Dark Archive diary

When Tallak the Mad located the Dark Archive in Erastus 4722AR, he unwittingly set in motion a paranormal chain of events that are noted here.

The Beast of Birchfrost

In The Weeping Hag, in Magnimar, Tallak gathered a small crew of paranormally experienced adventurers to investigate the Dark Archive he had found. The first to arrive was Kishki, an orcish barbarian who Tallak had helped nearly two years previous. The two friends greeted each other warmly, but Tallak expressed that they would be moving on from the tavern swiftly enough. Quickly afterwards, another orc arrived, this one more finely dressed than Kishki. Tallak signalled Aurath to come on over, and after a brief discussion, they were interrupted by a tired young courier for Tallak. The letter informed the thaumaturge that the final member of the party would be delayed. Disappointed, Tallak led the group out of the pub, and to an abandoned pathfinder society lodge. Inside, past a freshly locked door that Tallak had the key for, a long table supported the great grimoire called the Dark Archive. He explained that the tome would contain many secrets, and that he would appreciate his orcish comrades' assistance in finding them; Aurath and Kishki were happy enough to help, and it was at that moment that the archive opened itself to a page entitled The Beach of Birchfrost. The tome started emitting a pale light, putting the archivists to sleep.

Moments later, the trio awoke, and found themselves on the middle of a well-worn trail cutting through a forest.

wounded elf, missing twins

fisherman

druid

broken traps by a large beast, something burrowing

followed the tracks to the twins, stuck in the tree. they were arguing as to whether the beast was a badger or a demon, or something else entirely. they provided information that its tail was dangerous, and that they saw it around stone beach

5 clawed hooves resembling something like a boar

set up stakeout at the beast's hunting ground. Orath went through the motions of being a trapper, and this attracted the beast, cahrging in from the west. it resembled a board with beaver's feet, a strange creature indeed. it attacked us, and during the fight, Ivan the druid remarked the thing had horns, which it did not appear to. when hit, the things form seemed to shift between a badger and a boar.

it was slain, and Orath healed as necessary. found 2 sets of much smaller tracks alongside the beast's. made to follow the beast's trail back to its lair.

found an arrangment of corpses in the beast's lair

found the beast's mate, and realised that the beast was formed of the tales that was told about it - the story was tranferring to the beast's mate, changing its nature such that all tales told of it were true.

returned to the village and proclaimed the beast dead such that the morphing legend around it died with it. at that very moment, the crew were enveloped in light and found themselves back in the pathfinder lodge, safe and sound, with some new treasure on the table in front of them.