De Eredan.
Sans Titre
The following text comes from some tattered pages found near a forest
[...]remember to never bet against the head priest again. I'm leaving for the port tomorrow.
Day 2 – early evening I left the monastery shortly after sunrise and reached the port by late afternoon. I found a place to sleep in the tavern opposing the docks. While not as clean as my cell it was enough for a few nights. I need to find a guide and a means of transportation. Going down again for supper and to find some information.
Day 2 – late evening I saw the most beautiful woman. She was large, had a somewhat depressed look on her face, a mechanical arm and was drinking heavily. A pirate by her get-up but beautiful beyond my imaginations. I also found a guide, another pirate. He looks like he has some years behind him, wears an iron mask over the right half of his eye and carries a shovel with him the whole time. He said to call him Briscar. The beautiful woman seems to be his captain.
Day 3 - afternoon Left with a ship this morning. I hate travelling by ship. I get sick to easy. Briscar told me, they were currently looking for some drunkard to repair their ship, that's why he was available.
Day 4 – I don't care Still on the ship, still sick.
Day 8 – early afternoon We finally reached the shore this morning. I'm already feeling better but eating is still a gamble. Briscar told me some very uncomforting stories about the forest. He said that it's like the forest is alive and will try to kill me – which is why he will only lead me there, not in. He also told me that his ship can fly and that they fought against a huge giant made of foam so I take it, it's one the famous cock-and-bull stories the head priest told me about. Briscar said we could reach the forest in about 3 days.
Day 11 – early evening That man sure is fun. Even though the journey was less than uneventful, Briscar made up for that. He's full of the wildest stories and never tires telling them. By now we met quite a number of travellers and merchants along the way and one thing they all had in common: When I told them, I was going to enter the great forest, they went pale and told me to forget the idea if I value my life. Briscar would just say: “I told you so.“ I'm sick of hearing him say that. I could see the forest yesterday already and the closer we get, the bigger it get's. It's nothing like the woods behind the monastery. The trees have a size higher that the bell-tower of our monastery. I wonder if this was such a good idea. It seems we will enter the forest tomorrow morning.
Day 12 – noon This is the last I will see of Briscar, his shovel on his back. He once again told me, he will only go so far but won't enter the forest anymore. He warned me of basically everything. Don't “hurt“ the trees or they will hurt – and quite possibly – kill me! Don't make fire! Don't hunt! Better not sleep! Always keep your guard up! Pray to every god you know! Am I allowed to breath? Or look around? And how shall I even see anything after it get's dark without fire? It's time for the new moon and the nights are pitch black. Why am I even here, by the way? The head priest only told me to enter this forest and find out anything strange. Why, I could just return with Briscar and repeat his stories of flying acorns out to kill me. Of walking trees and yellow eyes in the black of night. Before he left me with a mechanical lamp so I will be able to see something in the dark. How nice of him.
Day 13 – early morning It's suprisingly bright in this forest. I slept pretty good and the sounds of the forest didn't keep me up at all. I will venture deeper into it after I head my breakfast. My supplies should last me for 4 more days so I guess I should start to return in no more than 2 days since I can always buy new provisions on the road back.
Day 13 – late afternoon The underbrush got thicker and suddenly vanished completely. The forest is eerily quite here and the trees are the tallest and biggest I've ever seen. I have the strange feeling of being watched.
Day 13 – night Okay. Something was wrong this night. It could have been my imagination but I think I saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes during the night. When I switched on the lamp there was nothing there. Stupid Briscar with his stupid stories.
Day 14 – noon The feeling of being watched only got worse the deeper I ventured into the forest. I will start my way back after a good night's sleep – I hope it will be a good one.
Day 14 – evening THIS IS IT! I'm already on my way back. Today I saw a tree playing with two birds who had their nest in his leaves! I'm constantly telling me, I'm not insane! When he realized I was there I only heard a deep grumble and he MOVED away. He just took out his roots and left! Please, tell me I'm not insane!
Day 15 – early morning The sun! It's finally up and high in the sky! I was being watched – ALL NIGHT! The eyes, they wouldn't go away. They were everywhere. On the trees, in the bushes, above me. Everywhere! When I shone the lamp in the direction of the eyes they were gone but as soon as I took the light away, they returned. The sounds returned, too. The creaking of the branches, the chirping of the insects, the birds. This can seriously be disturbing when it's dead quite for the whole time.
Day 15 – late afternoon They are behind me. I can almost feel them and I can certainly feel their eyes on me. I'm a bit confused about whether I'm taking the right way back but it can only get better, right? Something else, I believe I saw .. a creature move through a tree, today. It had white skin, horns, a brown cape that looked like it was made from leaves but before I could get any closer it was gone in the tree. Either I am actually losing my mind or this forest really is strange.
Day 16 – early noon This night was .. better. I got some sleep some time late at night and it didn't feel as threatening as last night. The eyes weren't there as well but I believe I heard a voice. A female voice saying something like “Leave us alone.“ The voice was like the wind, all around me.
Day 16 – evening I made an experiment. When I returned the way I came yesterday the feeling of dread became worse again and when I made my way back towards the forests border (or where I believe it is) it got better again, so I believe some...thing wants to keep me away from .. something. Up to now I did as Briscar told me and didn't harm any tree but I have to admit, that I am tempted to break a branch or even make a fire. There's enough dry wood around me all the time, ready to get picked up. I'm hesitant.
Day 16 – late night Okay. I made a fire and so far everything is good. It's nice to be warm again, the forest get's cold at night. I heard the voice again. “Leave us alone!“ This time louder and with more force. But besides that? Nothing. I'm actually looking forward to leaving the forest. My rations are not as short as I feared so I have a bit of a chance to make it out before starving to death.
Day 17 – noon I write this as I sit in front of a giant cat or tiger that is bearing it's teeth a few inches before my head. Next to that monstosity stands a woman, an elfine, I take it, as I have never seen one before but heard about them. She has her body bearly covered through brown leather and wears a wolfs head on her left shoulder, has golden hair and carries a sword what seems to be made of amber on her back. She told me – she was the voice I heard the last two days – that I am allowed to leave if I tell everybody I meet to never enter this forest. She told me she is watching me until I leave and any sign of not leaving the forest will be answered with a slow and painful death.
Day 18 – afternoon I left the forest a few moments ago. The sun is warm on my skin. The road is only a few hours away, there I can meet […]
The text ends there. The rest of the page has several blood stains and a piece of amber was lying beside the pages
