RED DRAGON REPORT: ELDRITCH BEAST

[Imperium-Septimus 368]

 

THE IMPERIAL ORDER OF THE RED DRAGON: ELDRITCH BEAST

Issued and confirmed by His Imperial Highness, Pius of the House of Horen, Grand Knight of the Crown of Godfrey, 15th of Tobias’s Bounty, 1680. Penned by Ser Carlovac of the House of Kovachev, 15th of Tobias’s Bounty, 1680.

 

OFFICIAL IMPERIAL REPORT

Reporting Knight: Ser Carlovac Kovachev

 

Incident: Eldritch Beast and Encounter

Individuals Involved: Ser Carlovac of Kovachev, Ser Robert of Denhardt, Ser Arthos of Silversteed, Ser Seth, Squire Antonius, Squire Frederick, and Adolf Denhardt.

 

Details of Incident:

While venturing deep into the Southern Wastes while undertaking a quest of errantry, our band of men came to a stop near a strange tree. The tree was engraved with a strange symbol. Through our efforts, it could not be deciphered. Venturing onwards, something felt off. Further in frozen forest we came across a lone man, clad in robes. Initially we mistook him for a traveler who may have gotten himself lost. That was far from the case.

 

We approached and quickly saw he was no ordinary man. His eyes were bloodshot, running tears of red. He spoke to us of our woes, mentioning September and the dread in the Yatl in particular. The man referred to something or some place called the ‘Red Gate’ and how it would be a solution to it all. It all sounded rather prophetic to me. Could it be a portal? A metaphor? Certainly something the Imperial scholars will need to delve deeper into.

 

After the man has delivered his spew, he collapsed upon the snow. He lay upwards, staring straight into the sky - seemingly caught in a trance. Whatever words he’d spoken I cannot recall. We asked question after question, though he was reluctant to release us any information. He spoke very vague and with intent. As he lay there, we heard movement from the trees, and what we say was like nothing else the race of Man has ever gazed upon.

 

Before our eyes was an horrible eldritch beast - an abomination of flesh and metal. ‘Twas a quadruped, barely a vague resemblance to a mutilated bull - although with grafts of flesh attached to it… Atop his head was a helmet akin to those used in gladiatorial fighting - with eyes of burning blue embers. It was truly horrific - no creation by GOD’s hands. And thus, we had it slain.

 

One of our trigger-happy Errant Knights - Ser Seth, quickly set about shooting it with his crossbow - to which had little effect. The creature did not retaliate. Instead, it extended its paw out to the Errant Knight, seemingly beckoning for him to approach - showing no ill intent. Which, for whatever reason, he did. In hindsight, someone should have restrained him. As he confronted the beast on a personal level, blue light would begin to well up from the creature’s helmet, eventually bursting out into flames directed directly at Seth. However, due to Ser Robert’s deft movements, he pushed Seth out of harm’s way, while himself taking the brunt of the fiery assault.

 

The creature proved surprisingly resilient. It withstood much stabs and slashes from our combined onslaught. I personally cut quite deeply into the creature’s hide with my longsword. It came to the point where it was unaffected, and essentially dragged me and my embedded sword around with it. Notably, Squire Frederick had also pierced the creature with another bolt - this time through the head - which it also shrugged off. After some time however, we would manage to slay the beast, finally succumbing to our unrelenting attacks. Truly it was a collaborative effort, exerting all of our strength to tackle it, collapsing pathetically into the snow.

 

When the dust settled, the man appeared once more, seemingly congratulated us. He flicked a card towards us - also bearing the strange simple he He disappeared shortly afterwards. I expect that this is not the last we hear from him or this ‘Red Gate’. Whatever this is, I expect it to be merely be the beginning.

 

As for injuries: Ser Robert sustained the brunt of damage. Throwing himself in front of the eldritch beast, he sustained burns from arcane(?) energy shot forth from the creature’s head. He is currently being treated in Markev. Ser Seth and Squire Frederick sustained minor injuries. Other than that - the rest of seemed to get out scot free.

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IN NOMINE DE,

HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS, Ser Carlovac Kovachev the Inventor, Lord Constable of the Imperium Septimus, Knight of the Order of the Red Dragon