The First Land Herald/421-05-28

Article Number: BI47

Dateline: 421-05-28

DERGATI'S NIGHTMARE MOTHS Overnight and through the morning, Zoluren was again the target of divine wrath. The invaders this time took the form of moths, undeniably the work of the dark God Dergati. There were no signs of the banshees and adders seen in past attacks, but their terrible icebound curse was replaced with a new experience. The moths were considerably strong, noted by one Cleric, Anlise LightShadow, a regular hunter, who was unable to affect the creatures with steel nor magic. Towards the end of the first wave, giant Dergatian spawn appeared near the Northeastern Gate of Crossings, returning in force with numerous moths. Town guards were seen escorting shaking citizens to their homes, as well as rallying to finally push the creatures from the city proper. Rough sketches of these creatures can be found below: Moths: The night-dark moth is a dark thing cloaked in flickering, baleful shadow, vaguely insectile in form. Its flesh seems nearly as mercurial as smoke, constantly evolving through irregular, chaotic shapes. The creature's bulbous compound eyes are utterly matte and unreflective, each crowned by an antenna which bears an uncanny resemblance to the soft, questing arm of an infant Human, complete with tiny growths resembling inquisitive, chubby fingers. A slick proboscis protrudes from the moth's mouth, dangling obscenely against its thorax. Most striking are the creature's massive wings, spreading fractally above and around its body like drops of dark ink shifting through water. Dergatian Spawn: Rivaling a mammoth in size, the Dergatian spawn resembles a hairless star-nosed mole which has crawled out of some deranged nightmare. Its disturbingly translucent skin, while offering glimpses to the workings of the massive internal organs, appears more than thick and resilient enough to protect the beast. Dirt-caked claws as long as javelins scratch restlessly at the ground, carving up great grooves wherever it goes. No stranger to invasions and the dangers thereof, I chose to take shelter in the Empaths' guild. To my dismay, before I was able to arrive, a moth simply appeared before me. There was no time to avoid the attack. No time to retreat. I found myself within its shadowed embrace. Though I struggled to escape, the moth easily ensnared me, drew me close in perverse mockery of affection. A shadowy, hand-like appendage grasped my head almost tenderly and I felt the moth's slick proboscis plunge past my lips in a vicious kiss. Terror blossomed within, multiplying into vastness. The feeling grew and grew until there was nothing else. Just when I was certain my heart would burst in my chest my fear was simply...taken from me, leaving me hollow and shaken. I found that the creature had completely removed my tongue. This onslaught lasted throughout the night and through the early morning. Even with my tongue absent I was still able to prepare spells, restricting my duty to corpse retrieval. As I make this report, I am recovering. Malkien, a defender who also shared the moth attack experience, noted the city itself was swarmed from triage to the ferry. He also noted the brilliant response at triage, indicating quick response to missing tongue, and he complimented Clerical blessing opportunities. Empaths, thankfully, were able to restore missing tongues. It should go without note that vigilance will be needed in the future, especially at triage, where victims of such an attack may be unable to acknowledge their need for assistance. Herald Navesi tells me, based on her previous experience with Dergatian attacks, that crystal rings are useful in communicating when one has no tongue. Furthermore, the moth attack can be resisted by a strong will, and she advises using spells that bolster it, such as Redeemer’s Pride. Syaski, a vessel of Dergati, indicated the Dark Aspects seem to be attempting to remind the citizens of all the lands of the power the Immortals hold. In what was either a Divine experience or something otherwise too strange to contemplate, Syaski vomited out an eyeball during our conversation. It is also to be noted that well into the morning hours, just before light, there was again the prevailing sense of fate being manipulated. This has been confirmed with another Moon Mage, Saaqib. Sadly, these feelings, intense as they are, have left us with no understanding of who nor how Fate has exactly been manipulated. It can only be hoped that this tinkering is for our benefit. My instinct screams otherwise, but without evidence, one can only speculate. Marcul McRee-Rhyian Assistant Reporter, The First Land Herald

Real Date: Unknown Date

Subject(s): Anlise Cleric Crossing Dergati Empath Giant Dergatian spawn Immortals Malkien Navesi Redeemer's Pride Umbral moth Zoluren

Author(s): Marcul