The Shadow-Fire Sickness Incident

Infection of The First soul

2 Months ago in Kythorn, there was an incident that I and the Helmites were made aware of where Tristan had led a group down into the Shadow Wharftown area, and there were those that fell in the defense of himself and others who went down. Of those that fell, it was believed originally that only Tristan was the one who had displayed any truly adverse reactions, having been placed by Sharrans into the Nightmare Engine and had his mind affected by the shadow energies it conjures.

Taking to Shadow Wharftown, it was discovered that there was a writ-giver who would allow those from the Open Hand to take jobs. Thinking that this would be good training and good experience, Tristan took a small detachment of 6 Open Hand members, and 1 of the Gauntlet below. In events detailed in another writing on the topic, they were slain by a presence and the troupe of 7 had only 2 that supposedly escaped.

It was only several tendays later that when Berenor brought Jeniah into the Church of Helm, was it discovered something else had happened.

Jeniah had originally been said to have escaped the battle but while she had survived, escaped was not the correct word. Jeniah had fallen, and it was a curious issue. She fell by the combined attacks of a Balor and a Dracolich. While this normally would have sent someone straight to Kelemvors wall, something interesting happened to her and she was not killed. Instead, something arose within her and she was risen from the ground without ever leaving the shadow plane and allowed to walk with grievous injuries normally fatal.

Returning to her normal duties, it was not until my inspection of her that something did turn up evident of an underlying issue. Berenor insisted that she be inspected but at first all appeared fine. She had several deep waist-located injuries that had not healed properly and looked mal-formed and bruised. These were not the main injuries however, as when they were healed, they simply opened up again.

Using a burst of Divining Energy and in close proximity, I was able to surge her body with healing magic, putting her body in great stress and pain but revealing the culprit. Casting both Light and Cure Major Wounds, I divined her deeply and was able to perceive energies of both Shadow and Infernal nature. Something from both realms had implanted itself and festered within her.

At the moment, there was nothing that could be done for her and there would need to be a ritual that could extract energies. Becoming worried, several people were already about and were able to assist. Rosalie, Berenor, Tenoch and Bjorn were all standing by and able to assist, and my job I took was to start helping with making a ritual that would be able to strip her body and remove the energies foul and misplaced.

Initially this sounded easy, until the combination of separate rituals began being ever more necessary. I had started to design a ritual that would combine the Celestial might of Berenors Celestial Avenger to absorb and eradicate the infernal energies, while bolstering her body before trading off to my own circle to cast out and form shadow into Physical Being.

[Below it is shown a diagram of several circles on the page. The Circles intertwine with each-other trading Elven, Celestial and Draconic symbols taken from half a dozen scripts. Each of these circles bound together, making a pattern on the ground similar to a Triquetra bound within a circle, creating a small triangle in the middle bound within a second Triquetra.

The bindings of the Triquetra repeated the phrases over and over and the points of intersection bore inscriptions with the Elven and Celestial runes for Water, Fire, Air and Shadows. Each of these runes of the 3 elements and shadow were bound together in a circle, indicating the request of an item from the design. In the very center of each the Elven inscription of the word Gemstone would also be seen.]

The runic circles took over a tenday to fully design, and the addition of a 3rd spur and the formation of the Triquetra came to be needed when considering the addition of a 3rd caster to act as a focus point for the energies of Myself and Berenor. Creating the Triquetra circle to bolster her body using Gemstones of Sapphire infused with the Plane of Water, Ruby infused with the Plane of Fire, and Emerald infused within the Plane of Earth, they would have channeled into Jeniah to bolster her life energy while we forced the demonic energies from within her out.

The attempt was to be made three-fold.

- First: Draw out the Infernal Energy and bind it.

- Second: Draw out the Shadow and Materialize it, so it can be severed from the body.

- Third: While in the process, constantly have a 3rd caster (Rosalie Young) step the energies between us and Jeniahs body, keeping her strong without casting directly on her.

Berenors side of the ritual depended on taking the Celestial Avenger contained within his Holy blade, and absorbing the Infernal entity entirely, making it part of his being and forcing its life into his own. Something incredibly risky by itself but ultimately a self-contained process with no ill effects aside from on his own life.

Dregans side of the ritual depended on the removal of the Infernal energies first, and then stripping the Shadow from Jeniah and forcing it into a 4th, outer circle to bind it back into a physical form of its own so it may be eliminated. Part of what makes this important is that the energy and the effort of the affected is required to defeat the enemy that comes forth as the bond is made within the soul of the one that was affected and she would have to face off against an enemy that was both stronger and draining her of her own spirit and energy.

The third side, as mentioned would be a bolster to manage the energies and reduce the risk of anything going wrong as well as manage healing to Jeniah using the 3 sets of Jewels. This was important, as after several attempts to heal the wounds were made, it was apparent that Holy Healing magic was incredibly painful to use on her and she reacted violently when it was forced and cast upon her.

The 3 sets of jewels also had a secondary purpose. To force the shadows out of the host body, the use fo Shadow Wardstones was also needed. Using them in a pattern the gemstones would be set up in a pattern that would allow for their dual use, as a bolstering agent for Jeniah but at the same time as a restrictive guide against the Shadow Wardstones. The Wardstones are necessary to act as a form of bait to both draw out the shadow and force its physical form. 2 are needed, 4 would be best.

[Below are the descriptions of 3 gemstones and give exact measurements and descriptions for exactly how they were to be cut and where they were to be enchanted at as well as the Elven designs for a Circle of Elemental Imbuement.

The requirements described called for 4 stones of equal size, cut to the shape and size of a standard Emerald Cut Gemstone the size of a standard Emerald weighing .1 lbs. 12 gemstones, 4 each of Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire. The ritual to imbue them with the natural energies of the planes called for the casting upon a divine circle the spells Resist Elements, Endure Elements and Protection from Elements. The warding of the ritual circle was written in a way that it would bring the natural energies of the Plane cast within, drawing them to the gemstone and imbuing them with the latent energies of the plane. The ritual circle was designed to handle up to 4 gemstones at one time and was not specific to a certain element implying it could be used for all elemental types interchangeably.]

By the end of the 10th day of Flamerule, on 10/7/162, I had finished the inscriptions, Rosalie Young had given me the last of the Gemstones, and Jeniah would have been peacefully resting. The only things left to do at the moment, were to go and collect 2 more Shadow Wardstones and enchant the circles and begin scribing them with the runes designed and get them laid out. I also needed to chart out the route needed as the best place to do this ritual was a small place found within the Shadow Realm with lots of room, a quiet atmosphere, and low foot traffic.

None of that would happen.

The Rising of Shadows

Upon the tenday before the expected date of purification, those involved were about the island. I myself was attending the Moot of the Druids in the Heartwood Grove for the duration of the day and was planning on going on a trip to acquire more Shadow Wardstones and create the necessary gemstones from those provided to me after they were cut by Rosalie Young.

However, while visiting my friend Diana it was revealed to us through an illusion that something was wrong. Jeniah had gone missing. She had left the confines of her home and had gone about and people were  out searching for her. Messages after that point becoming ever more desperate as far as total effect, we made haste to her reported location. She was found and taken to the Open Hand in the Radiant Heart. Once there, it was observed that she was deteriorating fast. Tristan Eluron was there and was able to begin filling us in, along with several members of the Radiant heart and Gauntlet.

After speaking with those about, it was learned that she had gone again to the Shadow Plane without protections proper and that this likely exacerbated the issue. It is unclear what she was doing back down there but something had affected her again. Beyond that, people kept casting healing and holy magic without refrain upon her, further exacerbating her condition due to the nature of how the magic was affecting her person. She was reacting violently each time it was cast and the responses that she was responding with was to HEAL HER MORE. This unfortunately had the opposite effect on her as the Shadow and Infernal energies within her reacted with the holy magic creating a violent chain reaction of misfired weave energy within Jeniah.

Realizing that our time had come out, everything had to be moved up.

All the careful plans to have a selected spot? Gone.

All of the drawings of the Ritual circles? Condensed into a single pair of circles and simplified on the spot.

All the infusions of the gems? Done in an enchanting pool with a wand and a ranger who was given a huge promotion of a task so that it could be done at least halfway properly.

All of the time spent gathering the additional shadow Wardstones? Nope, did it with 2.

With no time to spare, all the plans we had made to do this in a safe and controlled manner boiled down to a huge mishmash of actions, and that didnt even stand to face the fact that there was another objective to be taken care of.

With the Radiant Hearts allowance, the enchantment of the gemstones took no issue. With Bael Aesan and Diana Nerelith I asked for their immediate assistance, the gems were to be enchanted as best we could with as little time as we had then been given to do it in, performing a shorter, condensed version of the ritual on the gems and hoping to infuse them as well as we could and pray it would be enough.

Once done, then there was the matter of severing the connection to the owner of the Shadows magic that needed to die. With the divination I had cast on Jeniah, the caster of the shade and its owner was someone of a dark, deep dark power. His residence was of the blackest void of the Shadow Realm, and with no time to spare, and with little hesitation, I led Diana Nerelith and Lief Saltvik to where I believe the source of what I had perceived to be. Deep within the Graveyards and disturbing scenery of the Shadow Cordor Graveyards, we found the entry into the Shadow Crypts. These Crypts were filled with all manner of hateful creatures however on the 2nd floor, deep in the temple resided a peculiar entity.

Unaffected by Negative Energy, the best way to describe this entity was something of a Lich version of an Illithid. Proclaimed to be a high researcher and surrounded by the grotesque and mutilated corpses of over a dozen victims, this Lich-ithid attacked. Defending its research or simply seeking to implant its spawn in another host body, Diana and Lief were able to easily apprehend and slay the beast with me. Breaking its connection with the host of the shade was imperative, as he would have acted as a similar item to a phylactery, re-invigorating the shade from afar and making it far more difficult to defeat.

With the defeat of the Illithid-Lich, there was only one action left to do. Head back and rejoin with the group and conduct the ritual to see if our time had been well spent or everything we had done was in vain. Days of effort, research, acquisition of materials. Now not only did every second count, we were only halfway prepared, rushed, and facing an ever-growing present threat to Jeniahs health both mentally and physically. Oozing black puss and vomiting blood, it was clear when we had parted that she had little time left.

The finished circle when I arrived was a very simplified version of the original design. Instead of being the nested, dual Triquetra, a simple single circle with a larger, runic circle in celestial was set aside it. Room still for the gems and Wardstones to be placed on the North and south, and the gems on the cardinals, we worked as fast as possible, calling forward with prayers in both Elven, and Celestial. Even misspeaking several times, I was able to conjure forth enough energy to assist in this regard when Berenor stepped forward and with the power of the Celestial Avenger he had stored within his sword, the Infernal energies were cast out of her body and she was instantly restored a portion of her health.

It would be optimistic at this point to say that the hard part was past, for it was not. We knew going into this that the removal of the Infernal energy was going to be the easy part of the job. The hard part came next, forcing the shadow, in its own realm, and with the power of only half of the planned on Wardstones to materialize it into its plane of existence.

Sparing no time and wasting little energy, it was myself and Rosalie Young who led the push of divine energies and prayers to make this effect. Forcing the Energy from her body took time and it took a lot of effort, and during this, we ran into the unfortunate actions of Bjorn. Bjorn, who in a fit of passion and wish to help, breached the circle not once, but 3 times over the course of the ritual. Having to be physically removed twice by tackling him from the circle, the energies were disrupted and we both had a hard time maintaining the connection needed to perform the ritual.

By some sheer luck however, we were able to hold on, and even though Bjorns interference did make the ending result a bit more unpredictably strong, it was still none the less brought to life.

What showed up, was a grotesque and shadow version of the same Illithid that we slew in the crypts. With Diana and Lief both at my sides, we waited.

This was going to be the truly hard part. The injured, and drained Jeniah had to stand and face the shade within her and force it from her body of her own will. This was important, as it is something that only the participant can do and without any other way to contain or disrupt the energies hold on her body, it was imperative that she perform this part of the ritual herself. There was no way specified however she chose to channel her summon, a giant Prismatic Dragon, and slew the Illithid Lich Shadow with some great effort.

It struggled and put up a strong fight, nearly taking the dragon down in the process however ultimately failing to defend itself and it fell and was obliterated with dragon flames back into the shadows it had once climbed out of. Finally, after days of worry we were able for the first time to look upon her body and see it was not bleeding a black, oozy puss.

With persons falling left and right and with a diminishing availability to defend, and the appearance of Drow walking up, it was time to retreat to Cordor. Taking the bodies, everyone struggled into two appearing warp gates, setting sights on returning to Cordor and recuperating inside the Open Hands home.

Purification of a second

The arrival in Cordor was something of a blessing to all. Finding our way into the town it felt like there was a weight off of everyones shoulders. I had Diana and Jeniah with me, lifting her almost and guiding her all the way over to the bed she was laid in. My hands worked on her instantly, healing all of the open wounds that had constantly been reopened and bandaged over and over. The wounds finally not smelling of foul, shadowy puss and ooze it was a good sign to see her healthy, even if she was still unconscious.

Diana took her leave at this time but not before allowing Rayne and Zuulanii to come in and check on the process. Convinced of this and somewhat uninterested now that there was no fighting, they left and immediately It was seen that Bael was also brought in. With Jeniahs wounds starting to be healed and sustaining her life again, attention began to turn to the Unconscious druid. Moments would pass by until finally when taken to the bed, something took hold of her, forcing her to her feet and shifting her from her normal form into one of an indistinguishable size and black aura. Similar to a panther in appearance she made her way quickly down off of their hiding post and step back into the shadows, which it appeared to do as it was lost shortly after a pursuit began.

Stunning and worrying everyone, chase was given, even by myself who was grievously tired and exhausted, found the strength to continue the pursuit of Bael as she started making her escape. Not expecting her to be far, she was located and blocked from escaping the area of the free portal. It was revealed that the Shade which had been extracted from Jeniah, after the tampering of the circle by Bjorn, had used the time to escape and infect Bael. Having her own weakness to shadows due to her own infection previously.

The Shade demanded to be allowed to return to its home, fighting and complaining, and with the Bael as a hostage for its demands. With a gathering crowd in force, we were undeterred in letting it pass, with Vostin standing his foot directly in the portal and holding it closed so that it could not escape and the powers of an epic Abjurer at work preventing a portal being surged from a lense. Knowing I could not fight her as she was and needing more strength, I let Shaomass and Hotheit loose, both of them able to easily physically fight her should it ever have come to such a conflict. However, when Luna Nutcracker showed up, we were in good hands.

As we conversed and stalled the foe, she set up another makeshift circle of purification. With powers of holy divine, and very little preparation, she was able to call upon Helm and force the shade back into a shadow and out. Without being in her for long, it was not bonded tightly to Bael as it had been with Jeniah. Bjorn was trying to assist as well but again, jumping into the circle he had to be kicked out, Rayne hitting him in the stomach to disable him and remove him from the circle.

Bael was drug from the circle and the shade remained where a combination of both Dragon flame and Word of Faith were able to dispel the shade entirely, removing it from existence while bound within the circle.

Two possessions of the same shade were due to the breach of the first circle. When Bjorn stepped through he contacted Jeniah, and the shade bridged the gap. When we had thought it destroyed, it forced a portion of its power into her, infecting her already weak heart and taking control inside of her body. Because it was weakened significantly and only a fraction of its initial strength, we had little difficulty with it, however it presented a growing failure of Bjorn and his lack of control regarding the rituals being performed.

No-one noticed the real issue.

The Purification of Bjorn, Faltered Man

A Tenday later, I finally received word that Bael was resting well and that she was recovering swiftly. Her ordeals, as Druid and as possessed person are deeming of merit too high for me to praise.

Jeniah was also similarly recovering well, her body finally taking to healing and the wounds on her abdomen healing steadily with no signs of reopening and no black, oozing puss coming from the cavities that were being created.

Berenor, for all his actions, took on a fair amount of Infernal energies and himself was pushed close to death but it was not his time. Berenor Silver-wind, the great knight of Benwick that still walks with us, had yet again aided in the life saving efforts of another.

Myself, I rested heartily. Over a tenday I spent in this damn bed in the Churchs Bunks above Helms Chapel and in this time I have been writing these accounts to document what has happened so far.

Rayne, her situation has unchanged. Still having difficulty with her memory after the first encounter following Tristan down into the Shadow Wharftown to do writs, her memory issues seem unrelated. However, she is progressing, Bjorn has worked with her trying to show her his love and being a good influence, as much as he can be. His love for her is known and his feelings are deep.

Zuulanii seems to be fine, as does Lief. The trip into the Shadow Wharftown dont seem to have had any adverse actions on them.

Rosalie Young was well and healthy as well, having assisted greatly with myself and Berenor she was an important part of the process, acting as a balancing force between the surges of Divine Elven Magic and Celestial Avenger powers coming together. Without her, it would have been likely that one or more would have perished or the ritual itself failed.

We have heard nothing of the Drow that encountered us as we were escaping with Jeniah and Baels unconcious bodies from the Shadow Realm. They were not mentioned earlier but as we were escaping we did encounter 3 Drow, but we made haste into portals and ran back to the Prime plane.

Everything seemed fine. Until it wasnt.

Alittle under 2 tendays after our return, I was returning to the Church after making a few rounds out in Cordor, checking the board and making sure everything had been returned. I was also looking for Rosalie Young, for she still had my ritual circle and several of the gemstones used for the ritual that I wanted back.

Bjorn approached me in Cordor square and asked to walk with me back to the church. He was being kind and I appreciated the gesture as we did. However, when we arrived back at the church, something was wrong.

His normal speaking cadence changed, his demeanor seemed to flip violently between Aggressive, passive, demanding and apologetic. Like there were two sides to the same man trying to speak at the same time. He demanded, that I work harder to cure Rayne and as I tried to explain that, working with the mind is delicate and that she was still quite living, she was just different, he put his hands on me.

Bjorn grabbed me in anger, and with little hesitation Shaomass was driven from my form, forcefully and defensively taking over my body to drive Bjorn back. He stumbled back in what looked like both fear and shock but only for a moment. He was distressed, angry, confused, and now violent. Something was clearly wrong with him.

I followed him, as he ran from the church. He returned to his home where I followed him in secret, slowly moving behind him in shadow until arriving at his door. Knocking and taking a risk, after hearing things being cast from behind his door and the ringing of a hammer on metal, I steeled myself for this encounter. Bjorn finally opened the door and with little to say I stepped inside.

Questioning him on his behavior, he appeared demented, split. His behaviors were aberrant, being apologetic and passive one moment and threatening the next, even raising a hammer at me after some time had passed. This second act of violence was again met with Shaomass being elicited from my form and we together stayed, questioning him consciously.

Bjorn revealed that he was possessed, as well. A shiver of both anger and disappointment rattled me momentarily but I regained my composure as we fought to understand WHAT had gained ahold of Bjorn.

A second shade, upon arriving in the Shadow Plane, had touched Bjorn and he was instantly infected by its will. Unaffected by the first shade, it was what had caused him to act as he did during the rituals, trying to save the life of the shade that possessed Jeniah and Bael.

Bjorn was in conflict, and for his efforts, he was working quite strongly to try and push the being, but his willpower simply wasnt enough. Though he was able to suppress himself long enough for me to take him to the Cordorian Jail

Gracie, the guard under Anavias command was able to assist us by placing Bjorn in jail. Locked in the cell, he was questioned and Gracie taking upon herself, went into the locked cage. Using holy magic, she castigated Bjorn feverishly, attempting to both cause harm to the shade and Drive it from him. This had no effect, and its grip on him was strong. The holy magic doing similar to what it did with Jeniah, causing him to shrivel and quake in fear and pain. The shade even taunting and jibing for more, antagonizing its captors.

After nothing new was learned, Gracie finally left the confines of the cage leaving him secure.

Or so it was thought.

Afterwards, we left together. Speaking with Anavia and letting her know what was in the cages below the city, Itzal chastised us for actions of the shadows. He spoke of why we didnt consult Shadow Dancers like himself or Miranda when it came to problems like this. Having no answer, we did shrug but asked him to come and make himself known down below. Maybe he could find out something we could not.

However, when we got back down, Bjorn was gone. It turns out, he found a loose brick in the wall, and was able to PUNCH HIS WAY OUT OF THE JAIL. He had been placed down with no weapons, no buffing, no potions, and this man in all his holy powers was able to beat his fists against rocks and free himself, digging an escape tunnel out of the back of the prison and escaping into the farmlands.

Flabbergasted, we tried to pursue him, but it was too late. He left the ley and made his way out, running from Cordor to Skal. It was clear though, this was made in haste to get away. Bjorn was from Skal originally and he knew its lands as a place of comfort for him. More than likely the shade knew this from Bjorns own memories and went there to escape and bide its time. Thinking we would not pursue it so far or pursue it so quickly.

We were ready within a Tenday.

Calling on Rosalie and Berenor yet again, as well as Rayne to assist, we formulated a plan. While I am not a member of the Gauntlet or Helm church officially, I revere a certain level of respect for the men and woman, and my Wife of Helm. Courageous, steadfast, loyal and kind. These are the people that have laid down their lives and put themselves in greater risk than many on the island for those who are ungrateful yet are unwavering in their convictions.

I would never wish to fight alongside any others.

Pulling aside Jensen as High Justice to inform him what had happened, that Bjorn had been able to effect one of the most stunning Jailbreaks Ive ever witnessed, and to inform him on what had been going on.

Wulf, Rayne, Zuulanii, Rosalie and Berenor stood with me in that hallway in the Church as I let Jensen know what was going on. Stressed, a bit past exhausted and very very pale, the plan had to act quickly. There was little time to move, as Bjorn was already weak of mind.

Rayne insisted on going ahead, against advice, and heading to Skal herself to track down Bjorn. The rest of us needed to work quickly because the same ritual that was being prepared for Jeniah? The full one was now needed.

My analysis of Bjorn was of a man who was opposite of Jeniah. Where her attachment to the shade was actively combatted and weak, the difficult of Jeniahs case was forcing it from her and into a physical form. Once done, the shade was to be severed from her and the shade was incredibly potent. Being of a very high strength and coming from a strong creator, the shade within her could be formed into physical materialization but severing it from her was the easy part as she was more able to be severed because of her active resistance of it.

Bjorn is the opposite. The forcing it to a materialization was the easy part. Casting it from him and severing the bond was the hard part. While not as strong and willful as the former shade, this one was able to invade deep into his heart, and active resistance was not enough as his willpower did not have the same effect to shove it from his being. Actively cleansing his spirit from the shade would be more difficult because Bjorn would most likely not be able to do this himself.

Even beaten, battered and bruised, Jeniah was still powerful enough to summon with her own strength her Dragon Prismatic to defeat the shade and break its hold on her herself. Bjorn would have no such strength and would need help.

The ritual needed to be forced to work with the full strength of the original design. The entire Dual Triquetra design, All 3 sets of enchanted gemstones, and 4 Shadow Wardstones. Without this, it would be near impossible to defeat this shade because of its devious nature without suffering losses.

And even then it may not be avoidable.

Leaving on the 1st of Eleasis, I collected the party that had volunteered to go with me and pursue Bjorn and Rayne. Myself, Rosalie, Berenor and Zuulanii boarded the Warship of Cordor, the Vanguard, in pursuit of Skal. The trip itself was rather uneventful even when storms pushed us back to Cordor initially and we had to restart the trip from Cordor to Skal yet again. Instead of taking around a 12-hour sail, we had to make the trip over the course of nearly an entire day, sailing from sun, to moon to sun again.

Arriving in Skal after the long sail, we received word that Bjorn was detained. Rayne had been successful in capturing him and sent us a message to the knowledge of this. Zuulanii was able to lead us instantly to the jail, making way for the prisons where he was being held.

Final preparations were made while he was interrogated in the cell, and Rayne did what she could to weaken the shade within him, forcing its will to the surface and keeping him exhausted. It took nearly 4 hours to set the circles and prepare the ritual in full. And even then, I didnt feel fully prepared.

Setting the circles and forming the Triquetra design, 2 Celestial casters, 1 druidic, focuses of the Fire, Water and Earth elements, shadow Wardstones and the containment zone for the shadow itself It still didnt feel like enough.

Nerves? Worry? Fear? Anguish

The shade was it exerting forces from Bjorn unto us?

It had to be purged. There was no going back.

Summoning Bjorn directly into the first circle, binding him to it and forcing his form to release the shade and creating 2 versions of himself, Bjorn and the Shade were unable to be separated. So, instead, I created a feint. The Bjorn summoned was not the true Bjorn, it was an illusion, created in haste and everything from this point was a feint to trick the shade. Inverting the ritual and focusing on binding Bjorn who was still infected, the ritual was then conducted upon the illusion of Bjorn, brought to life by the will of Fenmarel as a scapegoat, the domain of my lord, to castigate the shade.

Bjorn was subdued, several times. Violently resisting, We cast fast, enchanting the circle, empowering the circles and resisting its lure. Zuulanii, with her powers was able to step into the circle and fought with it as it lashed out, hitting Berenor, hitting myself, and actively tring to break the circles. Tied, subdued, and beaten back, the shade finally begun to lose strength.

In a moment of desperation, in the haze of the casting, I had a revelation.

Taking in my hand a 5th shade stone, I thrust it into the illusion of Bjorn, Binding it to the form. Calling out to the shade, taunting it, I beckoned it to take Bjorn and in the confusion

It worked.

The shade, believing itself to having been cast aside from Bjorn the entire time attempted to rejoin with the Illusion of Bjorn. The feint had worked, and in that single moment of weakness, I allowed myself to be consumed again by Shaomass and an eruption of holy dragon fire blew down upon the illusion and Bjorn.

The shadow was fractured, broken and dispersed. Pulling from Fenmarel, pulling from Rosalie and Bjorn, I cast the shattered fragments of the shade, purged with dragons flame inside the circle, and split it up into 5 pieces, embedding them into the Shade stones originally meant to force the form from Bjorn.

Bjorn, Myself, Berenor and Rosalie all fell to the floor in concert.

IT was over. The Shade was finally purged of Bjorns body, and dispersed into the shade stones. Using them like magnets for shadow, it was over, and they were collected together to be bound. On our return to Cordor, these shade stones and shards were given to Itzal for disposal.

Our mission completed, our bodies battered but ultimately alive, A portal was conjured, and all returned from Skal to recover.

I write this final report of the adventures, sitting in bed back in the Church. Bjorn has returned to his home after accompanying me to the church again. This time, his normal persona is back. He asked me not to pursue healing Rayne anymore, and his acceptance of this reality, and his own tainting, may have something to do with it. I mean to ask him again, once we are all more well.

Rosalie and Rayne are recovering together in Rosalies home. Taken there they are both well exhausted and Rayne was disturbed greatly by the shade. Her mental status is one that needs attention as well and will need guidance to heal properly.

Berenor, for hell or high water, is still with us and is also healing. Returning to his own home, he was instrumental, and his efforts are without reproach. I am grateful that not once, but twice was this man at my side and able to strip a shade yet again, without losing his own life in the process.

I will write my analysis of this, as well as an abridged, notated form as well. There will be the accounts of the others taken as there is much to learn from these failures. There is much that we need to learn, for this was an aberration of balance. This is something that must not be allowed to happen again, as the darkness feasts on our fears and lives deep within us once grown to sufficient strength.

Participants

The first Purification

Jeniah - Victim and possessed by Shadows. Referring to this as Shadowfire Sickness
Dregan Young - Druid, Primary Caster
Bael Aesan - Druid, Secondary Caster
Diana Nerelith - Ranger, Primary Bowhand, Ranger and Defender, Purged the Lich-Illithid
Leif Saltvik - Defender, Assisted in the purge of the Lich-Illithid
Tristan Eluron - defender at the Radiant
Berenor Silver-wind - Holy knight, responsible for infernal energy elimination, Infernal.
Rosalie Young - Cleric, Secondary Caster, managing energies and physical restoration of Jeniahs body.
Vostin Opal-Guard - Defender
Rayne - Defender
Bjorn  Defender. Broke the circle and had to be removed.

The Second Purification

Bael Aesan - Victim, possessed by shadown after Bjorns interference in the first purification.
Luna Nutcracker - Cleric of Helm, Primary Caster. Purified Bael.
Dregan Young - Druid, Defender. Called upon dragons Shaomass and Hotheit to detain the shade.
Bjorn - Defender. Broke the circle and had to be removed.
Rayne - Defender.
Zuulanii Ironblood - Defender
Other citizens that did nothing to assist were also about. Ended peacefully with no one being harmed.

The Third Purification

Bjorn Thorkin - Victim, Possessed by shadows prior to the first purification and was infected when the circles were broken the first 2 times.
Dregan Young - Druid, Primary Caster.
Rosalie Young - Cleric, Secondary Caster, reinforcement of binding circle.
Berenor Silver-Wind - Reinforcement of Holy Avenger magic.
Rayne - Avenger, detained Bjorn on Skal
Zuulanii Ironblood - Defender, fought the shade within Bjorn and subdued his body
Quincy - Defender, accompanied Rayne.