Maelshyve’s children

(217 Arhat 377)

A few days ago, it all seemed to start. Magic allowed us to witness what transpired in the Darkmist Moor at the secluded shrine. Shrouded in dark purple mist, a tall ebony altar rose from the overgrown grass. A collection of hideous gargoyles stood sentry in a macabre circle around the shrine, sneering inward at the scarred monolith. Maelshyve and Brivibas were already speaking.

Brivibas says, “You will not succeed.”

Maelshyve curled her lips back, flashing formidable fangs in a lethal smile, “Can you be so sure? I am not alone.”Brivibas chuckled and said, “We do not fear you, you know. Archrost was only your pawn. Karszen is much wiser than that silly Kobold.”

Maelshyve asked him, “Of course he was, and yet… as a pawn only he did great damage to your faith, did he not?”

Brivibas replied, “Perhaps…but you do not have what you seek. It is kept safe, of that I am sure. And you will never lay your hands upon it.”

Maelshyve said, “Do you imagine I still need that paltry trinket. It makes things easier, indeed, but it is not the only key to unlock the doors.”

“You do not scare me with your bluffs. That is all they are, hollow threats,” Brivibas leaned on his cane.

Maelshyve hissed again, her eyes glinted with malevolent amusement, “They may very well be, sweet priest. But… what if they’re not.” She leaned forward slightly, running her talon tips over his skull.

He shrugged and looked back at her, scoffing, “You have lost before, you will lose again. Karszen will defeat you.”

Maelshyve responded quickly, “Fool. I cannot die, so nothing is lost. It is merely delayed. You, on the other hand,” she paused with purpose, “You can die.”

Brivibas arched his eyebrow, we couldn’t tell if he was expecting that.

Maelshyve ran her taloned hands over Brivibas’s scalp in a mockery of tenderness. Her formidable claws came to rest at either side of his neck as she said softly, “I need another skull to add to my collection, my dear sweet priest. Yours will go nicely with the kobold’s.”

With that, she snapped the High Priest’s neck with ruthless violence, her claws severing as neatly as an executioner’s axe as she removes his head. He was slain before our eyes.

The she-demon gazed at her talons, as if admiring the play of light over the lethal black claws slick with blood. “Yes… that will do nicely,” and with a bestial scream, Maelshyve unfurled her great black wings and launched herself into the sky!

“My regards to Karszen, priest. Watch for me… and my children.” Her wings beat with a few powerful strokes, spiraling high into the mists before vanishing from sight.

After this happened, we decided to run to the aid of Brivibas. We dragged him from the Darkmist Moor to the Temple in Leth Deriel. Once he was properly recovered he was a man with a mission.

“Karszen was right, I fear,” he told us, “I must get to Tallis.”

We escorted him to the temple to speak with High Priestess Tallis. He asked me to summon all the clerics to the the Temple at the Crossing, which I did. Once gathered, we found Tallis and Brivibas.

“Before all else, I must ask you. Is It safe?” Brivibas asked Tallis. She nodded.

Brivibas said, “Thank the Gods. Karszen had a plan….”

“That seems chancy at best, and very risky.” The High Priestess gazed at the High Priest.

Brivibas said, “We wanted to know her plans.”

Tallis asked, “Was the gamble worth it?”

Brivibas replie, “I was able to distract her for a short while. I won’t know until I speak to Karszen. She mentioned…’Her Children’.”

Tallis asked him for clarification, “Children?”

Brivibas said, “I can only think, that they would be foul, cursed beasts.”

“This does not bode well,” Tallis said, “Not at all.”

“Our holy brothers and sisters will need to be strong,” he said.

“I am sure our brethern are equal to the task,” Tallis told him.

“I’m not sure if our weapons will be effective against her evil children,” Brivibas seemed concerned.

“Faith is ever armor against such as she,” was our High Priestess’s wise observation. “And there is our magic, and our prayers.”

Brivibas nodded to Tallis explaining, “I wanted to confirm that It was safe, though.”

Tallis told him, “We’ve more tools to our hands than mere barbarians.”

“Good.” Brivibas said, “We must be on our guard against her children.”

Tallis said, “We must wait to see what was learned in her absence.
“They’ve risked much to buy us this chance of knowledge…” Brivibas reminded her.

“I hope it is worth it, my friend,” she was solemn, “Disturbing, most disturbing. I shall place more of our brethern on guard.”

Brivibas said, “We must have faith.”

Tallis said with a smile, “We’ve faith in abundance.”

Brividas mentioned that he needed to go to Shard, to do something and then go speak to Karszen. So moon mages arrange a series of gates for us to the Moor. Maelshyve is there to greet us.

This demon, this immortal demi-God is a hulking beast of great stature. She has radiant green eyes that cast a sickly glow upon the dusky midnight-blue scales that cover her body. Long tresses of willowy black hair cascade elegantly down around her, giving her form an almost alluring apperance despite the menacing capabilities evident in her massive triple-tined claws extending from bulky arms wrought with uncompromising musculature.Two deathly black reptilian wings are folded behind her back, tipped with spiked talons that glisten malevolently in the light. Her massive, yet shapely torso tapers down to an elegant waist, supported by heavy trunk-like legs. Her feet are hideous implements of war, bearing gruesome black claws that glisten with the blood of her latest victims.

She stated that she wanted her ‘item’ back, and she wanted us to hand Brivibas over to her. After some back and forth, She dropped some of “her children”, foul cursed beasts called maeldryth. We struck at them with blessed weapons, we cast the usual offensive spells against them that would normally work with something unholy, but we discovered that no weapons or magic could hurt these maeldryths. Finally, one spell, the cleric spell uncurse, was found to be the answer against them. Those attacked by them suffer immobility and spirit drains. The spirit drains last even beyond the time of the attack and you must get a cleric to uncurse you if this happens to you.

Brivibas ran inside the church in Darkmist moor while we were fighting and into a deep meditation, or perhaps to seek Karszen.

This is all I have. For now.

–Deverlain Blesshart