Valda
Member
Hello everyone. I have been lurking on the forums for a while now, but this is my first post. It is the copy of journal entries of one of my characters, Chloe. She is still making her way through the dungeons, so I expect she will continue updating it. As soon as I get my hands on more, I will post it here as well. I hope some of you will enjoy this.
Where am I?
I woke up in a dark room on stone floor. I feel very cold. I'm still trying to figure out how I got here, or remember anything at all, really. Someone left a burning torch on the floor next to me. I warmed my hands and I'll try to use it to get a picture of where I am. I will keep this journal to help me gather my thoughts and hopefully piece together what has happened to me.
The only clue I have is a cryptic note I found lying beside me. It doesn't give me much comfort. Truthfully, if I wasn't frightened before, I am after reading this.
This place
I'm wandering the empty halls of what appears to be a keep of some sort. The walls are thick, made of large stone blocks. My torch only lights a small area around me and that makes it difficult to keep a sense of direction. I still feel very uncomfortable being half naked, even though there doesn't seem to be anyone around to see me.
I am back here, in the room I woke up in. It must have been about half an hour since I barricaded the door behind me. I don't hear anything, but there is someone out there. I'm sure I saw a man. I didn't get a good look before I slammed the door and ran, but he didn't look right. I think he didn't go after me. Maybe he is sick? He could have gotten here like me, and he is just confused. I should go back there. But I am very afraid.
A person
I opened the door again. He was still there. My heart was racing but this time, I stood still. I held up my torch and got a closer look at his face. First, I saw his rotting flesh and the vacant look in his eyes. Then the smell of decay hit me. At first I thought this was some form of leprosy, but after observing the man for a while from a distance, I think it may be something else entirely.
I tried talking to him of course, but I was answered only by silence or inarticulate grunts. Though he seems to be completely harmless, I will refrain from physical contact.
Attacked
Now that I have collected myself, I can finally record the events that took place in the last hour. I was attacked by a creature similar to the one I described earlier. I say creature, because by now I am convinced that these things are not human in nature. This one attacked me like a feral beast. It seemed to have enough motor skills to use a crude hand saw for a weapon, but it's movements were clumsy and inaccurate. I made use of my torch and the lid of a barrel I picked up before my second encounter with the docile creature. If I weren't so startled and frightened by the sudden attack, I would have surely been able to incapacitate the attacker in a matter of moments. Even so, I was barely hurt. The few scratches should heal, unless, gods forbid, they get infected.
Considering the state the dead creature was in, I was very reluctant when it came to using it's clothes to cover myself. I do not regret my decision now, for I am fully clothed and relatively warm. One thing that would definitely improve my situation would be some fitting shoes.
Lucky
I've come to address these creatures as "ghouls" in my mind. I can hear several of them move outside of the room I closed myself in. I try to keep away from them and they do not pay me much attention apart from the occasional stare. I have been trying to find anything useful in case of another attack. I even found some pretty sturdy high boots, and fortunately they fit me perfectly.
This place was surely once very active, there are traces of people living and working here. I found a smithy and some warehouses. I am starting to suspect this entire complex is underground, as i have yet to see a single window.
I am hurt
It's not a deep wound, but head injuries tend to bleed a lot. I discovered some sanitary facilities, unfortunately, they were occupied. This one was a very large ghoul and he managed to hit me across the side of my head with a metal bar. I need some rest. Conveniently enough, I find myself in a restroom.
I will need to be constantly on guard for encounters like this.
The north
Both doors that lead to the south are locked, so I am heading north for now. I am glad that I am able to tell cardinal directions, since I found an old, yet functional compass. I am currently writing on a table in a room previously used to grow or study different kinds of plants, as I can tell from a book that I found here, as well as the large number of planting pots around the room.
From time to time I happen upon a chest or a box containing some clothing or other equipment, usually considerably more preserved than what I acquired by stripping my attackers. I am glad to be mostly rid of their stench.
Story of the dead
I have no accurate means of measuring time, but I haven't spent too long in this place and I can already observe it changing me. I am currently sitting in a chair, previously occupied by a dead body that I pushed down to the floor before I stripped it of a waistcoat that I wanted for myself. In its pocket, there was a letter.
I assume the man's name was Mathis. The content of the letter doesn't make much sense yes. I will keep it in hope of learning more information to help me figure all of this out. Mentions of bandits and kidnappings don't leave me at peace.
Mathis's body doesn't show the same signs of decomposition as the ghouls. He has clearly been dead for some time, but I believe he died human, without suffering the same affliction as these soulless creatures.
A key I found on the table gives me hope, as keys do.
Tragic love story
The scene in this room brought tears to my eyes. My vivid imagination can clearly see the young man protecting his beloved to the last breath, fighting off the ghouls and even killing one of them in his final effort. The girl's fate was arguably even more frightening as she starved to death behind locked doors.
My thoughts inevitably slide to picturing my own demise somewhere close, in a room like this one.
The key works
I was able to open both of the locked doors with Mathis's key. One of the doors led me to some sort of a prison area, with cells and cages. It may also have been used to keep animals. I was attacked again by one of the ghouls, but by now I am confident in my ability to defend myself against them. So far I have only had to fight one at a time though, I fear what would happen if more of them decided to attack me at once. I have to avoid such situations.
The other door opened a large area that I will need to explore further, if I hope to find a way out of here.
A real prison
It has been a while since my last entry. If I described the couple cages and cells i encountered before as a prison, the name doesn't do any justice to where I find myself now. Halls full of cells and cages large and numerous enough to hold dozens upon dozens of inmates. According to what i could make out of an old logbook, multiple guards were assigned here.
On a table in a room at the very end of the prison hallway, there was, in addition to some strange equipment, a skull. I can't even imagine the kind of creature that would possess such a piece of anatomy. I surely hope there are no living specimen around.
I feel much more confident now that I have found a sword in one of the cells. I got used to my machete, yet it feels a lot better to finally have a real weapon.
Where am I?
I woke up in a dark room on stone floor. I feel very cold. I'm still trying to figure out how I got here, or remember anything at all, really. Someone left a burning torch on the floor next to me. I warmed my hands and I'll try to use it to get a picture of where I am. I will keep this journal to help me gather my thoughts and hopefully piece together what has happened to me.
The only clue I have is a cryptic note I found lying beside me. It doesn't give me much comfort. Truthfully, if I wasn't frightened before, I am after reading this.
This place
I'm wandering the empty halls of what appears to be a keep of some sort. The walls are thick, made of large stone blocks. My torch only lights a small area around me and that makes it difficult to keep a sense of direction. I still feel very uncomfortable being half naked, even though there doesn't seem to be anyone around to see me.
I am back here, in the room I woke up in. It must have been about half an hour since I barricaded the door behind me. I don't hear anything, but there is someone out there. I'm sure I saw a man. I didn't get a good look before I slammed the door and ran, but he didn't look right. I think he didn't go after me. Maybe he is sick? He could have gotten here like me, and he is just confused. I should go back there. But I am very afraid.
A person
I opened the door again. He was still there. My heart was racing but this time, I stood still. I held up my torch and got a closer look at his face. First, I saw his rotting flesh and the vacant look in his eyes. Then the smell of decay hit me. At first I thought this was some form of leprosy, but after observing the man for a while from a distance, I think it may be something else entirely.
I tried talking to him of course, but I was answered only by silence or inarticulate grunts. Though he seems to be completely harmless, I will refrain from physical contact.
Attacked
Now that I have collected myself, I can finally record the events that took place in the last hour. I was attacked by a creature similar to the one I described earlier. I say creature, because by now I am convinced that these things are not human in nature. This one attacked me like a feral beast. It seemed to have enough motor skills to use a crude hand saw for a weapon, but it's movements were clumsy and inaccurate. I made use of my torch and the lid of a barrel I picked up before my second encounter with the docile creature. If I weren't so startled and frightened by the sudden attack, I would have surely been able to incapacitate the attacker in a matter of moments. Even so, I was barely hurt. The few scratches should heal, unless, gods forbid, they get infected.
Considering the state the dead creature was in, I was very reluctant when it came to using it's clothes to cover myself. I do not regret my decision now, for I am fully clothed and relatively warm. One thing that would definitely improve my situation would be some fitting shoes.
Lucky
I've come to address these creatures as "ghouls" in my mind. I can hear several of them move outside of the room I closed myself in. I try to keep away from them and they do not pay me much attention apart from the occasional stare. I have been trying to find anything useful in case of another attack. I even found some pretty sturdy high boots, and fortunately they fit me perfectly.
This place was surely once very active, there are traces of people living and working here. I found a smithy and some warehouses. I am starting to suspect this entire complex is underground, as i have yet to see a single window.
I am hurt
It's not a deep wound, but head injuries tend to bleed a lot. I discovered some sanitary facilities, unfortunately, they were occupied. This one was a very large ghoul and he managed to hit me across the side of my head with a metal bar. I need some rest. Conveniently enough, I find myself in a restroom.
I will need to be constantly on guard for encounters like this.
The north
Both doors that lead to the south are locked, so I am heading north for now. I am glad that I am able to tell cardinal directions, since I found an old, yet functional compass. I am currently writing on a table in a room previously used to grow or study different kinds of plants, as I can tell from a book that I found here, as well as the large number of planting pots around the room.
From time to time I happen upon a chest or a box containing some clothing or other equipment, usually considerably more preserved than what I acquired by stripping my attackers. I am glad to be mostly rid of their stench.
Story of the dead
I have no accurate means of measuring time, but I haven't spent too long in this place and I can already observe it changing me. I am currently sitting in a chair, previously occupied by a dead body that I pushed down to the floor before I stripped it of a waistcoat that I wanted for myself. In its pocket, there was a letter.
I assume the man's name was Mathis. The content of the letter doesn't make much sense yes. I will keep it in hope of learning more information to help me figure all of this out. Mentions of bandits and kidnappings don't leave me at peace.
Mathis's body doesn't show the same signs of decomposition as the ghouls. He has clearly been dead for some time, but I believe he died human, without suffering the same affliction as these soulless creatures.
A key I found on the table gives me hope, as keys do.
Tragic love story
The scene in this room brought tears to my eyes. My vivid imagination can clearly see the young man protecting his beloved to the last breath, fighting off the ghouls and even killing one of them in his final effort. The girl's fate was arguably even more frightening as she starved to death behind locked doors.
My thoughts inevitably slide to picturing my own demise somewhere close, in a room like this one.
The key works
I was able to open both of the locked doors with Mathis's key. One of the doors led me to some sort of a prison area, with cells and cages. It may also have been used to keep animals. I was attacked again by one of the ghouls, but by now I am confident in my ability to defend myself against them. So far I have only had to fight one at a time though, I fear what would happen if more of them decided to attack me at once. I have to avoid such situations.
The other door opened a large area that I will need to explore further, if I hope to find a way out of here.
A real prison
It has been a while since my last entry. If I described the couple cages and cells i encountered before as a prison, the name doesn't do any justice to where I find myself now. Halls full of cells and cages large and numerous enough to hold dozens upon dozens of inmates. According to what i could make out of an old logbook, multiple guards were assigned here.
On a table in a room at the very end of the prison hallway, there was, in addition to some strange equipment, a skull. I can't even imagine the kind of creature that would possess such a piece of anatomy. I surely hope there are no living specimen around.
I feel much more confident now that I have found a sword in one of the cells. I got used to my machete, yet it feels a lot better to finally have a real weapon.
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