I hope this letter makes it to you… the last one I sent may have you in
despair but I, with the help of my wonderful companions, have made a
full recovery.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves, it wasn't exactly an easy
quest. After running the gauntlet of an overly fertile and
productive island, not an easy feat for someone in my withered and
drained condition, we finally narrowed down the possible location of
the lifecryst. Unfortunately the pyramid it was contained in was
inhabited by four Rakshasa.
The only way we could find to enter the pyramid was to jump into the
pit where they dropped their dead after sacrificing them. Once
down there and barley surviving the fall I fell
unconscious. My companions kept me safe while fighting
battles with the many dangerous creatures living in the vile pit and
trying to find their way out to the lifecryst.
I finally regained consciousness, to the great relief of the party as
they have few healing abilities without me. Dar and Zon did the
best they could manage and thankfully the island promotes fast
healing.
We encountered little more resistance except some of the natural
hazards of walking in a cavern in a volcano... My companions had made
an agreement with some Mefits to clear out their old home of an
umberhulk in exchange for information on how to get out of the pyramid
without having to go through the areas occupied by the Rakshasa.
Unfortunately, the Mefits knew nothing about the lifecryst so we
wandered around for several hours until we found a strangler vine
flourishing in the underground tunnel. We were not the only one
who thought this odd… One of the Rakshasa and his minions followed the
vine to its origin in a room where a raised platform sat uncovered by
the vine. The lifecryst sat in a rip between our world and
another pulsing its energy outward regularly feeding the island with
its healing energy. I managed to cripple the Rakshasa by
dispelling his protective magic thus allowing the rest of my party to
take him down.
We were then faced with the dilemma of how to get at the lifecryst, as
everything living that went near it when it pulsed was destroyed.
But I knew that if I did not take a chance I would die anyway and I
could not ask my friends to put themselves in any more danger than they
had already suffered on my behalf. So, in spite of much
protesting, I approached the dias in between two pulses and reached in
to the tear and tried to pull out the gem I felt there. A strange
thing happened; once I lay a hand on the gem it dissolved into me and
almost immediately I felt better.
So my dear parents I have been humbled by the effects of a magic item
and restored by another but at great effort and at many points almost a
too great a cost. I have learned much in my adventures so far and
I hope I have managed to make you proud of me. I am taking care
of my new found brother and he takes good care of me also. But I
have a promise to uphold to Akuji, who has risked his life many times
for me on my quest. I owe him much and it is the least I can do to help
him find his sister.
Whenever I need guidance I think back on what you taught me and ask
myself what you would do then ask Bridgit for the strength to do it. I
love you both and think of you often.