Report from Harlest (1007)
Type of Missve: personal correspondance, from Harlest to Governor Aberes of Paradise
Date: 6/12/1007 Responses: no This report is a compilation of all reliable information on a threat to the Realms gathered up to this point in time by the hand of Harlest, a Follower of Dio, Twilight Militiaman and newly inducted member of Paradise, a province of the Kingdom of Chimeron. The Colorless, also known as the Faded Ones, are beings that steal the "color" of their victims, draining them of their essence and will. Symptoms of the affliction tend to be a graying out (an absence of color) centering in the eyes at first, spreading to the face and the extremities of the body in the cases I have observed (including my own.) I have personally heard the voice of the Faded One afflicting me and had nightmares, but I have not confirmed if this is a common symptom. A Librarian in the Brownie College of L'havre Foret was able to inform me that the Colorless, once they have a hold on someone, can perceive what their victim perceives to a limited degree. It is dangerous to discuss plans against the Colorless with those afflicted, and unfortunately, I do not know if there is a point in the affliction where they are unaware. This warrants further research by others, though I'm also unsure how dangerous seer magic would be to use; a Circle of Protection is a must, at the very least, and whatever means available for guarding one's spiritual energy should be prepared. The Faded Ones spread their curse by taking something that's significant to you; a dagger was stolen from me, so they don't necessarily need something precious. The Colorless apparently also have the ability to drain away their victim's essence at different speeds. Their hold grows stronger in proximity, but it would seem that once they've started, they take their time, and can even choose whether you're able to feel it or not. However, in the case of Hunwald, a man who pledged spiritual fealty to the Goddess Diskordia, this was different. The Faded One that had him took him swiftly, stripping him painfully of his essence and causing his final death- the only thing that saved his broken spirit would seem to be his faith, leaving him a spirit in the service of Diskordia. If you see Hunwald alive, it isn't him. There are thankfully a finite number of these beings. The origins of the Colorless are shrouded in mystery, but in order to defeat them, we must discover the details of their history. The only lead I have so far is that they were once glory-hungry adventurers. As tales suggest, they sought out a powerful wizard and struck them down in their search for fame, or perhaps willful infamy. The wizard, with their dying breath, cursed these "heroes" to never die and never be remembered. From what I have learned, there are five, perhaps six. The sixth is a more obscure reference, though, supposedly being the servant of these five. Seek out the sixth if possible, as he/she has not been spotted working with the others, and may be able to shed some light on the past. The detection of the Colorless is difficult, because they can assume the faces and abilities of any of the victims they have drained for a significant period of time (though I believe the essence does not linger indefinitely, leading these Faded Ones to have to "feed" to wear a face.) However, I have found that newly-afflicted victims can be spotted through Dreamcatchers, even if they haven't begun to gray visibly. They appear to have gray spots through the Dreamcatcher despite having not manifested them to the naked eye. Also, more importantly, the Colorless themselves can be spotted through a Dreamcatcher, as their entire bodies appear to be gray. The arcane nature of their curse appears to be aggravated by Disenchantment, but I have not successfully felled one of them by such means. I suspect that Abjury will be vital in undoing the curse so that these beings are mortal and defeatable. These beings have learned to use their curse as a strength, so we must decipher the past and slay these corrupt individuals in their natural form. The journal of Hunwald (which is currently in Kovaks' possession) contains some suspicions of which faces the five known Colorless wear. At the moment, however, I can only confirm the following: #1 may be wearing the guise of a very young Chimeronian boy named Gregory, but has not been confirmed. He can throw fireballs. #2 I have not seen, and only had the chance to read that it may be in the guise of a woman. #3 was once an arrogant knight, and has stolen essence from Harlest(myself), and Bright Oakfellow. #4 has not been sighted recently, as far as I know. #5 has not been confirmed, but may be appearing as an elven woman dressed in leaves. This concludes my report on available information. Unfortunately, it has been difficult to gather much more for risk of alerting the enemy to my actions. In Light, (Master?) Harlest |
Created by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 02-23-08 11:57 PM
Last Modified by Faelinn Shadowmoon (Leanne Micciche) at 04-21-08 03:09 PM