Dangerous Territory

Faen and I made entry into an unexplored area of the Labrynth.  Faen had a bad feeling about the place and so did I.   We came upon an inner courtyard bathed in a ethreal glow.  We went high, up onto the walls to survey what lay before us.  I could see the layout of a maze before us.  Here most likely was the remains of the location of the famous "Labyrnth" and why these ruins as a whole take this name.  Nothing seemed to be moving, but below in the center of the courtyard lay a body that looked to have been there for some time.

We dropped back down the steps and carefully approached the body.  4 mages staff appeared from small openings in the ground.  Was this a trap?  The presence of the body indicated such to me.  I enveloped myself in a strong ward and creeped forward and was able to secure the staffs without incident.

A staff of magelight, fear, repulsion, and firebolts.  Curious.

On the body was a cryptic note - that said to entered twice to leave once.  And some other words about magic working differently therein.  Also curious.

I could not get the main entrance open, but a similar entrance in the rear responded to my triggering and so we made our way in.  But I had a bad feeling about this place, and a sense of dread that something rest here that might be better off  left alone.  Caution took me and I told Faen we should depart. 

He did not argue.

Coming back out of the maze I felt a familiar presence.  The Word called to me again. Before me was another wall of ancient writing and a Word from the wall called to me.  The closer I drew to it, the greater its call and the greater the rapture until the word became part of my soul.  My blood hummed with new power and understanding.

Faen only saw me draw near to the wall and freeze for a moment.  He had not idea what was transpiring. 

We made our way quickly down the mountain and back to Whitestar.  I left Faen at the house with Lidia, and went up the hill to research among the Jarl's library.  But I found nothing new and helpful on the Labyrnth other than it was associated with a great mage who used this place to resurrect the schools of the mages. 

I resolved to explore the sight again, only this time alone.  I made my way in the rear entrance encountering a frost demon who I burned to dust but little else, until finally coming to an in ground entrance.  But the sigil would not respond.  Even though I am strong in the gift of restoration, and the sigil if I read it correctly is one of restoration, it would not respond. 

I exited and approached the front door once again and was able to get the door to open.  This passage also lead to an inground entrance, only this time I was able to get the sigil to open and I dropped about 20 feet down into ancient burial chambers below.  At first nothing looked of interest.  A few minor graves, and a way out that lead upward, then turning... I saw why... why this place felt so dire... why this place was hidden....why it was a place of power... the fool who built this place. 

The door to hell.  This place was a gateway between the Created Realm and the realm of the demonic.  I approached the evil sigil carefully expecting a gate to spawn at any moment.  But it was quiet, cold, but not dead.  Asleep I think. 

Could a mage of this world truly have harnessed such evil power to resurrect the mages guilds?

I cast what wards I could to secure entry to this place, but nothing is as strong as the wards I penetrated easily.  Any mage could enter here and use this place with the right knowledge.  Then I recalled the mage I had seen previously wondering around up top.  And Ancano from the Dominion and those blasted mages of the Synod associated with Citadel.  I must find a way to secure this place but I don't know how.

I thought perhaps I might gain more knowledge from the second site I had yet to explore.  I found the name Valkygg engraved near its doorway.  Once again I found ancient graves.  And there was a curious locking mechanism, that appeared designed more to keep something in than out.  A few restless spirits I had to dismiss, and fairly easily.  But then I glimpsed in the distance an ominous site.  A dread lord of the underworld, perhaps a demon itself, and it was wreathed in power and evil.  It did not yet sense my presence, probably hadn't been disturbed in so long, why should it expect anyone here now.

This foe was beyond me.  I knew it in the depth of my bones.  To stay was to die.  To fight was to die.  Time to run. 


I left the ruins with more questions than answers and much left unresolved.  It was growing dark so I stopped at Redoran for rest only to be surprised by some bandits.  The first were little problems, but the final one was plated in some of the finest steel armour I've seen since leaving the south.  She turned out to be quite a problem and has left me with a nasty wound stretching across my middle that I've had to sew up on my own.  Will be resting here a bit to heal before pushing back to Whitestar.