The Journal of Koril Benshay - Part II
Early Winter 772 – Avernus.
I admit my disappointment. While I have no desire to stand on the trivialities of ceremony - - to conclude a six week stay at Avernus without so much as an audience - - it would sting the pride of a mere mortal.
Empty, but for mindless arcane sentries.
I had my suspicions, now confirmed, Azalin is dead. Whether this occurred decades ago or at the time of the explosion on the Night of Castle Ravenloft is unclear, but it matters not - - a distinction without a difference.
But my journey was not in vain, I discovered the answers I sought in his library. Azlin discovered the nature of this world - - it is a prison - - we are locked in isolation within what Azalin called the “Ethereal Plane.”
Indeed, it was so long ago now . . . a memory so distant it almost might be a dream . . . but I remember . . .
I am not from this world but another . . . I recall the night . . . I wandered further on my patrol, my horse lost its footing and I tumbled with the beast down a steep gravely incline . . . when I reached the bottom and awoke . . . the mist . . . it surrounded me . . . it was everywhere . . . and it has surrounded me everywhere I’ve roamed ever since . . . to my very soul.
I know now, Azalin, like myself, was from a world beyond this one - - and he sought to return to it (or at least escape this one). While I know not if that is possible . . . I know Azalin believed it was . . .
The tomes in his library revealed that he believed that if enough powerful entities in this world were destroyed . . . the bars of this prison would be lifted . . .
This explains his ruse to destroy Strahd and the “blacklist” discovered . . .
According to Azalin’s research, the essences of 10 “anchor entities” as he called them must be destroyed to lift the gates, on this list were the following names:
Strahd Von Zarovitch
Daclaud Heinfroth (Dr. Dominiani)
Adam of Lamordia
Alfred Timothy of Verberek
Gabrielle Aderre of Invidia
Tristen ApBlanc of Forlorn
Sir Tristen Hiregaard of Nova Vaasa
The Three Witches of Tepest; and,
Vlad Drakov of Falkovnia
Pouring over this research in the byzantine stone catacombs of shelves upon shelves of moldering dank parchments I hardly noticed the presence that surreptitiously accompanied me to the tomes of that dungeon of a chamber . . . but once I did, I recognized it immediately . . . the Vampire Dorian.
Until that moment, I, as had the rest of the world, believed this creature destroyed 26 years ago by Erathos the Betrayer’s blade at the Obsidian Gate in the Shadow Rift.
Undoubtedly, he had seen better days, this once charismatic creature was now but a hideous nosferateau . . . forever maimed and deformed by the catastrophic wounds inflicted upon him at that storied location. The vast scar and staples bisecting his throat, his stained and rusted plate armors and dirty bandage-wraps still clinging to his pale, bald, amphibian like flesh . . .
He spoke from the shadows in the voice of a snake dragged over gravel . . .
“Before his demise, Azalin had already conscripted two groups of assassins to dispatch the first five names . . .”
“If you desire your freedom, it shall be upon us to see to the elimination of the final four.”
Dorian had been Strahd’s slave for centuries . . . and to the extent of the last 26 years, in his present condition, one could only imagine with torturous lamentations and beseeching to the darkest gods for the freedom of death . . . to this tragic sentiment I could relate . . . and now, with Strahd’s demise but weeks ago . . . it seems his prayers were answered.
Dorian claimed this advanced knowledge by communications with the Cultist Rook and the Demon Tonic . . . entities I was acquainted with and whom Dorian claimed to have clandestinely initiated correspondence with after his perceived betrayal by Strahd when Strahd refused to fully re-vitalize his form after his defeat to Erathos and I twenty-eight years ago as punishment for his weakness . . . meanwhile, he claimed a warrior’s honor as to myself such that he harbored no continued ill-tidings towards me (a sentiment I continue to doubt the sincerity of).
The alibi however did explain his knowledge as he recited that the second group of assassins mentioned were indeed Tonic and Rook . . . further claiming they were already undertaken on their commission to eliminate Gabrielle Aderre of Invidia and Alfred Timothy of Verberek.
Beyond these killings, he insisted, there was yet one more requirement for the completion of Azalin’s plot. It was at this point he passed me a large magnificently and intricately bound book of parchment written by hand - - presumably the hand of Azalin.
The book appeared to be something of a ledger the former sorcerer kept . . . a catalogue of items of particular interest to him it seemed which formed important parts of various plots and schemes Azalin had engaged in that would span for decades or even centuries . . . The Doomsday Device, Crystal Daggers etc.
Dorian indicated to the final entry . . . something he believed necessary for the completion of Azalin’s last incomplete design to destroy the demi-plane allowing escape . . .
Curiously, it was not an item of magical nature at all . . . but of only seemingly physical value . . . a gem . . . the largest cut ruby in the known world no less . . . but nothing indicated any magical property. The notes, as well as Dorian’s interpretation of them both indicated its necessity - - its location was logged . . . but I needed no directions . . . I knew immediately its location . . . I had been there, indeed, I’d even seen it before . . . at the basin of the Lake of Red Tears, in the Domain of Forlorn.
Though I admittedly did not comprehend how such an ordinary stone could play a role in such a significant ritual. Dorian claimed he knew - - more lies or not - - he refused to disclose it, and, I have as of yet managed to extract it from him. In any event, he insisted, escape required completing these assassinations, recovering the gem and returning to the balcony chamber of Castle Avernus to complete the ritual. With this, it was settled . . .
We were from here to travel south, to recover the ruby from the basin of the Lake of Red Tears and, en-route or on return, dispatch the four unresolved names on Azalin’s list: Tristen ApBlanc of Forlorn; Sir Tristen Hiregaard of Nova Vaasa; The Three Witches of Tepest; and, Vlad Drakov of Falkovnia.
We departed that evening.
~ Koril Benshay – Vampire of the Mists
