Thomas, Journal #6 (Shadow of the Demon Lord)

We found the witch, and she was just as hostile as everyone here said she would be. She didn't want to talk, and we're not the best at taking no for an answer. Luna let herself in the witch's house, and that ... that went over poorly, let's just say. The witch used her dark magics to twist a bunch of the local wildlife into giant, monstrous things, and we fought her and her creations. Luckily, Gralic's an excellent shot with that rifle of his, and we were able to slay the hag. Unfortunately, when she died, her body hit her altar, and knocked a jar onto the floor. When it shattered, everything exploded.

The hut was destroyed, along with the creatures the witch had transformed. The three of us were badly wounded as well, but we survived somehow. Found a few interesting things in the remains of the house (a healing poultice ... which we decided to bring back for the children), along with the witch's twisted, broken body. Gralic took her head off, and we brought that head back to town.

Of course, we discovered that the witch wasn't the cause of the strange illness at all, but rather, it was the blood bells. Blood bells are a *highly* toxic red berry. Just touching them with one's skin is enough to take ill, and these children had been playing with them. Making crude people out of mud and using the berries as mouths for their little "village". In any case, we had the witch's healing poultice, and we thoughbt it might help.

The witch, though .... her soul ... it clawed its way out of Hell, and came after Gralic. Her spite and malice were enough to keep her around long enough to try to take revenge ... but we fought her off a second time, and sent her back to Hell.

The next night, we all headed off to bed, weary and wounded, but otherwise intact. Figured we'd worked well together, and Gralic had agreed to accompany us for a while. Safety in numbers.

..... we didn't hear it, but ... something .... something came into his room, and took Gralic after we had fallen asleep. The wolf knew it was being hunted. It knew Gralic was going to find it eventually. And it came for him. No sounds, no struggle, it just ... it just took him. Just like that.

It's going to hurt Luna, I know it. I have to end this before it gets hungry again.