Tayne's Journal

[Grognardsw]

Tayne's Journal, Entry 313
Saturnalia VI
Leaf Fall IV
Year of the Boar 715

Night hag rode me for last time. Gutted her with silver fury. Ground her face under boot like cockroach.

Satyr was good for something. Got us to astral plane to face bitch. Tarnak not kill him after all.

How to find way home? Need the brain. Tornado comes.

[Grognardsw]

Tayne's Journal, Entry 314

I awoke adrift in astral winds, buffeted like a flag in a hurricane. Vague memories swished around inside my head - slashing the old woman's face, holding her steely bony body down while Rorik and the others stabbed and skewered and killed. The memories recede now - the hag, her tortures, the finality of her death.

I am rudderless here. A buoy in a sea of planes, not sure how to cast anchor on an island I recognize. The others have drifted away down dimensional channels I can't swim. How long has it been? I pray to Arioch that he may see me through.

[Grognardsw]

Tayne's Journal, Entry 315

I'm vomited out of the dimensional gut, landing with a thud in woods outside a large castle. The trees, plants, sky, they look right enough. But that night the stars tell the truth: I am in an alternate earth. This is a problem. I hope the Keep may have some answers.

This place of stone and wood and hard souls, I've its type before. Its walls catch up the drifting trash and flotsam blown out of more civilized lands. Desperate men, greedy men, thieves, slavers, killers, adventurers, the deluded holy on pointless missions of mercy. Their story is an old one too. Man's progress at the cost of other races. It doesn't matter if they're noble fey or verminous humanoids, all must yield or be pushed back to dark unseen reaches. 

I see many big-swinging swords invariably human; cutpurses eyeing their next victim; elves who've lost their way; dwarves with hearts of avarice; foolish hobbits; and stranger races of half-faery, globe-helmeted sahaugin, lizard-man, winged folk, collared ape-man, half-breed ogre and lesser giant. 

I keep low for several days, learning which way the winds blow here. Who the people are I'll need to know. On the third day I see my cousin.

[Grognardsw]

Tayne's Journal, Entry 316

Vorkath Tsaridian, that insufferable pain in the ass, hounding me like the dog he is. How did this barbarian bastard get here? What gives him the right? Why won't he give up!? WHY WON'T HE DIE!

I spy him from my window, walking into the tavern. That sanctimonious face, that armor and its "True God" emblem. Fuck his god and fuck him!

I unclench my fist as my nails cut the skin.  I feel the faintest ripple of selves across the back of my mind. Calm yourself, breath deep. Now is not the time for another. Plan for Vorkath's exquisite death.

I charm a dim-witted blacksmith boy and he reports Vorkath is indeed looking for me. He is associating with a grop of adventurers. I must go now to my meeting with this Keep's commander.

[Grognardsw]

Tayne's Journal, Entry 317

I prepare for my visit. Do my gods hold sway on this world? I think so, for Chaos knows no boundary of place or time. I channel Arioch's infernal power to grant me the vision to see the taint of Chaos.  I speak arcane vocabulary to pierce the minds of men. I poison my darts should words fail.

My new friend watches Vorkath. I walk to the inner Keep and am soon escorted to the Commander's Tower. Along the way I note who carries the glow of evil. There are many.  Passing thoughts reveal tales of boredom, sex, jealousy, violence, and other sordid truths that rarely find voice.

Before I see Castellan I am intercepted by his advisor. This Metzner, he is all wrong. He burns too bright, the blue shimmering to a reddish hue. It is he that is the not-him; it is what you expect him to be. My mind reaches into his, but then I feel his mental tendrils reach into my own. Sometimes when you look into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you.

Before I take three breaths, before I can draw my small blade, it knows me and I it. The creature's brain is a physic web capturing other minds. If it were not for my own sensory spell in effect, this would be disastrous. Instead we know right away how we can help each other. Know right away who is the more evil.

It will be done, I think to the creature. 

[Grognardsw]

Tayne's Journal, Entry 318

That night I have a headache. It must be the mental communication with that Metzner. I feel the others rattling around inside my brain, shaking the gates to be free. I focus, recite arcanities, intone dark devotionals, trying to keep them all at bay. The boy-spy visits to report Vorkath is searching for me and has joined up with a band of adventurers. Tomorrow I'll turn attention to them. I must rest now. I order up a strumpet and she takes my mind off troubles. I kick her out after midnight, bruised and bloodied but with heavy purse.

I awake late the next morning, mind thankfully clear. I look out my window considering my next move. This Keep is quite the place. Outside, there near the stables, snorting each other's asses in greeting, are dog men from the distant kingdom of Sirius. Near the water well is a group of translucent-skinned hermaphrodite half-spirits, tinkling their triangle bells in strange conversation. A sortie of sexy porno-priestesses of Gaga attract many glares, their topless skirts revealing divine epiphanies. A troop of gay dwarves frolic in the Keep garden. A trio of masked Granbretan soldiers strut about. There's even a hobbit who looks like he fancies himself an adventurer. I close my window.

I think I'll pay a visit to a priest.

[Grognardsw]

Tayne's Journal, Entry 319

"It was him! Him!" The girl was screaming and pointing at me outside the tavern. Such insolence! She was well paid last night. Roughed up but no broken bones. Keep guards close in around me. Not wanting to cause any more of a scene, I agree to accompany them. "The girl lies. Tell Metzner I'm here."

~~~

By mid-afternoon the misunderstanding is cleared up. On my way back to the inn I pass a trial in progress. Bandits accused of attacking a traveling Princess and her bodyguards. I pause to watch. Hands are hacked off, eyes plucked, a tongue severed. It all brings a smile to my face.

I feel a headache coming on again. Unleash your faith, mortal worm! Proclaim thy fthagn unholy kpruko astag-truth! I must rest, focus, for I feel the pressure. Bow before Theocolyte the Transcendent sahg trokthog! I had planned to visit the priest today. 'She will serve! Free the Dho-Hna!' I return to my room and sleep and dream dark horrors.

[Grognardsw]

Theocolyte’s Journal, Entry 320

A blood moon paints the sky red tonight. The stars are right. I awaken, leaving Tayne slumbering within. I know where the whore plies her wares. That brazen beast of sin and flesh. Soon she will be in my possession.

~~~

"I want you to know that the gag in your mouth isn't there to prevent you from making noise. It's to stop the Dho-Hna flowing in through wrong aperture, which of course could spoil everything for you."

"I know you're still worrying over your hands but please don't. They're quite safe, I assure you. The thing is to focus yourself on the Wza-y'ei, the concept of no-hands. No, no don't black out. There. That's better."

"I want you to watch this part closely. This is the unfolding, from Glaaki to Lloigor. We make the first cut, the y'nghai, just here. Now, gnh'gua equalling y'nghai are tekel'd to mhhf-gthaa, uguth an Y'golonac. N’gaii fhtagn e’hucunechh R’lyeh. Ia, G’harne ep ygg Rhan Tegoth n’thyleii yr gnh’gua? Shagghai, humuk Dho-Hna, g’yllgnaii ygg yr nggngr shoggoth, hrr yll’ngngr Nyarlathotep. Gh’ll mhhggthaa tekeli-li Y’golonac rrthnaa."

"H’rrnai Cthulhu. H’rrnai Cthulhu nnh’gtep…"

Words by Alan Moore.

[Grognardsw]

Tayne's Journal, Entry 321

I awaken the next morning feeling hung-over. The room smells of death. In the middle of the floor are a pile of red soaked blankets. I part them and see the girl, ritualistically mutilated. I sigh and realize it happened again last night. That damn priest always leaving a mess for me to clean up. I gather the pieces tight in the blanket, then wrap them again in my bed blankets, then rope it all closed.

I take out my black cloth, fold it open to its full 3'x3' size, and intone the magick word. The cloth shimmers like a starry night. I shove the wrapped-up girl through. Then I fold the black cloth back up and put it away. The floor is stained. I get down with the water bucket and do what I can for the stain. This doesn't put me in a good mood.

~~~

Later, after some arcane study, I'm ready for the day. I reverse my cloak to the green color and apply a beard and longer locks. Real human hair, expensive, but well worth the high price from that assassin in Sanctuary. I check in with my charmed spy, who tells me Vorkath is still looking for me and associating with those adventurers. Metzner was right.

I make my way to the tavern, inn, chapel of Tritherean, and eventually catch up with good Brother Bayard. I watch him for some time until he goes to his room. I follow. Standing before his door, I knock and say, "Good Brother Bayard, a message from Vorkath and friends."

I whisper words of sorcerous somnolence as I hear him approaching and unlatching the door. As the door begins to open I flick sand in and he crumples into sleep. Stepping in quickly, I close and latch the door and get down to business.

[Grognardsw]

Tayne's Journal, Entry 322

The weight of it - heavier than one would think. Solid but unbalanced. I heft it in one hand, passing it back and forth like a hot potato. Bounce it on my knee; it doesn't really bounce. This should do fine. Yes, it will send just the right message.

I summon the boy and give him explicit instructions with the gold. "Now keep your head about you."

I hear the adventurers were quite upset. Never underestimate the power of a decapitated head.

Warning given, I make my way to the inner Keep. Horses and companions await for my trip to these Caves.

[Grognardsw]

Tayne's Journal, Entry 323

As I ride out of the Keep the air is crisp and brittle, tasting of Autumn. On the horse next to me is a half-breed I've never encountered before, a half-goblin named Xeroka. She is intriguing and not half bad looking. I wonder how she came to be, for I didn't think the two species could breed.

Xeroka tells me about her fight with the adventurers a while back in these Caves of Chaos. (See viewtopic.php?p=87250#p87250 ) She and her brother led a band of goblins in repelling their excursion into the goblin section of the Caves. She described them as fair fighters. Had she not had a cowardly lot of goblins, Xeroka boasts, she would have beat the adventurers. We'll see.

Several others join us in the ride north from the Keep, avoiding the road. We eventually turn west and make our way slowly towards the caves.

Then there is a light in the woods ahead. By Arioch!