The Forest of Dragons not only has woods, but also swamps shrouded by the Urku wind. This strong wind blew out of the swamp, bringing with it a terrifying chill. The swamp is filled with thick fog, and the impenetrable sunlight makes the place extremely eerie, as if it is covered by a veil of horror.
In Asanok's memory, there was no such place at all. When the elves ruled Elsin Alvin, there was no such creepy place in the Dragon Forest.
The surface is covered with greedy swamps. These swamps are not only the habitat of dark creatures, but also hide many strange and dangerous creatures. In the thick fog, vines twine like ghosts, and unidentifiable tree roots stretch out into the mire, like tentacles lurking in the darkness.
When entering the swamp, Darkus and his companions encountered a mourning demon soul. It was the kind of demon soul that had no chin and lower limbs and relied on its hands and waist to support its walking.
Demonic spirits are the embodiment of malice. They are greedy and crazy and want to devour everything. In the desolate and empty places of the old world, the mourning ghosts are the most feared existence by people. The way this thing was formed is more sinister than those incarnations of the elements. It is said that from the cold wastelands of Norsca to the plateau castles of the Gray Mountains, there have long been rumors around the burning campfires about being lost in the bone-chilling white plague of winter, fighting for famine and Driven by pain, he ends up eating the flesh and blood of his companions.
There is no redemption for these miserable souls who have eaten their own kind. When physical death ends the trapped despair, their pain and malice linger, and the winds of magic wrap around their souls, staining and saturating them. As their corpses twisted into unearthly shapes, they became something that was neither ghost nor undead, a hideous, razor-thin creature of icy corpses and cracked bones. shadows, a gaping mouth with needle-toothed teeth and a huge maw that opened like a horrific wound.
Fortunately, they had saved a hand before coming in. Kane's Holy Oil from Lauren Loren was applied to the weapons, and combined with some herbal formulas that Alyssa learned from communicating with the Hedge Wise Men, the Choppers had the ability to fight against spirits, ghosts, or Other undead methods that can only be harmed by magic are no problem to deal with the mourning demon souls, which are also formed from a concept. Otherwise, this BOSS-level thing will be very difficult to deal with, even if there are high-level spellcasters around.
In Darkus' view, communication is still necessary. This spell, which the Morir sect claimed was stolen from the dream of Priest Morr by the Hedge Wise Man, has played a vital role in this shadow maze and can be said to be invincible.
Darkus felt as if he had achieved something now. He felt more like an unshaved elf butcher. If he had some kind of system, one that could gain corresponding abilities by killing corresponding monsters, he would definitely be blown away by this! It's a pity... there is no system. The last time he and Tzeentch parted amicably, Tzeentch, as his good friend, didn't give him a cure.
If you don't strictly count single kills, it seems that Darkus has fought many monsters, monsters, monsters, and monsters? Wild Bull, Horned Beast, Chaos Egg, Orc Warlord and Shaman, Wyvern, Wild Orc War Pig, Goblin Wolf Rider and Spider Rider, Arachnari Spider, Exploration Knight, White Lion Guard, Cold Lizard Knight, Kane Assassin, Tyrannosaurus, Marauder, Plague Censer Monk, Hell Pit Abomination, Giant, Dragon, those Demon Princes and Archdemon, and many more are famous or in the process of naming. Those who were mercilessly killed by him, such as Ulfric, Mangil, etc.
A terrifying atmosphere permeated this strange swamp, and strange sounds kept coming from the swamp, like the whispers of ghosts, sending chills down the spine. In this swamp, it seems that even the earth has distorted its own essence, exuding a terrifying atmosphere that goes against the purity of nature.
But that's all. Most of the companions who followed Darkus had entered the rift with him. Although there were two completely different styles in the rift, they did not feel that they were shrouded in an invisible fear. , although there are endless dangers and unknowns hidden in this strange swamp.
The central core of the swamp is the Shadow Maze, a labyrinth of transformable and movable disembodied fog walls. This fog is a manifestation of the Wind of Urqun. A caster who can clearly perceive the Wind of Urqun can find a safe path to the maze. However, this perception may also lead to dangers, including the sky. Pit, explosion, asphyxiating gas, toxic mold or dangerous organisms.
For those adventurers who cannot clearly perceive the existence of the Urku Wind, entering the maze is like blindly rushing into various dangers. The movement and changes of the fog walls make the path through the maze complex and deceptive. Explorers may be in relatively safe passage one moment and trapped in a deadly trap the next.
Fortunately, among the spellcasters who followed Darkus, Drusala, Colonia, Alatar, Asanok and Liv were all high-level shadow mages, so it was easy for the team to get lost. It was easy to find the direction in the maze of dense fog and swamp, and there was no risk other than running into monsters.
The center of the labyrinth is a vast mound, like a mysterious altar, full of mysterious and ancient atmosphere, with ancient Ogham stones standing on it. The arrangement of the standing stones formed a mysterious geometric pattern. According to the orientation and structure, there should have been six standing stones, but one of the fallen stone pillars seemed to be a witness of time and was partially buried.
The pillars have a smooth surface and are covered with a dark layer of lichen at the bottom. The Urqun Wind is attached to each standing stone, and the mist seems to be slowly being absorbed from the inside. However, just like the mathematical problem of water in and out of a water tank, the Ogham Stone cannot absorb all the Urqun Wind, leaving other The Urku wind spreads out, forming the surrounding scene.
The team came at just the right time, just when the light of the twin moons enveloped the standing stones, and some incomplete characters appeared on each standing stone. But after a while, Darkus discovered that the team's arrival was not just right. At different times and under different lighting, the characters on the standing stone showed different meanings, just like a scrolling screen.
Moreover... some key information cannot be seen by squatting overnight, and it seems to display different information with the changes in the moon phase. The moon phase means that the moon shines by reflecting sunlight, and its relative position to the sun is different, and it will show various shapes, such as the first quarter moon, the last quarter moon, and the full moon on August 15th. Only at specific moments can all characters be seen.
"Is this an ancient form of Elsalin language?"
"Yuksa." Darkus sighed in response to Asanok's question. Seeing the doubtful looks from his companions, he continued to explain, " Uxar, an Old One who represents language and speech, is believed by the Slann Magisters to have created language and taught it to lizardfolk and warm-blooded creatures." "
In other words, our Elthalin language Did it really evolve from the language of the ancient saints?"
"Yes, a simplified version, and it gradually became elfin in the subsequent evolution."
Asanok shook his head. He had seen similar words when he was in the rift passage. , he asked just to confirm something. He did not question Darkus's words, because these words that he could vaguely understand had already confirmed Darkus's words.
This is like a modern person looking at oracle bones from thousands of years ago.
Darkus stood where he could see all the standing stones. He followed the changes of the two moons and looked at the information on the standing stones. He could feel that Morsrib was interfering with Manasrib, and then the standing stones. See After a while, the flashing characters on the standing stone gave him a nauseating feeling of 3D vertigo. But he still captured some valid information, such as treasures, cores, nodes, and full moons.
"We came at the wrong time." After a long while, Renn, who had been walking around for a while, came back. When Darkus saw Renn shaking his head helplessly, he also nodded regretfully and said. He could feel the existence of stone slabs below. If there was no secret passage, there should be an ancient holy sanctuary below.
"Lilith? Lilith! Lilith~" Darkus shouted several times in his mind, but he didn't hear a response. Could it be that the interference here is too strong? He wants to sleep and meet Lilith through dreams? The problem is that there is no point in using dreams. He wants Lilith to appear in reality, let Lilith affect the moon phase, and then let him find a way to enter the ancient sanctuary through the standing stone. But this seems to be a bit difficult for Lilith?
Darkos' head hurts a little. He now has a stereotype. The world is full of places related to the ancient saints, hidden and scattered in different ways. When will they be found? He initially thought that the ancient saint Axil Belin was responsible for the whole project, but what he now saw made him doubt it. The standing stones in this labyrinth were represented in a manner and style similar to those he had seen in Lauren Loren. Completely different. In other words, the person in charge of the Dragon Forest project is not the Ancient Saint Axl Belin, but the Ancient Saint Uksa? Or other ancient saints?
"You are trying to contact the goddess of the lower moon?" Darkus said while focusing on Liv's eyes. He was now sure that Liv was not the grandma's divine choice. If not, it was related to her prophecy ability. Hes or Lilith, but he thought there was a high probability that she would be Lilith's chosen one.
"Otto." Liv closed her eyes and leaned her staff on the mound. The moonlight flew over the knotted mantle, entered the stone, and unfolded like a new leaf. After doing all this, she stretched out her hand and shouted.
The gray owl flew down from the standing stone and landed on Liv's shoulder, turning its head and studying the staff.
After a moment, Liv's divination ended, and Talos barely managed to catch her before she fell to the ground, gasping for breath in Talos's arms. Then she gently detached herself from Talos' arms, supporting herself with her staff.
Darkus could feel that Liv was more exhausted than ever before. The copper-colored hair was spread over Liv's pale and sweat-soaked face, showing a kind of tiredness and uneasiness. He knew that Liv had gone through it in the past. There was a lot of pressure and burden and the price that had to be borne after using divination. At this moment, Liv's fatigue was even more obvious.
At the same time, Darkus was a little speechless. He asked Liv to try to contact Lilith instead of asking Liv to perform divination. It's good to have a fortune teller by his side, but he doesn't like this method. It will leave a mental imprint on his heart and make him timid. Over time, he will rely on fortune telling. He must always divine before doing anything. That's nothing to play with, and that's the fate of being beheaded.
"It's so powerful, so powerful that I can only peek into a crack." Liv, who was leaning on the staff, unscrewed the water bag and took a sip of water. After breathing for a moment, he continued, "Not now, but In the near future."
"I advise you not to rely too much on this ability." Darkus said coldly, but he stopped there, saying that it was through his own strength rather than relying on external forces. , to deal with the current dilemma. The problem is that Liv's divination ability is her own. It seems to be a paradox to get rid of over-reliance on divination and bravely face the unknown future, because even without divination, you can see omens while sleeping.
"It seems that not all adventures have gains." Darkus concluded this adventure. There was indeed no substantial gain in this adventure, but the information on the standing stone and Liv's words made him sure that he According to his guess, Dragon Forest is indeed as he had thought before. It is a larger version of Athel Loren along with Lauren Loren, Shadow Forest and Middenheim. Judging from the geographical location, he is now standing at the foot of Athel Loren. The land is probably the key spiritual node of the Forest of Dragons. When other ancient saint creations are not activated, the magical wind here keeps overflowing like the sacred fire of Middenheim.
Perhaps when the king comes to Ulthuan, the political situation in Ulthuan stabilizes, and the elves return to Elsin Alvin, Darkus will have to visit the Dragon Forest again. Like Liv said, in the near future, not now. Now he can't reactivate the ancient saint's creation in the Dragon Forest, nor can he suppress the demons and monsters in the Dragon Forest. As long as Qi Gong doesn't do anything at this time.
The team continued to set off, stopping and fighting all the way, fighting all kinds of monsters and monsters. Fortunately, when Darkus came, he was lucky or chose the time well. He didn't encounter the outrageous beast group like the supermodel. Mi The life-long enemy of the elector Boris, the Kazzak One-Eyed War Beast Herd, who is not yet the "One-Eyed", is even more missing.
Soon after, the team came to a narrow trail leading to the mountainside. Carlion, who was originally looking for a place to sleep, found a wolf statue and a bear statue standing at the cave entrance at the end of the trail. After entering the cave entrance, he found a large number of statues built against the mountain wall. Abandoned huts, straw mats used for sleeping and experimental herbs in some rooms may have been left in the house due to the hasty retreat. In addition to the remnants of the remains, in addition to the fireplace used for heating and cooking, there are painted patterns on the walls that extend to the center of the domed room. After the fireplace was lit, the flickering light of the fire gave Darkus the feeling of moving in the forest. He only briefly visited the Hobbit-style cabin and then left temporarily. He and Ren began to search. , because this is the node of spiritual veins, and Renn also feels the secret passage.
Behind the fireplace in a cabin, hidden in a secret door out of sight, is a small cave. The walls of the cave are painted in red ink with ancient cave paintings of beasts and hedge wise men performing rituals. The content is very abstract. Dakous feels like humans have introduced the wind of Gur into their bodies during the ritual process, transforming humans into animal forms. Bears, wolves and wild boars are all common deformations on murals. In addition, , he also saw a strange thing, which seemed to be the incarnation of the beast element?
Warhammer Druid? Katang Transfiguration?
Not all humans can complete the transformation, and some humans have only completed part of the transformation, turning into a being similar to a bull-headed horse-faced or a beast-man. From the murals, you can see that these transformed humans entered the forest. Wandering and living in the world, some humans returned to the cabin after the Gurzhi wind in their bodies dissipated and turned into humans again. Others seemed to have been shot and killed by human hunters as real beasts.
The weirdest thing is that some humans' bodies have been changed forever and they have to live in the forest all the time, and some seem to have fallen into the arms of beastmen? The mural becomes blurred when it reaches here, as if this mural is a shameful thing for the organization that once existed here?
Darkus feels like this is a landmark in some way? Is there a bonus between Katang's Transformation spell cast in the cave and Weishan's Wild Form spell? A paradise for beast spellcasters to practice? When he found this place, he glanced at Alyssa and Liv who were already sitting on the ground meditating, and then he looked at the place pointed by Ren. On the mural on the rock wall, there was an intersection between humans and animals. Where the battle occurs, the battle is not a fierce battle, but a profound handover, symbolizing the harmonious integration and transformation of humans, animals, and nature?
"Hey, upgraded? Fingerprint recognition?" The moment Darkus placed his hand on the intersection of the murals, the wall changed. The murals disappeared, the mountain disappeared, and was replaced by a device. After sighing, he placed his hand on the flat part of the device, and the device slowly opened.
Not long after, Darkus withdrew from the Ancient Holy Sanctuary again. Just like what he saw in Lauren Loren, there was an Ancient Holy device placed in the center of the sanctuary, and nothing else. His previous conjectures and thoughts were correct. The Dragon Forest was part of the large Athel Loren.
After coming out, Darkus glanced at Liv, who was still sitting there but had opened her eyes. He could clearly see the weird emotions on Liv's face, just like seeing the ancient saint in Lauren Loren. It was the same as when it was installed, which proved something more. After all, Liv would not come out of Athel Loren and go to Lauren Loren to look for him for no reason.
Darkus did not turn it on directly. As Liv said before, it is not now but in the near future. The team marched all the way south, and the closer they got to Reich, the more strange things the team encountered. The members who started riding in the front row encountered a group of human villagers in the forest. The human leader was a winemaker, and behind them It was seven or eight young men carrying barrels.
The leader of the winemaker had obviously seen the world. His initial surprise at seeing the horse-riding fairy turned into a talk. He said that he believed that if a person is drunk, there is no need to fight with it. Likewise, The same goes for other creatures. Every month he makes a few more barrels of beer and asks people to send them into the woods. Wait until next month to retrieve the empty barrel and replace it with new beer.
Darkus feels like this is a way to appease the beastmen? Beer is the sacrifice? He looked at the guys behind the winemaker again. He felt that something wasn't right about the demeanor of these guys. They were a little nervous and eager? perhaps? There were no beastmen drinking, but these guys drank the wine? Or maybe the beastmen and these guys were doing it at the same time? Alternate day and night shifts?
In addition to beer sacrifices, the team also encountered biscuit sacrifices. According to humans, this is an ancient tradition. The thirteenth biscuit will be set aside separately. After being collected, it will be put into a wooden barrel and poured with blood. After putting the barrel into the forest, some useless ritual spells must be shouted. After the thirteenth day, humans will return to retrieve the empty barrel. Humans curbed their desire to eat human flesh by believing that beastmen would come and eat the contents of the barrels.
Darkos just had a feeling, which was outrageous. In his opinion, this was more like randomness and a bit feudal superstition, but that was all. It was more like a helpless struggle and psychological sustenance, otherwise it would be possible. How about it? Going to Altdorf to live a city life?
It seems that irreversible corrosion can be seen everywhere. In a barren mountain covered by forest, the team can clearly feel that a piece of land is moving. The layers of mountains that cannot be illuminated by the sun are like hard lumps covered with warts, stunted trees and overgrown trees. The mossy rocks squeezed out red soil like a yellowed rotten tooth. Next to the ancient Ogham Stonehenge is a circle of beastmen's altars, stained with old bloodstains. Looking at them from a distance makes your eyes sting. Darkus could even imagine that when night falls and Morthrib shines with evil light, the filth in the forest begins to stir up, and a blasphemous celebration is held next to the Demonic Rock to worship the power of destruction.
In addition to corrosion, the team can occasionally see isolated hunting lodges. At night, they can also witness humans dressed in aristocratic costumes celebrating carnivals with beastmen beside the pyre, performing horrific rituals to worship the Chaos Gods. This is a typical mental beastman. Although the body is not in the form of a beastman, his behavior is no different from that of a beastman.
These human traitors would open the city gates at night, allowing the beastmen to rush into the city and feast on human flesh. Through such transactions, the mental beastmen will receive generous rewards, such as chaos artifacts and the like. The team also captured a group of Red Crown cultists who tried to ambush them with the beastmen. Under a series of cordial Druchi greetings, these human cultists told everything they knew, even though these humans said they It doesn't help that he was forced.
One day, Genevieve, who didn't have to sleep at night, told Darkus something on the road the next day. Last night, she saw a human father and son, and she followed them out of curiosity. Behind the father and son, the father walking in the forest holding a bow and arrow has been teaching his children, telling them to be cautious at all times, to avoid goblins at night, and not to walk on the road at night, otherwise they will encounter bandits. with robbers.
Genevieve thought at first that this was an experienced father teaching his child to gain experience, even though it was not during the day but at night. However, when she heard it again, she felt something was wrong. The father told the child to travel through swamps and wilderness. , staying in the wilderness, far away from human villages, these strange words sounded like a stern warning to her. The father and son kept walking, even if their clothes were cut by nettles, they were still walking.
When the father and son encountered a pack of wolves, Genevieve wanted to help, but before she could move, the father shot the wolf king. The father was constantly teaching the child about the weaknesses and behaviors of beasts, and smeared wolf blood on the child's face, telling the child that this would hide the smell and prevent the returning wolves from finding him, and also let the child cut him with a sword. Break the wolf's throat.
Time kept passing by, and the father and son kept walking in the forest until a bright light appeared in front of them. The father and son came to the periphery of the bonfire in an open space. The sound of shouting and tearing reached Genevieve's ears, and she was restless. The drums were filled with joy, as if they were welcoming newcomers.
Genevieve, who was getting closer, finally saw clearly that the silhouettes dancing and twisting around the campfire were all beastmen. Skinned animal carcasses were placed next to the tree trunks around the clearing, and their blood was dripping on the clearing. . A roaring shaman wearing a mask kept roaring and stretched out his arms to perform rituals towards the sky. After a while, the roaring shaman gradually stopped the ceremony and looked at the human father and son.
"Remember everything I have taught you, and this knowledge will help you. The end of our journey is here, my child. Forget me, I am not your father from now on, they are, they are still your true Family, you must remember that you cannot return to the village no matter what. I can no longer hide you. You will be killed by humans. Stay here and enjoy your freedom." The father held up the child's face. Said seriously.
Her father's words sent a chill straight to Genevieve's Tianling Cap, but she did not rush out. She knew that the father's decision was right. As the child grew, the father could no longer hide. In the end, Not only do soldiers kill children, but fathers are also killed for harboring mutants.
Under the light of the fire, Genevieve could clearly see what the child wanted to say. His throat was crawling, but he couldn't speak. It seemed that the child had lost the ability to speak. Under the light of the fire, she could clearly see that the child's eyes were unnaturally large, and tears were flowing from the huge amber pupils. As the Howling Shaman approached, his father left. Perhaps because his father had given the Beastmen a new warrior, the Howling Shaman did not embarrass his father.
The child looked at his father's back and roared like a wild beast. The small and deformed claws pulled his father's arm, but the father did not look back. Instead, he broke free from the child's pull and strode away. Even the roar of the roaring shaman could not cover up the child's painful cry. The child's cry, full of helplessness and despair, echoed in the forest.
Genevieve could see the tears flowing on the face of her human father who walked next to her. The tears of pain and sadness flowed across her father's devastated face, and finally fell on the land of Duncanwald Forest, where they fell. In a land plagued by corruption and chaos.
By the time the story was told, the team also arrived at the village, where they met a father. It was said that the father's child was lost on the outskirts of the village. It seemed that something had taken away the child. Darkus could feel the human father. He was anxious because of the missing child. If Genevieve hadn't whispered to this father that it was the father he met last night, he would have truly believed it. Interestingly, the curiosity of the human villagers lies in the elves and horses, and they always ignore and reject the disappearance of the children.
Mutants and Skaven, the former has always been an open secret in the empire, while the latter does not exist at all, is absurd, and non-existent. All humans know about the existence of mutants, but few people talk about it.
The most tragic thing in the world is that the products of love deteriorate due to corrosive pollution. Every year, newborns mutate due to being contaminated by the destructive power of the Chaos Gods. Some children may have a deformed hand, or some other obvious extra organs, such as weird things like tentacles, or even conjoined twins twisted together.
Faced with this situation, humans must fulfill their obligations and kill their children as soon as possible. No one wants to attract the attention of witch hunters. Of course, there are some humans who cannot bear it. Sometimes they will go to great lengths to cover up their aberrations. Sometimes children who are not killed immediately will be sent into the forest, or left somewhere to be taken away by outsiders. Parents in the city will choose to throw their children into sewers and rivers, or leave them in slums. .
Some parents will even raise their children until they are older and cover up the changes in their children. Under the corruption of their children, over time these desperate parents will pretend that their children have no problems and are absolutely healthy.
As long as we live in this land, tragedies will always appear in various ways. Some children are normal when they are born, but they may become deformed due to various reasons. For example, cultists in slums hold rituals and emit The corrosion infected the surrounding children, causing distortions.
Whether it's killing, hiding, or sending away, having a mutant in the family is a secret that will never be mentioned.
It was all weird and disturbing. The only non-annoying thing was that when the team passed by a village, they heard that the village chief was a dwarf. Empire dwarves usually live in towns, and few live in remote areas. In the village, out of curiosity and rest, the team entered the village to find out. It turned out that... the
so-called dwarf village leader was a baboon, a baboon that escaped from the Altdorf Zoo...
After seeing the baboon, they It proved that Altdorf was really not far away. Darkus, who walked out of the Dragon Forest, could see the spire of Sigmar Cathedral.