Date: unknown, Location: Mox Amber, Time since Resurrection: unknown
We have finally reached the exit. Out this door we can continue to explore deeper in the dungeon or we can head back to the Dreamlands. We have what we've come for, now we can continue on our quest. White light hits as we step outside…
6 August 1930
I jolt from my bed and look around. Back in the real world again. And now Timmy has disappeared as well. The only thing left on his bed is that funny map that Tobias was looking at earlier. Timmy's scrawled handwriting is all over it. Dirk takes it, 'for safe keeping,' but he has a bit of a glint in his eye.
We spend our time in the library, looking for anything that might point to one of the Mox gems being in the outside world anymore. Our luck is not with us, so I go to have a talk with Madame Perry. She doesn't know that her husband is stuck in the Dreamlands and tells me that I'm too old to be having such an imagination. When asked, she provides manuscripts from Headmaster Perry that she kept after his travels over the years. I read them greedily, but they don't have much more than what I already know. The Crawling Chaos takes places from the real world and sets them in the Dreamlands. It started systematically eliminating gods in the Dreamlands. It wants to destroy the Dreamlands. By this point it is dark and we all go to bed, Dirk tucking the map under his pillow. I can only hope we all make it back this time.
Date: Doesn't matter, Location: Brittania, Time since Awakening: 0 hrs
I wake to find myself in my Svirfneblin skin once more. Socks is nearby, as is Ramag, the old teleportation wizard we found in the Mox Amber. But he's missing his hands. They performed the same rituals Brenda once did to summon us to their location. Timmy and Seravin suddenly come screaming out of a portal that opens in mid-air. They inform us that a month has passed and things have just gone from bad to worse now that Timmy's Castle Wife is destroyed. Apparently they went beyond the Plateau of Leng in the North and found the graveyard of the gods. They talked with the Crawling Chaos and were b&*&#-slapped back to us. During all of this Nanfoodle (thank the gods he's back) pulls out his staff of Ygg and does…something to Socks.
Socks starts acting strangely, saying he is the goblin god Mablong and he doesn't have to listen to us. Says that Socks' has too much bravery for him and he just wants to go and hide. Surprisingly, it is Chicago that puts him in his place, demanding that Socks be brought back to the front of his mind. After several threats of physical violence Socks is back in control and can explain what happened.
Camelot has fallen again. Pelinorae and his questing knights came back after discovering the Holy Grail was found. They killed Vel, Lionel, Bors, and all of the people loyal to me in a coup. All the witches in the land were herded together and turned into witch balls in one of the largest genocides seen thus far. The Deep Ones encroaching on Camelot's shores were captured and are now in forced labor camps. Pelinorae now has a nigh-unstoppable half human, half fish, half vampire army.
Socks looks at Ramag, commenting that they forced him to reactivate the teleportation network. Then they cut off his hands, drained a good portion of his magic, and cast him aside. The old man looks a wreck, traumatized and broken before my eyes. I am quickly losing everything I once held dear. As I promise him that we will get him his power back Timmy cuts off his head.
All I see is red, but Nanfoodle calms me long enough to remind me he can reincarnate Ramag. I agree. I wait, cursing, wondering what fool will be walking our way to the demise of their soul. Nanfoodle uses the staff and we wait. And wait. And wait some more. After 10 minutes Socks asks what we're waiting for. Something is different though. His words are more refined. His diction is clear. His raccoon tail is puffed and looks energetic. "Socks?"
"What? Young Lord, I am Ramag, your servant as always. Shall I teleport us into the very den of that serpent Pelinorae?"
Truly, everything has been taken from me.
Chicago speaks up then, saying he has a 'Plan B' if things ever turn sideways for us. His inward facing circle can be flipped by taking it to the Rend. Once it becomes outward facing something will happen. I'm fuzzy on the details, but it should be something spectacular. I think I'm past the point of caring. Everything is tinged pink. I want to see the world run red. I want my throne back from Pelinorae no matter the cost.
Ramag teleports the lot of us in. Seated on a throne of skulls encased in gold is a massive monster with a 15 foot wingspan. It has sharp claws, wicked teeth, and intelligent eyes. Beside its clawed hand sits a bowl, full of the black spiky witch balls I've seen in the past. The beautiful woman next to it calls the creature 'King Pelinorae.' Looking closer she seems to be constantly wet, and actually has a half-drowned look about her. Around us are Knights, probably of his wicked court, and a massive monster of earth and swamp.
There are no words. No monologues. No warnings. A scream, primal, terrorized, hurt, claws its way out of my throat as I grip Caliburn tightly. The Lady is quicker than I am, encrusting Caliburn with ice and drawing me high into the air. Action starts happening all around me as I focus my will into the blade, causing it to burn with a ghastly black fire. Seravin rushes in, pulling two blades from his hips and taking the Knights head on. One blade appears to bite cruelly at his opponents and his own hand, while the other invigorates him. Nanfoodle drinks a potion and before I can look twice Red is standing beside him, claws out and looking wild.
The mound of earth approaches, a stench coming from it, decay and filth clinging to my nostrils. I drop on it as Caliburn's fire eats through the ice, cutting off small portions of the muck. Chicago presents the Mox Pearl on his neck, summoning Dagon and Hydra surrounding Pelinorae. Timmy does something that makes a sleet storm cover the majority of combatants. There is desperate fighting on every side and I can't find it in myself to care. A great intoning is heard from within the sleet and the storm dissipates. Pelinorae uses this chance to get close, flying up next to me, eager to take my birthright by force.
Spying the open throne I started concocting an idea. The monstrous gods clamored and moved around, doing as they pleased while the rest of my companions continued fighting. I slipped through Pelinorae and the mound of mud's attacks, then called on the magic flowing through my form to step through the space between spaces and end up sitting on the throne. "Nanfoodle! Drop the Siege Perilous in the throne!" Red begins casting spells and stops the Lady from doing anything. Nanfoodle readies his staff and Chicago uses his Chakram to fold space so he only takes a step to get to me.
The staff touches the throne. It fills with the powers of the Siege Perilous. Caliburn explodes with darkness. I can feel my body stretching, moving in familiar, forgotten ways. I've returned to my original form. Caliburn, my birthright, glows in my hand. Its blade is darkness incarnate, but there is still a twinkle of light around the hilt. My eyes are drawn to it, and to the witchballs nearby, glinting in time. I understand. My last chance for redemption. Complete the mission I thought long lost. Rescue the young girls from their perilous existence.
"Pelinorae," I growl. "It is time to make you pay for all that you've done!" I stand from my throne of skulls, faces of my subordinates taking a ghostly appearance over them, and stride forth. Before I get two steps further Hydra calls out to Pelinorae.
"Come, my love. Follow me into the sea! Let us spawn many children and drag this world beneath the Ocean!" It works. Pelinorae's mind is lost. Hydra takes her prize and vanishes. Dagon is quick to follow his wife.
The wind taken out of my sails I point to the remaining Knights and monster of swamp and earth. "Yield, and kneel before your true king!" As they turn to look at me Timmy takes this opportunity to break from the melee and approach the throne. Then he reaches out with his gangly arms, grabs the bowl of witchballs and dumps all of them in his mouth! Darkness takes me.
I breathe heavily and look around. Caliburn is nothing but darkness and the corpses of Pelinorae's knights and pet monster are nothing but bits. Timmy looks rather strange. Wary. He has lost his mind. He babbles in the voices of young women and little girls, before the voice of Ithaqua comes out.
"Not servants of mine. Not allies. Food."
It seems Timmy has forgotten about us. Now we must defeat him. This proves to be difficult as he takes on Ithaqua's appearance once more. Ithaqua seems to recognize the Staff of Ygg. The first thing he does is fly into the air, as far from us as possible, then starts suffocating Nanfoodle. This slime will pay for its crimes!
Before I can so much as move Chicago calls out, "The Rend is now the Frend, and my friends are always with me! I turn this circle out!" It seems he changed the map too. The chakram in his hands flies up and squeezes itself into a new shape. The ground shakes, the air quivers, and all existence is torn asunder…
Log of Dr. Brighton, regarding the Arkham Orphanage incident
It appears that the two boys have been subdued. Their manic state has led our sedatives to be useless when used on them. They have been sent to solitary confinement, where they both continue to shout about 'the Dreamlands' being destroyed. One child, Darcsen, kept of a log of his 'adventures' in the Dreamland with his companions. Dirk was also taken into custody, but there is no trace of any Timmy, Tobias, or Calum, and the orphanage has no records of them existing either. After the terrible murder of the groundskeeper and Mistress Perry's breakdown strange going-ons have been happening around that Orphanage.
Luckily the two boys were captured before they could attack their other groundskeeper. One of them obtained a sword, probably European descent, that looks positively ancient. The other had sharpened a protractor and appeared to know something about boxing. The journal has been entered as evidence against them as it speaks of their activities over the past days. They will remain under observation until-
Now the brats are saying humanity is doomed. No one will be able to sleep. I know I'll sleep better at night once they are locked away for good.
Addendum
I know I work long hours. That's probably why I can't sleep. It has been four days since the boys were brought in. Everyone is stuck with a strange wakefulness. The crazies have started coming out in droves and the police are putting them all here! Arkham Asylum doesn't have the capacity for this! Maybe I'll be able to sleep once the shouting stops…
Additional Addendum
I can't. I need rest. God, just let me sleep. Maybe what they were saying is true. Maybe we do need a Dreamland to be able to sleep. We're testing new drugs. Drugs that will help us sleep. Sleep the deepest sleep. And wake refreshed. Here's the nurse now. I'll write more when I awake once again…
[zombify_post]
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