Rovan’s Diary
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
Title: Rovan´s diary
Author: Therin Telamon
I still am not sure whether I should actually write down these things, or whether I should just burn those damned pieces of ancient parchment instead.
The story written down on them... the noises I heard in that old tower... that strange smell, and the weird collection of alchemistic tools and reagents...
But then again, this story might prove vital for the other citizens sometime in the future. Whoever shall egt hold of this will hopefully make sure that not just everyone will be able to read it... I think it should be forwarded to some of our best mages and scholars for further consideration.
I will leave it to them to decide what to do with it... here is what happened on this dreadful day...
One of the things I had always enjoyed the most was traveling our beautiful world, discovering some of the secrets it still holds, visiting historical places.
One day, after riding for almost a full day, I arrived at a small village. I was surprised, as it was not mentioned on the maps I had with me, yet it was a quite small village, almost looking abandoned.
I found a small inn, and paid the innkeeper some coins for a room. I decided to enjoy some ale before going to sleep. On the table next to me, I saw an old man, smoking a pipe, apparently thinking deeply.
I asked him some questions about the village, and asked for any sightings to be seen.
He looked at me, and suddenly started to cackle, saying "Sightings ?
What does this village look like ? Outsiders shun this place, and you would have to if you knew what went on here.
Ever since that old alchemist built his tower... when the animals started disappearing, the crop going bad, the screaming and howling at night..."
He apparently was quite enraged, yet did not answer any further questions in a coherent way.
I wish I had gone to bed then. Instead, being nothing but a young, hot-blooded adventurer, I decided to take a stroll through the village. And alas, on a hill close to the valley, covered by moonlight, I saw an old, crooked tower made of stone.
I hadn´t realized it when I entered the town, but after all, I was quite tired.
Back then I thought adventure and suspense was all that mattered, and didn´t know yet that some things should better remain secret.
So I got my bow and quiver and made my way to the tower, even if just to look at it up close.
It looked abandoned, dark and quiet. No noises were heard, no light coming from the inside.
The fact that it looked as if it was about to fall to pieces convinced me that it had been abandoned, so I examined and eventually opened the old wooden door.
Walking inside with a torch I had retrieved from my backpack, I saw a room that looked as if a hurricane had gone through it.
Still it was obvious that this had been an alchemists laboratory... lots of broken vials, dried up reagents and leaves, mortars, and insane amounts of old parchments, inscribed with tiny letters which I could not make sense of.
However, on something that looked like an altair, I saw an old book, which looked as if it was wrapped in dried up, hardened skin.
To this day I wish I hadn´t opened it, and hadn´t taken it with me after I fled the tower once I had finished reading it, then I heard that ghastly noise...
However, I still have it, even though it looks as if it will turn to dust shortly.
So in order to conserve the information within, I will copy it. Here is what was written on those pages...
"It seems as if my life is about to end, and I will help the reaper by drinking the dreaded potion I have kept for so long. But before I do, here is my final warning... My name is Rovan, and even though it might be hard to believe, I was one of the faithful servants of Mondain himself.
Are you surprised to read this ? Well, you wouldn´t be if you knew some of the secrets about Mondain´s experiments and studies.
Let´s just say that I have long surpassed a normal man´s lifespan.
And also due to those experiments, most of my life has been filled with sufferings, guilt and nightmares.
I do not want to tell Mondain´s story once again, as it should be common knowledge by now.
He sure has left his mark, and the scholars and teachers of this world better keep up telling their student about him and what he did.
People probably think that it was enough for that mysterious Stranger to shatter the Gem of Immortality, thereby killing Mondain.
Granted, he would have done even more damage, and it was a good thing that he was slain.
However... I am sure it also is common knowledge that Mondain actually created some of the horrible creatures that still dwell in the pits of the earth, or roam the countryside.
Indeed, he did create Minotaurs, orcs, goblins and lizardmen.
It sounds so easy know, as if he had just shaken a magic wand to do so. Believe me, I saw how he did it, and I still wake up screaming at night.
What I saw in those moonless nights would have been enough to shatter a mortal mans mind.
So many innocents being killed in gruesome experiments, so many horrible, indescribable creatures that were "failed experiments", moaning and screaming with insane voices, being aware what Mondain had turned them into.
All of these creatures, today, are mere brainless beings, hungry for blood in a mindless stupor, like the animals they were derived from, but driven by Mondain´s evil energy.
But back then... can you imagine that some of the humans he crossed with animals actually stayed conscious, actually realizing and seeing what he had turned them into
If they did not go insane right away, they tried to kill themselves, or everyone around them. only to be burned by a flamestrike spell by Mondain.
Eventually, people figured out that he was behind the disappearnce of their husbands, fathers...children.
They left the area or hid , and for us, his servants, it became increasingly difficult to find more...victims.
Eventually, when Mondain was close to achieving his goal, he even turned to us, using the older ones of for his experiments, just to be able to continue, even though we had always been faithful.
Some of my most trusted friends ( yes, even followers of evil beings such as Mondain can feel trust, love, loss... ) being turned into abdominal creatures, not yet complete.
Some of them begged me to kill them, yet I did not dare to do so, as I knew Mondain would have killed me. I wish I had had the bravety to do so. The mercy to do so. Eventually, I was the only one left. And just a few hours before the Stranger arrived, he casted his spells on me, and made me drink those horrible potions.
I fled, and thereby escaped the battle with the Stranger, and the earth shattering impact of the breaking of the Gem.
I fled, and hid from everyone. Now I am about to die, and wanted to relay this story... and a warning...there are more like me, some less human than I managed to remain. Beware bec..."
This is where the book ended. And I fled, screaming when I heard a menacing whisper, and saw a creature, half men, half animal, charging at me... screaming "Give me...back...my diary".