1.21

“Before we get too comfortable, can you please explain what all of that was about.” Kamaya had finally put away her bow. “What was the whole monster thing?”

“I had made myself into a nuckelavee. A rare and powerful creature thought to be extinct for over a hundred years.” The excitement in his voice was obvious.

“Okay, but why?” asked Sharampf.

“Well you see, I’m an alchemist. I’m able to manipulate arcane particles and make things out of them. Make potions and stuff,” replied Paytor.

“What exactly does that mean though? Lots of people can make potions. You buy them at the shops,” said Bodwyn.

“I can break spells down to their very essence. It’s a gift rarer than what wizards can even do with the arcane particles. Sometimes, can be a little anti-wizard. Given the right knowledge.” The pride in Paytor’s voice was obvious.

“But why the transformation?” Fenrick asked.

“Well, certain creatures, especially those gifted with magic, or made by magic, can be found by following their traces of magic. Like if you were to follow a string of wool. If one were able to follow this trace, it could lead them to the source.”

“So, you’ve found the source for this nuckelavee creature?” Fenrick asked.

“Yeah, my transformation proved my theory. I followed a trace of essence, and I ended up in areas where studies had found the creatures had once been. I brought some of this essence back, made a potion and turned into a nuckelavee. Thus, proving that they are still out there.” Horatio leapt up and laid across Paytor’s shoulders.

“But what went wrong?” Fenrick asked.

“I don’t exactly know what happened. But I got stuck. And what doesn’t help is my tower has a bit of a mind of its own. Travelling around the world in the blink of an eye on a whim. Stuck in my form, I couldn’t guide it. Poor Horatio here has been left behind once or twice before.”

“Your tower, what is it?” Kamaya asked.

“A creature from another place, trapped inside this tower.” Paytor looked at his tower with admiration.

“Why?” Bodwyn asked.

“It was potentially dangerous to others, so this was the best way to deal with it,” replied Paytor.

“Look. We really need to get moving. We’re tracking down an ogre, and I think we’re close to three days behind now,” said Kamaya.

“Where did you see it last?” Paytor asked. He unfurled a large map of Gamerrah from seemingly nowhere.

“On the outskirts of Misty Swamp.” Kamaya pointed to the location on the map.

“Let me help you for helping me.” Paytor rubbed his hands together and then clapped and clicked his fingers. “Ogres are dangerous, let me see if I can find anything that may help you” Before anyone could say a word, the gnome had rushed over to his workbenches and flitted among his bookshelves.

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“Have any of you actually fought an ogre before?” Paytor asked.

“No,” said everyone at once. Fenrick was slightly surprised by Kamaya’s answer.

“Dangerous. Terrible. Monstrous.” He knocked a glass jar off a shelf and the contents immediately started to melt through the marble.

“Have you ever come across one?” Kamaya asked.

“No. But I’ve researched them, asked many people who have. You see, I’m compiling a large tome of the many creatures in our world, as well as ones on other planes. It’ll be some kind of guide, or even just something to look at for anyone interested.”

“You can’t just write about creatures from the accounts of others.” Kamaya’s brusque tone was obvious.

“Oh, I know. I fully intend to take to the field myself one day, but that’ll have to wait. I’ve got a backlog of projects I want to get to first. But it’s definitely up there on my priority list. Ah, think I’ve found just the thing.” Paytor grabbed a small bauble and brought it back over to the group.

“What’s that?” Sharampf asked.

“If you throw this, it’ll burst into a great ball of flame. Powerful stuff. Should definitely do a great deal of damage should you hit the ogre square on.” Paytor handed the bauble to Sharampf who rotated it in her hand.

“Thank you very much, but we best be on our way. We’re way behind on finding this thing.” Kamaya turned to leave but an excited squeak from Paytor stopped her movement.

“I’ll be able to take my tower right to Misty Swamp. I won’t be able to keep it anchored there long though, so make sure you’re ready to jump out. I won’t take you right into the dwarven village though, being unannounced and all that, probably wouldn’t go down too well. Is that okay with you all?” Paytor pushed his glasses back up his nose and waited for an answer.

“Seriously, you’d do that for us?” asked Sharampf.

“Yes, of course. You don’t understand how much you helped me, getting me out of that situation. I’ll be ready when you’re ready. Best we go out into the living room and have you waiting at the front door.”

The party made their way back to the room they had first walked into and waited with bated breath at the front door.

“Please do be careful. I hope our paths will cross again soon, and we can get to know each other a little better. Oh, and one more thing, if I may ask you all a small favour?”

“Yeah, what’s up?” Sharampf asked.

“Have any of you ever come across a barghest before?” Everyone shook their heads. “Interesting creatures those ones. If one of you should ever come across one, could you please jot as much down as possible? I’d love to write about them in my book.”

Barghests were monstrous black dogs with an intelligence that rivalled most people. Their heads were a shape more akin to a bat, with ears similar to that of the flying creature as well.

Having originally come from an unknown plane of existence, many had come over and have spread throughout the world. They had been both pets and travelling companions. Used in armed forces as mounts or even as commanders.

They had slight innate magical abilities and some of the more powerful ones could transform into a hulking, bipedal dog-bat monstrosity for long lengths at a time.

Seen by many as an omen of death, cults had been known to worship them and there was one that had even become a Paragon, known as Dreist, who once was a general to the great strigoi vampire, Arkaden, close to three hundred years ago.

“Okay, get ready everyone, I won’t be able to keep the tower here for long. Ready?” The party nodded. “Go!” The door burst open, and the group charged out in a hurry.

They were immediately greeted by a mist so thick, it felt like rain droplets had frozen in their fall, waiting for people to walk through the wetness.

“Thanks Paytor,” called Sharampf. She turned just in time to watch the tower disappear with a fwomp.

“Are we far from the dwarven village?” Bodwyn asked.

“No,” replied Kamaya. “I’d like to go in and ask around. Maybe some of their rangers have seen the ogre.”

Rangers were beings that lived in and served the balance of the cycle of life and the harmony of nature and everything else. Unlike druids that found their power by drawing from and channelling the very lifeforce of the world, sometimes draining it in their use, rangers were blessed with their gifts from The Wild. A truly neutral force that gave its power to those whose values and heart were similar to its own. It was a kind of primal essence not even the druids could tap into.

The group trekked through the thick grass, each footprint filled with water as they continued on their path.