–==Official Submission==–
FROM: Lieutenant Haplo
RE: A Journy Into the Void

Brothers and Sisters,

Again I apologize for this belated report by my hand.
However the injuries I have suffered have left me drained
and unable to focus my concentration enough to sit down and
write until now. Do not take this as a diminishing if what
this report reveals, for the information contained below may
very well be the beginning of a struggle against an invading
evil of the utmost power.

Let me begin by recapping events of the past. A mad mage
was found in the care of Sage Absolom a few weeks ago.
After some investigation, it turned out that this mage had
been experimenting with journies into the Etherial Void.
There he found something taht drove him mad. I decided to
take it upon myself to hunt down and duplicate what the mad
mage had done as to see if there was any significance to
what was going on.

Finding the incatations into the void proved to be a quest
in and of itself, as the only person that I could find who
knew them was a Necromancer from Serpents Hold who needed us
to fetch him some items to ensure his cooperation. After
retrieving what he wanted, and heading back to Serpents Hold
to learn the incantations, I spend the next week in study
and preperation for my journey.

I happened upon the Captian in the tower, and informed him
that I was ready and need some help. He, along with
Sandoval, Napes, Duncan, and Thanos voulenteered to watch
over me and each take one of the seven charms to help
protect me in the etherial void. We proceded to the top of
the tower and I began the incantations to let me into the
void. Fortunately, while I was traveling in the void, my
physical body remained in our plane, as well as my voice and
hearing so I could convey what I was seeing to those
watching over me.

The Etherial void is a grey barren place, with many strange
spirits and creatures wondering about. Magical energy can
be seen there woven as it’s cast, almost the same way we can
see a tailor weave yarn into cloth. I journed farther into
the etherial void, enraging some of it’s inhabitants (a
deamon for one) becuase the seven charms that I had prepared
protected me from harm in the void. That was, until I
happened upon the rift. That’s what I’m calling it, but I
don’t know if it’s an accruate discription. Imagine a gate
with Jagged edges, of the blackest black you can see. It
appeared to be a magical dead zone, as no threads I tried to
pull could be pulled from the place where it existed. I
attempted to go through it, but it lead nowhere. I was able
to pass through as if it wasn’t even there.

As I was busy inspecting the rift, I was attacked. I
thought nothing of it at first, until the stining pain from
a wound brough me fully to attention. I turned to face what
I could only describe as an Eel with razor shart teeth and
fins. Somehow this creature had gotten through my defences!
I quckly threw some energy bolts at it and move further
into the void. As I moved away from the spot where the rift
was, I was again confronted with the bland sameness of the
void. Something was definatley happening at that spot in
the void, and it needed more investigation. Even the
terrian around the rift was different than in the rest of
the void. I warily approached the gate again, and noticed
that the eel seemed to be gone. I was wrong, I was hit from
behind again by the eel. This time I was prepared. I
dodged and fired a paralyazation at it, then attacked it
with several energy bolts. I could feel my magical energy
draining with each attack, but my biggest suprise was yet to
come. I saw the creature draw upon magical energy, just as
I let another paralyze go. Foolishly I didn’t think these
creatures capable of casting magic reflect. I was wrong. I
had paralyazed myself. I awaited my own demise, but to my
surprise, the eel moved toward the rift and began to work
some dark magic into it. Another Eel appeared. Fortuantly,
the eels ignored me and began to work on the rift further.
They were widening it!!

The paralyze wore off, so I decided I needed to take action.
I figured that maybe a dispel could break the threads that
the eels were weaving. Again I was wrong. As I released
the dispel, I knew I had made a mistake, the rift opened
further. To make matters worse, a huge mottled grey and
black arm began to emerge from the rift. Thinking quickly,
I threw an energy bolt into the rift, hoping to undo the
damage I had done and chase whatever creature was comming
out back to wherever it was comming from. My gamble paid
off this time as the rift shrank a bit, and the arm
withdrew. Unfortunatly, the eels again noticed my presence.
It was time to withdraw. The last thing I saw as I was
fleeing the void was one of the demons I had enraged, taking
out his vengance on the eels.

Brothers and sisters, what is it that is trying to invade
our etherial plane? Does it have designs on our prime
material plane? What are the strage eel creatures and why
were they able to affect me when I was supposedly charmed
and protected? What is this mysterious rift and where does
it come from? These are all questions I charge you to
answer. Right now I’m in no condition to do anything other
than wait and heal, so I need you to be my eyes, ears, and
feet. Your orders are simple, but of the utmost importance.
Find out all that you can and bring it to me.

Yours in service to the Rose,
Lt. Haplo Darkblade
Keeper of the Annals