical in nature, and this seemed the perfect opportunity to look at things closer. The professor says of course. 

  

When we look at my armor, the flower has a tinge or residue on that wasn't detected before and if we looked at the Rose closer, there is a tiny door on the inside of the rose. It was almost that by me wearing it, that it had activated changes to the armor. However, if we hadn't had access to the magical lens which magnified it so much, we never would have seen it, so intricately formed into one of the rose petals was it. 

  

I find a small rod in the room and set about to attempt to open the door on the rose. As I press down on the petal, something clicks and a door forms in the middle of the room. It appears to be made of live plant material and there are multiple red roses all over the door. With the armor still under the lens I see through the small door and inside there is an very intricate garden. Inside someone is playing an instrument.  

  

Excitedly, I tell the others what I see and when I look back, there is a young man standing in the garden. He appears human, but something is off and while young in appearance the rose-pink of the eyes mark him with a wisdom far beyond the years of that other the appearances might give. Just looking into those eyes makes me feel calmer, I could feel myself starting to fall under an enchantment. 

  

When the professor spoke and broke my connection to the apparition in the lens. "If this door leads where myths and legends that I have learned over the years claims it might, you will get to deal with an old friend of our world, who might not be the kind of friend you don't really want to invite back into it." "Merlin." 

  

"If my memory serves me correct and my study of the myths of Crannog are correct this kind of door in the past has led others to something called the Tower of Babylon, which according to our legends is more prison to those who have offended the God. Knowing the legends of Merlin, sometimes known as Taliesin he has offended many of them. 

  

Armed with that knowledge I quickly shut the door on the rose and see a glimpse of frustration and at the same time a sad smile as if he knows something I do not. I tell Landriss and the professor, I don't think that I'm ready to go into a fortress where the Gods are keeping prisoners.  

But what I wanted to know was why is my armor a gateway to this place?  

  

Neither one knew, but perhaps this is something that we need to talk about with the Headmaster to have his opinion on why my previously unremarkable armor, suddenly has the ability to open a portal? One that probably leads to one named Merlin of the legends. Professor Lark, our guide through this arcane journey, suggested consulting the Headmaster and safeguarding against meddling with forces beyond our understanding. 

  

Thinking back though, I really want to talk with this mysterious figure and know if he truly is Merlin. If it is, what do I do next? I'm not prepared to go against the gods to release him...but I do want to go into that portal and see what lies beyond. 

  

However, for now wisdom prevailed over curiosity, and we chose to postpone venturing into the unknown.  

  

Then I remember the mysterious scroll that I found in the piano on our trip into the Dreamveil. I pull it out and ask him to look at and let us know what it is? He begins to unroll it and suddenly he takes what looks like a jet of flame to the side of his face. Which doesn't seem to faze Lark too much at all.  

  

He just looks kind of sheepishly at us and says "I forgot to check for traps amidst all the excitement and paid for it. It's not really a big deal, I work in a magical academy with lots of newbie magic users and am used to having to use Keoghtum's Ointment at least once a day, I'm more embarrassed for not checking than anything else." 

  

He applied some ointment from one of the pouches on his belt. Then he looks back at the scroll and says this is a very evil scroll that is a ritual to make a red ghoul.  

  

We ask what is a red ghoul? 

  

He tells us, "It is a ghoul that are much more powerful than a regular ghoul they are smarter, stronger, and have multiple other undead under their control. A thoroughly contemptible creature that has no place in our world. Personally, unless there is a specific reason to keep the scroll, I would recommend burning it"  

  

Landriss looked at me and we both nodded, and three of us proceeded to burn the scroll.  

  

Journeying through the Academy's teleportation circles, we reached Agatha's domain, a realm adorned with dazzling gems and eccentricities. In exchange for an Astral Onyx, we accepted a task to deliver a sealed note to a crystal dragon in the Mystwood, sealing our pact with the peculiar witch. When we left, we understood our guide's reluctance to go into Agatha's domain and while she was helpful, it is not an experience I would want to do too many times. 

  

Returning to the library, Landriss orchestrated the fusion of the Astral Onyx with the owl-embossed book. A sentient voice emerged, promising a tale that would envelop us in a different world. Sensing the gravity of such a decision, Landriss and I chose prudence over recklessness, deferring the reading of the tome to a more opportune moment. 

As the moon waned, a haunting vision unfolded in my dreams—an imprisoned girl, amber eyes, silver bars the Shadowed one, and a bag of gold exchanged for her freedom. A narrative woven in the threads of lycanthropy and whispered promises to pay back her debt echoed through the night, leaving me with unanswered questions. Landriss wakes me from the dream since I was babbling incoherently and shuddering. I tell him what I have seen, we discuss it for a time and then I go back to sleep.   

  

After the dawn, we prepare to journey to the King's Palace, carrying with us not only physical artifacts but also the weight of mysteries yet unraveled.  

  

It's time to travel to the King's Palace where I will learn many more things including things about myself that I needed to know, but almost cost me my life.