The Black Temple

My beloved and I retrieved the Soul Anchor from the Temple of Karabor. But a toll was taken of both of us; my darling more so. I write this in the study because the spear occupies the whole of my desk surface at present and I have no desire to move it. D.A. rests nearby.


It is obviously more than a spear. But that is a topic for another time.

I anticipated accurately that there would be great anxiety at the prospect of flying the whole of the way to the Black Temple, so I suggested a longer land-based route through Shattrath. We remained there one evening and then set out again before light the next morning. I am confident that our stay went unnoticed by any that would recognize us. And had verified earlier that certain parties would not be in Shadowmoon Valley on that day.

When the temple grounds lay before us we sent Mayhem and Dancer (D.A.’s mount – the gift from Great-father Winter) to the skies and entered using stealth. The combination of my beloved’s shadow magic and my blades was effective in suppressing the guards without raising the alarm. We found the vaults and searched for the spear.

D.A. located it in a stone coffin enclosed in the catacomb wall. Some sort of enchantment was upon the crypt, protecting it from being broken solely through force. My beloved then employed an ability I had not witnessed intimately before. Slipping into the vault with a creeping, shadowy sense of the self, D.A. entered the coffin.

Then began a violent struggle within.

Watching the crypt tremble from the conflict and not being able to break in to help was intolerable. I called to my beloved through the stone and received no answer. Then, when the tumult ceased I heard the faint pounding of a hand on the inside. The enchantment had been broken, but my beloved was no longer ethereal and was trapped within. I utilized one of the heavy decorative busts to damage the casing. But it did not easily shatter. Those were very long moments before I was able to pull D.A. out of the wreckage.

There had been damage inflicted both physically and mentally on my beloved. And there was the Soul Anchor, clutched to D.A.’s body. At once I carried both out of the place and paused only briefly in Shadowmoon Village for immediate healing. But we could not linger. Traveling hard and pressing our endurance, we arrived safely home.

Nathan and Mirtai assisted with great generosity and attentiveness. My beloved’s wounds are fading. But we have not yet spoken of what happened within the locked crypt. After all the nightmares and battles are faced, I will be very pleased when we may once again have peace.