Ahead of the Storm - Day 16

Krestible, Five Months Ago

The assembled task force agreed that a quick entry and even quicker exit would be the best way to tackle the situation. And each of them knew their roles in the matter quite well: Scatterspells was the team leader, in charge of decision-making, as well as scrying on the target location and the teleportation itself; Soulerio was to put his knowledge of Defense against the Dark Arts to good use, casting defensive magic on the three of them, to protect them from whatever might stand in their path; and Eadfrid was largely there solely because of what he was - undead, and therefore inherently better protected against the likely death and negative energy magic that the Demonomicon was rumored to be protected by.

Yet, despite having prepared themselves for what the likely would find in Krestible, it nevertheless was a shock. For the people who roamed the streets there were certainly no longer anything resembling human. If anything, Scatterspells was best prepared for the sight they all beheld - as the once-human creatures that now roamed the streets, with their flesh sagging and brackish ooze now dripping from eye sockets and hanging jaws, in some ways resembled some of the images he had envisionned of what might happen if the Far Realm opened up onto the Material Plane. These oozing zombies, or whatever you might call them, certainly seemed more otherworldly than any demon or undead any of the three companions had every encountered.

To Soulerio, the beings voices screamed out longingly, with shrieks and wails louder than any the haunted voices that usually surrounded him could voice. And while his two allies couldn't make out their words, to Soulerio the cries were utterly clear - down to the youngest child in town, everyone was crying out to him - begging for death. Yet, as he raised his finger to launch a first Disintegrate spell, Scatterspells advised against it. He wouldn't have enough magic to destroy them all, and choosing some over others might cause them to turn hostile. And so he relented, though in his heart he pities their sad state.

Eadfrid as well did not feel comfortable here, feeling as though they were trespassing on land that had been cursed beyond any other. He feared that should they stay too long, even he might begin to succumb to the influence of the Demonomicon.

Sensing his friends' failing morale - as well as his own - Scatterspells reiterated the urgency of their mission - to find the book quickly, then escape with it fast, bringing it straight to Manzorian, who had prepared a room of Hallowed abjuration magic, which might help contain and weaken the dark aura of the book long enough for him and Meerthan to make proper study of it. Then, once they completed their study of the demons they wished to learn about, they would allow Scatterspells and Soulerio to claim their own reward - studying the epic spells that were also contained within its pages. For in addition to each of the six copies of the Demonomicon containing a full library of knowledge on all the Demon Lords of the Abyss, as compiled by the Witch Queen Iggwilv - rumor held that each copy also contained duplicated pages from Iggwilv's personal spellbook, in which she had noted down the many powerful epic spells that she herself had devised. Both Scatterspells and Soulerio had made that their price for helping Manzorian and Meerthan get the book - that the spellbook section would be theirs to study. As for Eadfrid, he as ever was simply interested in helping his friends as best he could.

And so, the three comrades began their march toward the dungeon beneath Krestible's city hall, where they once held their prisoners - and where now lay the object of their quest, slowly tainting and corrupting the air throughout the city.

To be continued...