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The Adventures of the Mask Maker
Questing Part 2: Ashen Boneyard

Questing Part 2: Ashen Boneyard

After turning in my results for the Ancient Pyramid, I headed north to the Ashen Boneyard in the Ashen Plains. According to the quest report, the Ashen Boneyard had a lot more ash than normal and a local ashenologist said that there were too much ash to be natural and that the grounds may have been part of a sort of ancient incineration site. The purpose of my job is to go and check out the site to confirm whether or not the ashenologist's assumptions were correct.

After finishing eating lunch, I head over to the site. Hours later, I arrived at the scene. Wow, there is a lot of ash...at least 5 feet deep full of solidified compressed ash. After searching quite some time, I could not find any traces of man-made incineration. Isn't the local ashenologist wrong? Isn't this just a regular old piece of ash-filled land? Looking around, I see some mountains nearby. Could some of those mountains be inactive volcanoes? Then, wouldn't these ash come from those volcanoes?

Deciding that the cause of the ash was due to the volcanoes, I prepared to turn around and leave. However, I suddenly sensed a faint demonic feeling. I scoured the land carefully once more to look for any clues to what the cause of the demonic feeling was. I walked deeper into the Ashen Boneyard and wandered around for a bit. I could feel my essence being drawn out ever so slightly...this feeling was familiar...but I could not figure out what it was. Shock hit me as I realized after careful thinking. This feeling...I hope it isn't what I think it is. I pulled out a shovel from my storage ring and started digging the ash.

After clearing out five feet deep worth of ash, I was able to confirm my realization...I was right. What laid on the ground before me...was ancient demonic symbols/runes. Feeling the symbols, I could feel the residue energy from it. I was right...this isn't a incineration site...but a demonic ritual grounds. These symbols/runes are part of a very large ritual circle. From what I gathered, these ash must be from humans...to have five feet deep spanning over a kilometer diameter of ash must have required more than 5 billion humans and other humanoids. They must have been trapped or sealed within the ritual circle and burned to ash with demonic fire. Judging by the shape of the symbols, I gathered that they were drawn by Acolytes of the Abyss - an ancient order of demonic worshipers consist of non-human and non-humanoid supremacists. They were trying to summon something evil with all these sacrifices and I can tell that the summoning was successful. I dread at the thought of what was summoned.... Could have been a powerful demon...but knowing that the world wasn't destroyed, I figured that the demon must have been killed or sealed...somewhere, maybe nearby.

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I reported the findings to the ashenologist, who looked stricken at the answer. I left hurriedly back to the guild to report the findings as well. As I talked with the guild receptionist, I told him that the guild should send someone or a group to the site and see if they can clear away the ash and remove the ritual circle since it's still drawn but because there are no more sacrifices, it can't activate. As the saying goes, better safe than sorry, am I right? Also, I told him that maybe someone should scout the region to see if they can find out whether or not the demon is killed or sealed...if sealed, find out where but don't attack as the demon is very powerful.