A World of Darkness Eternal

[Voda Fah]

It is the year of our Lord, 3434 and the first day of my arrival within the system.

I have been tasked with the mission to investigate the disappearance of the exploration group sent to the planet, Noapte. This planet was recently discovered by our expeditionary corps barely half a year before. The group I am in search of consisted of many of our most learned priests and scholars, the brightest we dared send to this strange and unusual planet. Chief among the educated men sent was the renowned archaeologist Father Lorz Bekk, Priest of the Way and my mentor.

The planet Noapte is a strange and unusual place in the galaxy that we have discovered as of yet. The planet is locked in orbit and does not rotate. The star is tiny and surrounded in bands of dust clouds. Noapte itself is covered in dark, encompassing clouds of pitch black, allowing no light to reach the surface. The world is held in eternal night, as if our Lord refuses to grace it with his touch. I have never been here, despite my mentor's wishes for my presence. The Order has kept me away on other tasks, on other worlds.

Father Bekk spoke of great, sprawling tombs dotting the surface, most fully intact. The weather does not change, he has told me in letters. The air is chilled, snow dots the land in places, but still there seems enough warmth on this rock that it does not appear locked in ice like many other planets we have found. It is a strange thing. An unnatural thing. Father Bekk was tasked with understanding this strange phenomenon and to discover what strange race built the tombs upon it. He had been on the world for merely a handful of months with no discoveries. No answers to the mysteries of Noapte. It simply... is.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Third Day of my Search.

Noapte can be seen now and, I must admit, I have never seen the like such as this. The planet is black and gray, as if dead. Decayed. The sun cannot be seen here as the dust bands around it are too thick. I have never seen such a strange astronomical anomaly before. It truly is as if our Lord wishes this planet to remain hidden from His light. I am uneasy now, especially as we have heard nothing from the planet since we have arrived, nor for many weeks. I fear for Father Bekk and the exploration party. I will pray for them once more for deliverance and safety.

The planet makes me... fearful, in a way. As if I should not be there. I have faced monsters before, without and within. I have exorcised daemons and devils from the innocent and faced the Darkness that shies from His light. The darkness here should not affect me so.

But it does.

What secrets lie beneath the midnight blanket masking Noapte's surface? What magicks keep it locked in darkness eternal? Why does the light fear such a place? It is strange, and fearfully so. Perhaps enlightenment shall find me. Perhaps Father Bekk has discovered the mystery here. I shall ask him when we discover his whereabouts.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Fourth Day of my Search.

The descent to the planet's surface was disturbing. The clouds blanketed the planet and allowed such little light to reach the planet. The banded layers were thick and colored charcoal, blocking all sight until our lander reached the tops of mountains. I saw faces in the black. Demonic visages and snarling, bestial grimaces. This is an ill omen and caused me distress. I found solace in my prayers, but I must admit even uttering the recitations felt... strange. As if my tongue were heavy and made of lead.

The landscape is much like the clouds seen from above. Grays and blacks color the ground in many shades. It appears lifeless and barren, devoid of all life. Upon closer inspection, however, I realized this was not so. The planet had vegetation and, presumably, wildlife. Tall forests could be seen next to wide fields, all cast in shadow. Valleys lay between towering peaks and the land appeared uneven and rocky. If not for the plant-life I could see from my seat within the Lander, I would have assumed such a place inhospitable for life simply from the rugged terrain.

I have not seen any of the massive tomb complexes described in Father Bekk's letters and, strangely, I find myself reluctant to lay eyes upon one.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Seventh Day of my Search.

After making landfall, we made camp and sent the lander back to the voidship. The ship will return to our homeworlds and speak of our departure to the Order's High Priests. In two week's time, they shall visit once more to determine if a longer search is necessary. I dearly hope and pray this will not take long. Noapte makes me... uneasy.

We camped for the night, though the light never changed. The twilight cast eerie shadows all around and played tricks on our eyes. Strange creatures were sighted here and there, but briefly. A flicker of movement and a glimpse of fur were seen on occasion, but the most prominent sightings were the glowing eyes of animals peering from the brush and undergrowth. They have no knowledge of us and, I fear, may attempt to prey upon us. I believe these creatures to be the natural predators of this place and may see us as yet another food source. Given that I have observed glimpses of quadrupedal creatures at times and gauged the size of such creatures, I am fearful that these things may be of great size and easily capable of ripping a full grown sentient to the ground. I have asked our paltry guards to stand watch in rotation. Perhaps this will keep these predators at bay.

Could these monsters have attacked Father Bekk and his researchers?

 

[Voda Fah]

The Eighth Day of my Search, Morning.

We broke camp at dawn, though the twilight on this world never changed. We saw eyes watching us from the woods nearby, pale orbs flickering between the branches and trees. It was unsettling, I'll admit. I prayed once more, but again the words came heavy and burdening. The recited prayers and blessings tasting like ash in my mouth. What kind of world can do this? What magicks lay upon this planet?

What maps we have show a tomb complex nearby, the same complex Father Bekk had been investigating. I tried to hail him on the communicator I had brought with me, but received no answer. I am beginning to worry greatly. Could something have happened to him? Could the research group have found something beneath the rubble?

The trek will take us many days, for the journey is a long one. There was no suitable place to land around the complex and the tomb itself holds no room for our lander. I am not enthusiastic about the journey ahead, but we must find Father Bekk.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Eighth Day of my Search, Evening.

The land here is rugged and harsh. The cold bites and the wind chills to the bone. A howling can be heard and creates an uneasy atmosphere among us. We know not if the sounds come from wind in the valleys or the throats of feral beasts that seem to follow our group. I pray it is the former.

We trekked long into the evening and through the perpetual twilight. The howling increases with each leg of the journey it seems. It grows louder as we come closer to the complex, though it is days away. I fear what may come of it. It sounds as if packs of predators are all around, though we are uncertain.

The guards claim it is the wind, but I see them clutching talismans and tokens of our Lord in quiet moments. They are unsure as well. Fearful, even. I must pray for Father Bekk. I must pray for this party. I must pray for us all.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Eighth Day of my Search, Night.

As we broke for camp, I prepared for the Lord's Service. Each night of the eighth day of His week, we hold service to praise Him. As I placed the small, portable table upon the hillside of the land we trekked, the air which had been blowing steadily the entire day slowly died out. Perplexed, I turned back to my task and pulled the symbol of our Lord from its container of silver and wood. As I place it, too, upon the table and removed the soft covering from the symbol itself, the wind returned and with a vengeance.

The very air buffeted me to the ground, knocking the camp table and His symbol to the dirt. In a panic, I snatched up the symbol, loath to let it rest upon the ground in such fashion. Vainly consoling myself that it was a fluke, a strange weather phenomenon that had done such a thing, I reset the table on its legs and attempted to place His symbol upon the tabletop.

The wind blew violently yet again, more so than the first. I was knocked to the ground yet again and the table was sent bouncing down the hill into a ravine. Had I not snatched the symbol from the table at the last second, it, too, would have been lost in darkness as well.

Shaken, I was left on the ground holding His sign when a few of the party found me. They told me I had cried out and were fearful for my safety. I told them of the wind that had attacked me, but they had felt no such thing despite being only a short distance away, though out of sight. Perhaps, they told me, I was imagining things. The rocky ground was shifting here and there and I simply lost my balance. They did not believe me. Or, perhaps, they did not wish to. I simply nodded after a moment or two and stood from the earth. We held service shortly thereafter. I held the symbol in my hands and recited the sermons from memory as we had no table for His scrolls. During the service, many gripped the Lord's symbols they wore on their person.

I fear for us all.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Tenth Day of my Search, Midday.

We have seen the predators on this planet at last. During our trek as we broke for a midday meal, we spotted them. Up along the ridgeline in the distance, barely illuminated by the twilight sky, they walked along the hills for a few minutes and then disappeared.

Each possessed four legs and was furred from what we could determine. A long tail sprouted from their hindparts while a predatory head could be seen on its shoulders. They moved along the ridgelines in a slow, hunting lope. Less a walk and more of a... stalking movement. Occasionally, one or two would look towards our group and we would see their eyes. These creatures were the same ones we had seen in the dark woods earlier, the same woods visible from our camp, though we had given them a wide berth. The creatures seemed large, though the actual size is unknown for now. A small number of trees and bushes dot the ridgeline along the path the animals took, however. Perhaps we can determine a rough size by comparison.

For now, I must lead the midday meal in prayer. I will write later of our findings. For the first time since arriving within Noapte's system, I must admit to a slight excitement for scientific discovery.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Tenth Day of my Search, Evening.

Excitement quickly turned to dread and horror. We reached the ridgeline and found the vegetation the creatures had passed and I began comparing them to the size of the creatures we had found. From a distance, the creatures were taller than what had appeared to be a thin, whiplike bush of short stature. I was incorrect. The thin bush was, in fact, a tree. Though short, the tree reached my lower chest easily. These creatures stood next to this very tree, one even nosing it momentarily, perhaps in search of small prey hiding within or beneath it. I stand, perhaps, just under two meters in height. This creature, one of the average sized ones at least, stood taller at the shoulders than this tree.

These creatures are nearly my size.

We found footprints the size of plates. Tufts of coarse fur snagged by rocks and trees and brambles. One particular tree had huge sections of bark removed by massive, powerful paws. I know this animalistic trait: An alpha male has placed a territorial mark here. We are not safe here.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Tenth Day of my Search, Night.

Against my urging and warnings, we have made camp here. The few guards we have to protect us, brother monks from our Order, assure us that we are safe under their care. Despite their reassurance, I have at least convinced them to allow us to take refuge upon a sizable ledge higher up in the hills. This place is more easily defended than down among the hills and valleys, within the shadow of the forest.

Again I have prayed, and led the others in doing so. Again my tongue felt heavy in my mouth and the words felt as ash on my lips. At various points my memory failed and I stumbled over words until they returned to my mind. I have easily passed this phenomenon off as stress, concern, and worry for Father Bekk, but I know it shall not last much longer. They trust me, but will soon fear for me. For my leadership. We must find Father Bekk and leave this place.

We have had our evening meal and are settling in for the night. Two of our six guards are on watch first tonight. They will rotate in a few hours for the next watch and rouse us should we come under attack from the creatures - the others have referred to them as monsters or wolves - in the darkness as we slumber. I will pray once more, quietly, and ignore the ash upon my lips. It is our only hope.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Eleventh Day of my Search, Early Morning.

Some time before dawn as we slept, the wolves attacked. The guards on watch barely had enough time to call out to us before they creatures hit.

They came with midnight fur and bright, yellow eyes. Brother Ptilus, one of the cartographer monks who accompanied us, was struck down by the massive paw of the largest of the wolves. The thing's limb hit Ptilus' shoulder from above and I could hear the snap of crushed bones from my place opposite of the camp.

Brothers Mahhk and Illusi attacked them as the other guards roused and armed themselves. Weapons discharged and blades flashed, but the wolves seemed unfazed and reacted. They struck less as a pack of animals and more like trained soldiers. When one was wounded or injured, the others shielded it. When one of us showed more of a threat, they focused upon that lone soul. It was a method of reaction to action against us and we stood no chance.

Brother Mahhk's weapon was ripped from his hands and shattered from the might of the blow. The wolf that had done this then took Mahhk in its jaws and crushed the poor monk. When Brother Riksp, one of our historians, attempted to rescue Mahhk, anther wolf intercepted him and opened Riksp's body from throat to groin with a single paw.

Then, as if they were never here, they departed as quickly as they had come. We simply stood there in shock for a few minutes, oblivious to Riksp's death cries, before we could shake ourselves from our stupor. We quickly did what we could for the wounded, but nothing could be done for poor Brother Riksp. He was given his last rights and comforted for the few minutes it took for him to pass to our Lord. Ptilus' shoulder is badly wounded and we are nearly certain the bones beneath the flesh are entirely shattered. Others sport gashes, cuts, and sprains, but none bear serious wounds save Ptilus.

Of Brother Mahhk, there is no sign. He is lost to us.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Thirteenth Day of my Search, Night.

The howling continues unabated and keeps us from our sleep. Each night we make camp in the rocks and scree of the hilltop, each night none sleep soundly. We fear attack once more and the death of more of our number. For now, the wolves seem satisfied with testing us. It sounds absurd, but that is the impression I have gleaned.

The animals could have killed us all that night, but did not. They attacked us, saw how we reacted, and then left. They killed one, badly wounded another, and took one more. They aren't hunting. They're probing us.

Here and there we see the eyes in the dark, usually in the distance. They're following us, watching our every move. Creatures such as this should not be this intelligent, but they seem to be of some sentience.

Could they have made the tombs? Are they the ones who made the civilization on this planet? Could they be the reason Father Bekk is missing? I fear the answers are too far away to understand and, perhaps, too close for comfort.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Fifteenth Day of my Search.

I was confronted with a difficult and terrifying realization. We have had no contact for the past two days with the outside world. No communications have gone through to the outside and we have received no messages this entire time. Our scheduled check in was yesterday, but we received no answer and no hails.

This perplexes me entirely. Father Bekk was here for nearly half a year before his research group went missing. They reported no animals and no creatures during their investigation, but yet we have found the wolves that stalk us day and night. After a small time of thought, I must infer that, perhaps, Bekk's group is alive and seeking refuge at the tomb complex.

My reasoning is, I believe, sound. If we have lost contact, but are still alive, then perhaps they have reached a similar issue and simply stayed in one place. Perhaps they found the wolves had crept in during their research and opted to keep to the high ground, as it were.

Emboldened by this revelation, I shared this knowledge with the group. They are still fearful, but with the complex relatively nearby, hope is now renewed.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Sixteenth Day of my Search, Morning.

We crested yet another ridge-line of yet another rocky hill when we found it. A pile of ancient stones and rock held together with mortar and sweat and blood. The place seemed dark and foreboding, empty windows gazing out upon us like dead, empty eye sockets. The tomb felt less made of rock and more built of dead, dry bones. It is an unsettling sight to say the least. Is Father Bekk inside, I wonder. I hope and pray he is. I have prayed to our Lord and seek answers. Maybe Father Bekk can provide them to me as our Lord wishes.

Before lays an open field. The tomb is still at least a full day's trek ahead. After much consideration, we decided to attempt to cross today. We will have to move quickly for the ground is open and easily traversed from our inference. Should the wolves before catch us unawares and at night in the fields, we shall all perish.

I will hold a short service to pray for success. It is, truly, all we can do at this point.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Sixteenth Day of my Search, Midday.

We made all possible haste to the flat ground as soon as my short service was completed. We moved quickly, nearly running at times to get to the grassland and across to the tomb. The descent from the hills was treacherous at times, arduous at others. The ground was shifting and left footing uncertain. Many of us nearly injured ourselves and others came close to tumbling down the steep slopes.

We set foot on the plains soon enough and journeyed forth, the party moving quickly and with purpose. Behind us we could see the yellow eyes of the wolves among the hills and to our left could be seen more. They were watching us, tracking us. They were waiting for the opportune moment to strike, it felt.

We were wrong.

What appeared to be a flat plain was anything but. Brother Krikksk lead the way, one of the guard monks assigned to us. He moved a few dozen feet ahead of the group, scouting as he went to make sure the wolves did not cut us off without warning. As he turned to check the wood-line once more, he simply disappeared. Gone in the blink of an eye. I started and came to an abrupt halt. A few of our number inched forward, searching for Brother Krikksk and wondering if he simply fell into the tall grass for a moment.

Suddenly, another monk disappeared. One of the chroniclers accompanying us. I saw it this time, my eyes being upon him at the time. His simply vanished through the ground. I shouted us to halt entirely and that no one was to move. Once all were still, I carefully picked my way forward, placing each foot carefully before the other, until I arrived at the spot Brother Krikksk and Brother Aaryypt vanished.

I found a hole there. A hole to nothingness. I lit a torch and dropped it within the hole and was glad, and unnerved, by what I saw. The torch lit up the opening before me and showed other, numerous weakpoints in the ground all around. More holes, more pitfalls, and, as the torch vanished from sight without hitting rock or earth below, all lead to endless abyss.

The wolves weren't waiting to strike. We were entertainment.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Sixteenth Day of my Search, Afternoon.

The plains were no such thing. They were simply a geological phenomenon. Spires of rock and stone, possibly from volcanic activity, that had somehow clustered together. Time and vegetation had grown over the spire tops and created a carpet of roots and plants. One wrong step and the abyss would take us.

We began using walking sticks, tent poles, swords, anything we had to probe the ground ahead of us. Despite this we nearly lost two more monks in our journey. What had seemed like a day's worth of fast travel had become an agonizingly slow process as we navigated across the most treacherous and lethal ground I have ever tread.

It took us hours and we still have most of the field to cross. We used our tools to find a wide enough area of stable ground to set up camp for the night. Guards were set up to keep watch, but for once I feel safe from the wolves. They won't risk this place as we had, though they may lay in wait for us up ahead. Only time, and prayers, will tell.

 

[Voda Fah]

The Seventeenth Day of my Search, Morning.

We awoke to twilight and thanked our Lord for a restful sleep. The wolves did not attack us as we slumbered and while the packs howled all the while, it was somehow... subdued. Quieter, in a way. As if there was nothing to... speak about. Perhaps these creatures are far more intelligent than previously thought. Could it be the howling calls heard before were reports of some kind? Messages between one pack and another?

I held a brief service before we broke the morning fast. Soon after, we rose up and departed. The journey was slow, much like the day before. We probed ahead with what tools we could find in order to find the dangerous sections of footing. Some slipped and, at least on two occasions, nearly fell into the abyss, but we lost no more brothers.

Our total party numbers approximately two dozen researchers and guards. One is still injured badly and four others have ascended to our Lord's side. I pray we lose no more in this endeavor, but I fear this shall not come to pass...

 

[Voda Fah]

The Twentieth Day of my Search.

We reached the end of the plains and have lost no others to the abyss below the field. The wolves did not cut us off from the tomb and it lies within a half hour's trek. We were tired and exhausted, but as we saw the distance to the tomb and, perhaps, Father Bekk and salvation, we quickly set out on the last leg of the journey.

The wolves still followed, though at a distance. They made no moves toward us, only watched with pale, glowing, yellow eyes. This unnerved me to an extent, especially as I noticed the creatures ceased to follow past a certain point near the tomb itself. They continued to watch and, from what little I could infer, they were not fearful of the tomb itself. Many laid upon their bellies and rested their heads upon their paws. For what reason, I know not, but perhaps Father Bekk has the answer.

As we approached the tomb, less and less signs of vegetation appeared until nothing at all could be seen. Among the scree and rubble and debris we could see the odds and ends of an old campsite. I spotted an icon to our Lord set upon a rock lying near a long dead campfire. This was the lost researchers' camp, but where are the researchers?

 

[Voda Fah]

The Twenty First Day of my Search, Morning.

We had set up camp the night before, pushing the missing researchers from our minds. A warm meal and sleeping in solid structures of wood and rubble the previous researchers had left behind was our Lord's gift to the weary. Revitalized and refreshed, we began searching the ruins of the tomb.

We decided to scour the tomb's exterior first, to try and find clues of the research group's disappearance. This was much harder to do than previously thought. The complex was huge, larger than most towns or cities. At first, I assumed it was designed for a single family, perhaps of noble blood according to the sheer size of the tomb itself. From the motifs here and there and the distinct lack of any entrance, save one, this may not be the case.

The bas reliefs show the same figure over and over again. A figure clad in armor fighting hordes of enemies by itself. It tore apart its foes, often with bare hands. In others, a great, fanged, winged beast took flight or devoured enemy soldiers. Both types are very detailed and the only entrance to the tomb, a pair of gargantuan metal doors, are the only place both figures are present, one on each door.

What in our Lord's name have we found?

 

[Voda Fah]

The Twenty First Day of my Search, Evening.

The massive doors leading into the complex are shut and, apparently, locked or barred from the inside. Thinking that Father Bekk and the researchers may have taken refuge within, we attempted to pound on the massive door to let them know we are outside. After many attempts of this, we gave up. They may not be able to hear us or, perhaps, they abandoned the tomb entirely.

A few of the guards attempted to pry the door open with no success. Some of the group are still searching the outside of the complex for clues while one or two attempt to decipher the writing we have found with the bas reliefs and carvings. The translations seem to be going slowly, but steadily. It seems a few of the researchers from the lost party left their notes behind, giving us a head start. Whether it will be worthwhile or not, we shall see.

For now, I will hold evening service. We are creatures of habit, all of us. Our services are as much to praise our Lord and satiate our desires for structure as much as it is for our own comfort. Perhaps, this time, the words will not taste like ash.