Last month, as time passes here, I attempted to embark on a vision
quest. The inspiration for this vision quest was a series of dreams I
had for several nights beforehand. In the dreams, a shadowy version of
myself myself urged me to partake in a spiritual journey to receive
guidance regarding a major turning point in my life. It also proscribed
the ritual by which I was to induce the proper state to embark on the
vision quest.

Last month, as time passes here, I attempted to embark on a vision
quest. The inspiration for this vision quest was a series of dreams I
had for several nights beforehand. In the dreams, a shadowy version of
myself myself urged me to partake in a spiritual journey to receive
guidance regarding a major turning point in my life. It also proscribed
the ritual by which I was to induce the proper state to embark on the
vision quest.

To that end, I was tortured for the extent of my presence in that realm,
both in body and in mind... Save for the heads, which were of static
form, the creatures were amorphous, able to shape their bodies to suit
their purposes, which in my case included inflicting agonizing act after
agonizing act upon my flesh. They also have the ability to become
aetherial and enter the body to assault the mind, attempting to possess.
That was indeed their goal, and although I had know idea who or what
they were, I knew from the goals I sensed in them that I must resist.
They broke my flesh, used magicks to alter my body in attempts to weaken
me, plagued me with images of horrors beyond the imagining of most, all
to weaken and break my will to resist the possession.

I'm told that I was only a little under a month passed in this plane
between the time I disappeared and the time I was returned, but in that
place, the days appeared of the same length as ours, and by that measure
well over ten years passed in that accursed place. Slowly but surely, I
was driven mad, battered deeper and deeper into a pit of insanity within
myself. After a time, all I was aware of was the passage of time and the
desperate need to resist their inducements. In time, I forgot what it
felt like to feel pain. I forgot what it felt like to have peace and
silence within the vaults of my mind.

In time, however, they seemed to give up on me. They no longer entered
my mind, and I was only tortured two or three times a day and it seemed
in the spirit of entertainment. They conferred amongst themselves in an
alien language which, as I have said, bore resemblance at times to Qith,
or so it seemed to me. I got the feeling they were looking for a new
target to lure into opening a gateway for them.

After a few days of only being tortured at their leisure, a desperate
hope grew inside me and I began to contemplate escape. My head cleared
enough that I could notice my bonds were merely material, and so with
some effort I loosed myself and waited for one of my tormentors to come
so I might kill it and perhaps find some weapon or method of return upon
it. My mind was far too broken and chaotic to allow me to employ curses,
and I hadn't the materials for vodun or runelore, so when one of the
creatures arrived, I simply rushed it bodily. It went insubstantial,
seeking to attack my mind at once, but to no avail, as there was no
further damage to be done.

Luckily, it seems they may only inflict physical damage while corporeal
themselves, so it reverted to its physical form in order to make another
attempt to subdue or kill me. They had altered my body extensively, but
I still had my Raja reflexes and speed, and no sooner had its head
rematerialized than I had smashed it open with insane rage.

There was no weapon nor other helpful device on its corpse, but in the
haze of madness it seemed that perhaps if I killed them all, an
opportunity to return home would present itself. They seemed to take
corporeal form as a matter of course unless trying to enter a mind, and
they seemed comfortable enough to not take attack into consideration and
payed little heed to their surroundings. This made it easy to employ
stealth and speed to dispatch several of their number before they
started coming across bodies. Eventually I found their leader in some
sort of throne room, it appeared, with a pool of water which seemed to
be for the purpose of scrying. There were also a dozen more of the
creatures. Beyond caring, I charged, killing four or five and injuring
more before I was seized by the leader.

The others seem to have no supernatural powers other than shapeshifting
while in bodily form. The leader, however, drained my strength with a
single touch and took me by the throat, choking the life out of me
slowly. It made one final cursory attempt to possess me, and upon
failing, opened another aperture the likes of which I was dragged
through in the first place. The lesser creatures still alive flung
themselves at the gate, but they could not seem to pass. I, however,
near death once more, was cast through and found myself on the steps of
the Bascilica in Shallam.

I apologize for anyone I disturbed at this point, as my madness was
beyond the ability to communicate properly with other sentient beings.
Frightened and confused and only half aware of where I was anymore, I
ran about in a feral daze. The only thing I could think to do at that
point was search out Viera, who had served as my spiritual anchor in the
ceremony which sent me to the other plane in the first place.

I was able to convey my distress to her, and she performed a healing
ritual I had composed many years ago, restoring my sanity at long last.
The alterations to my body, however, did not seem to be considered
injury by the spirits, and thus I am left as I was changed by the
shapeshifters' magicks.

All that being said, I urge you all to be wary of strange dreams or
visitations you have in the near future, especially any which involve
inducing a state of near death. It seems only then are they able to
bring someone through their portals. Also, remember your body cannot be
harmed when they are in aetherial form, their heads are vulnerable when
they are corporeal, and they cannot possess you unless you submit. I
know not the nature nor the purpose of these would-be invaders, but I
know they must not succeed, so be on your guard.

Wearily submitted,

~ Cragheyder L. Drache

Penned by my hand on the 8th of Miraman, in the year 384 AF.