Woah this immediately got way more terrifying. And it sounds like whatever that thing is, it’s under the control of the Silver. They sure have a terrible host of monstrosities. Who knows what other “minions” they could have under their control.
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Ooookaayy. So we just went from defcon 10 to defcon 1 real fast. I’m officially kind of spooked, though intrigued nonetheless. I’m curious to as to who or what the pupeteer woman is.
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I know there’s not much to be done but wait for the rest of the journals, but knowing that the Manor was infiltrated and that they’ve already lost people is hard to just sit with.
Also, with the potential of the Joradians failing, and the Silver clearly on the offensive, it feels like we may be vulnerable too. Unless that was the intent behind the veil, to cut us off from that potential threat… only a little anxious at the moment it’s fine
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One-eyed mirror-demon ladies. Why does it always have to be one-eyed mirror-demon ladies…
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That’s a really good though maybe it’s to protect us from the creepy one eyed parasite which if it is the case I’m totally fine with 
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I mean when you look at it that way 
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So…
True to my roots as an original Mountaineer stan, I just checked Eaves’ activity (as I do) and saw that he posted to an old Deirdre blog thread about nine hours ago!
I’m glad everything went okay. I’m curious what will come of this spell if anything. Fingers crossed.
And speaking of spell sickness…
I’m just starting to turn the corner.
The after-effects of the communion affinity are already tough to handle, but Yuridia thinks it hit me especially hard this time because I left the last “passage” open for eleven days so I could make sure I heard from you. Apparently, constantly casting a spell for nearly two weeks where your consciousness is being beamed across the world is bad. You learn something new every day.
Good news, Martin completed his search, and I’ve spoken with him. I didn’t realize how good it would be to reconnect with that particular old friend. The first thing he asked was if you all were okay back there behind the wall. He also mentioned that he’s looking for some of our other old friends, particularly Aether, and he would update when he had information. Martin’s on the case.
Less than good news…The herald isn’t well, and we don’t know how much time she has left. We thought she would hang on at least until whatever thing happened to usher in the new age, but we’re not sure now. She sees things, and we’re no longer sure if they’re visions, or her mind finally failing. There’s not enough power left for her to see through the dark, but now we don’t know if she would even be coherent enough to try. She talks about oracles being reborn, and never-ending seasons, and massive mechanical creatures filling the sky. Her granddaughter is with her, but her daughter has refused the call. She can’t bring herself to believe, and there’s nothing else we can do without risking the sanctuary. The herald taught us all to try and accept everything while expecting nothing, but I can’t help but wish she could stay. She changed my life. She gave me clarity when I was lost.
I know the sanctuary will live on without her. I just don’t want it to.
Please tell me you have good news.
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I feel really bad for him, and also whoever has to tell him who cast the wall spell. 
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Anyone want to add the 3rd entry and try to send it or should I just suck it up and let Eaves be angry at me?
Also, I had a thought…or rather an tin foil thought… when I said earlier Ascender and the early mounties talked about butterflies a lot. Something hit me.
If Ascender did do this. I don’t think this is a wall, or a leaden veil, or a prison, or a trap.
I’m starting to think of it as a chrysalis. Intended to protect during a transformation. I guess we’ll see what sort of butterfly he thinks will emerge.
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I’m willing to send the message if you want to draft up what to say.
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It’s a kind offer @BrokenVoid, but I’ll own up to breaking this to him. I owe him that.
Below is the text edited. If anyone would like to suggest additions let me know, otherwise I can send it tomorrow.
We’re very sorry to hear about the Herald’s worsening condition. Please give her our thanks for the help she’s given us and our friends so far. If she means this much to you, then she means as much to us.
And now for our own good/bad news. We’ve received information from three of the six journals so far, Tides, Ore and Thought. All three entries contain the thoughts of Ascender. We do not know what this means. We are trying not to assign motivation until we have a more complete picture.
After he left the the mountaineers Ascender went to find the Ocular Eye. Here’s what he found there.
When I found it, I chose Despair and Illumination.
The Eye told me that if the Mountaineers were successful, the new age would only dawn with an unseen event that would catalyze the story, an event that would be decades in the making. An event that would stretch across time, tome, and affiliation, ringing in a hard-fought and hard-won age. The Book of Briars.
But it also told me that in that new age, there would be three opposing forces, forces representing the Eye’s three sights — Hope, Illumination, and Despair.
One new and wholly formed from belief in something better. One ancient and all-seeing. The source of this world’s shadows. And a third only beginning to coalesce, made from adumbral factions, but striving for light and learning.
Ascender and the others were holed up in an apartment building in Philadelphia’s Old City. The Monarch’s Manor and old lair. Knatz, Endri and Bash were there at least with him. They’re protections were falling, and even the Joradian safeguards were beginning to crumble.
At the end of the second entry he revealed he was scared that if all the protections fell, everything we’ve all been fighting for would be destroyed.
The third entry in Thought details an ambush by the Silver against them with some one eyed, ethereal woman possessing some pour soul to pretend to be the Collector to draw them out. At the time of the writing Ascender was sure there was a Silver spy within Monarch’s Manor.
Each of these entries has also come with a rune of sorts with them. We’re not entirely sure what to make of them if they are just for focus, or they have deeper meaning. Perhaps Alison and your collective magiq brain trust in Sanctuary recognizes any of them.
#1 Tides
#2 Ore
#3 Thought
I know in all likelihood these journal entries represent thoughts Ascender had over a year ago,and maybe no one is even there anymore now. But if there’s anything you, or the others can do to check in on them and aid them maybe they could use your help. And maybe they can explain to you just what exactly happened that put us in here.
I know you have rules to not reach out to for Sanctuary’s own good, but this is all going to come to a head soon. You all might be able to help one another. If not for Ascender, then for Endri, Bash and Knatz at least.
Keep safe. Tell Martin we’re just fine like always. We’ll tell you more as we discover it.
-Robert
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Do you think it would be relevant to mention the runes from the journals?
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They may know something about the runes that we don’t!
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Definately include the runes on the post, we need to see if they know anything.
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Good ideas! Updated my post above with the runes and to address some of what Eaves mentioned re: the herald.
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Looks good to me. Maybe give it a little more time in case people have anything else they think should add, and then send it.
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Looks like it vanished. Now we wait.
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We have another one!
So, I was just gaming with some friends earlier and began smelling flowers. Course, being mid-game I didn’t particularly think too much about it, we normally have a vase of something in the room. Wasn’t until I got out of a match like 15mins later I realised we hadn’t bought flowers in ages! I followed the scent up to my room, where I’d hidden the notebook I’d used for the spell in a draw so my parents wouldn’t see whatever weird thing was going to happen to it.
Well, I had vines with these gorgeous pale blue flowers (shame I couldn’t save any of them) creeping across my carpet from the draw. I have no idea how they managed to grow through the cracks, but plants will find a way apparently. Draw was wedged closed of course, but I got it to open after clearing some of the vines away. Worse part was trying to get the book to open. Here’s the message:
I dreamed about the thing in the mirror last night. I never saw it myself. But I saw Knatz’ face when she described the woman with one white eye to me, her claws digging into the old woman she was perched on, wrapped around. Knatz’ voice had been trembling.
It was like the first time you saw your mother or father afraid of something. It changes your worldview. Knatz isn’t scared of anything, except that thing in the mirror. And now it’s on my shoulders too.
The day at the lighthouse changed everything here. It wasn’t just losing five members, it was realizing someone must’ve tipped the Silver off from the inside, and that the Silver never stopped coming for us. We had no idea they had a plan until their trap had snapped on our necks.
Morale is starting to crumble. I can see it. Small ways now, but cracks become crevasses, and we have no idea who the informant is. Did Itsuki even know that he’d betrayed the Mountaineers, or are they all sleepwalkers, blindly answering the call of some unseen thing, unaware what they’re really doing?We had to stem the fear and doubt. Knatz gathered everyone left on the main floor for a reflection test. It was a nerve-wracking half-hour as every member took their turn in front of the front hall mirror.
Everyone was clean. Knatz explained to everyone that whoever was compromised must have been on the crew to the lighthouse. She told them Endri and Bash are working with a powerful adept to try and reassemble the destroyed library databases in the hopes that they can continue the Mountain’s research on protections and put together something stronger than the failing Joradians. But Knatz and I both know that adept power is waning and the mirror is a panacea. The Silver has most of what’s left of magic in the world. They may have found a way to control one of us in a thousand ways. Ways a mirror wouldn’t show.
Maybe that’s what they wanted. To make us doubt each other. Sow seeds of discord and watched us fall apart. Knatz and I reassured them with lies, but the lies won’t last forever.
—
Wyckstrand woke up the manor last night. He was yelling up from the street, begging to be let in. I met him at the chained door. He said he got away from the Silver and made his way back to the states, but they might find him and retake him at any minute. He’d be safe inside.
He refused the mirror, so I had to make the call. I left him to howl outside the door until morning broke. He was gone by the time the sun came up.Maybe he was the informant. Maybe we’re safe now, at least until the safeguards fail. Maybe we’ll find a way to protect ourselves. Or maybe they’re still inside, and they wanted us to rest easy.
Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.
We also have another watermark. Sorry it’s not great, my drawing skills suck (so many circles), I’ll try and get a digital version up in a bit so it’s clearer:
Now, please excuse me while I clear the rest of the vines and try to brush off a load of pollen from the flowers (so glad I don’t get hay fever right now).
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Cleaner version:
I am much better with a computer than a pen, lol
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