The power of the moon was waning on Avechary 7th, the year 660 CE, when
an expedition headed by Feenol Leihm, Professor of Biological and
Botanical Studies at the Gorlognal Academy, reached Muhanlesh Caverns.
Accompanied by Research Assistant Phuslik Meshglog, the Professor sought
to determine whether the old research facility still held any research
notes worth transporting back to the Academy or, perhaps, held any
subjects worth studying. As successors to the Balach Institute of Magic
and Science, the Academy is most interested in following up on the
projects of old, most notably Project Touchstone which was carried out
within those very caverns.

What they found upon arrival, however, exceeded expectations. Passed out
on the floor around a mystical circle were Etilla Leihm, the Professor's
newly-found kin, and Melpith Saelth. Blood trickled from their eyes and
ears, and a peculiar scent hung in the air. Puzzled, the expedition
sought information on what occurred there, and indeed help arrived in
short order but answers were harder to come. Tridemon Regalis of Celest
was first on the scene, with Regent Xiran Stormcrow and Huskii Myeras of
Serenwilde, Warlord Uzriel d'Vanecu of Magnagora, and Arch-Preceptor
Eiselle Mes'ard and Pyawr of Gaudiguch arriving soon after.

The investigation uncovered little, to begin with. While Xiran lent her
healing prowess to stabilising Etilla and Melpith, others debated the
usual goings on within the caverns, and the goal of the two unconscious
researchers. The general opinion held that the place was considered
dangerous and the cloier, a creature often accidentally summoned by the
duo, was something to be avoided. Throughout the discussion, the
overpowering stench of sweat and decay held in the mirrored room until
Tridemon could take it no more. But it was Huskii who ended up
discovering the source - a small glob of ooze smeared upon one of the
mirrors. Leaning close, Huskii sniffed at the air around the globe to
verify the finding... only to be obliterated instantly. As Huskii leaned
down, the ooze reached out, spread, and enveloped them whole, eating
away at flesh and cloth alike until nothing remained - neither the ooze,
nor Huskii.

While the gathering was still recovering from the shock, Huskii
returned, not so easily defeated as a demigod. While Xiran continued to
work on the unconscious researchers, theories were put forth regarding
feeding objects to the summoning circle in hopes of closing it, as well
as numerous methods of waking up those affected. In the end, a bucket of
cold water to the face applied by Huskii did the trick for Melpith and
one applied by Tridemon woke Etilla. All hope of sense and logic
evaporated with their awakening, however, as Melphit was near incoherent
with fear, repeating over and over "Make it stop!" and "I didn't want
to!", even with Eiselle's consoling. Meanwhile, Etilla was awake but
catatonic.

Once Melpith calmed down sufficiently to say more, it was surmised that
they were influenced to perform the ritual and summon a cloier
intentionally. And though Melpith wavered between it feeling like his
idea and it not being his idea, it was clear to those investigating that
the researchers were in some manner possessed to do someone's bidding.
"We were summoned. And we summoned." - as Melpith put it himself. And
sure enough, a cloier had been summoned to the Prime Material Plane. It
was not the first time, for the duo's research sometimes resulted in the
summoning of the behemoth from the aetherways, but the cloier - confused
and unsuitable to survive away from its usual hunting grounds - would
stay within the caverns and would eventually be slain, even if with
difficulty. This time, however, the cloier was summoned, and it was not
in the caverns.

The cloier was in the Grey Moors.

Much to the delight of Professor Leihm, who thought only of the research
opportunities a beast such as that offered, the cloier was rampaging
through the moors, slaughtering every animal and krokani in its path.
Those investigating quickly reorganised and hurried after the cloier,
including the Professor, leaving the researchers in the hands of the
Research Assistant. Tridemon was the first to find the cloier rampaging
through the courtyard of Castle Djarrakh, much to his dismay. The
trouble in the Grey Moors brought this disturbance to the attention of
the Basin of Life at large, leading to Lady Grey Sapphira, harbinger
Kalas Freja, Primarch Shango D'Cente and Alysi Diluculo of Magnagora
joining the investigation, alongside Finnegan of Hallifax. The group was
also soon joined by Nimuire Duskbloom and Thes Erurozea of the
Fellowship of the Roots, whose outpost sits right beneath the castle
itself and who, for once, were not brought there by dreams but by
screams.

It was quickly discovered, through a dangerous face-to-face inspection,
that the cloier in question was a much more powerful being than usually
encountered. Either the rampage or something else has empowered it and
any attempts at slaying it were moot. Uzriel did notice a peculiar green
light amidst the grasses but the source eluded him for the moment. And
so, the cloier continued on towards Paavik, with a worried entourage
keeping its distance. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of the moors rallied to
protect themselves, with Kar'chen, the Castellan of Djarrakh, ordering a
barricade, Ciarrus, leader of the aslarans, shutting down the camp, and
others locking their doors and shutters to avoid a potential incursion.
As the cloier reached the outskirts of the village, those gathered at
the rallying point, including the Fellowship, made a valiant attempt at
preventing the impending slaughter but were rebuffed.

As the cloier entered Paavik, the villagers scattered in a panic. Some
were slain, their drained bodies on display upon the roads as the
vanguard followed the behemoth, others fled for the manor. Here, a
second attempt was made to prevent further ingress. The group was once
more rebuffed, and the scent of death and anxiety hung in the air in the
wake of the battle. With Paavik under Magnagora's protection at the
time, the Engine took to ensuring that the losses were minimalised.
Alysi made the rounds, avoiding the cloier, and rallying the villagers
to the manor. At the tanner's workshop, he found Anya Vasili and a
shepherd cowering in the back and ensured that they too were evacuated
despite the cloier's proximity. Once in the manor, Alysi also found
Vanamin Vasili, the actual tanner of Paavik, sleeping off a hangover and
utterly confused about the situation with the "closeter". Were it not
for Alysi, it seems the tanner's wife would have become one more victim
of the cloier.

While this was going on, the assault team reorganised in close proximity
to the beast and theorised alternative approaches, much to the
Professor's dismay. He still hoped to observe the cloier, or at the very
least get some samples to study in peace. Nimuire, who has been trying
to slow down the cloier's progress with thorny vines, argued with the
Professor about the logic of keeping such a menace alive just to study
it and eventually the Professor saw reason, in no small part due to
Shango's and Uzriel's convincing tactics. A sample of the beast's skin
was needed to devise something to weaken it and a small contingent,
bolstered by Kalas Malayn of Magnagora, Zinnia of Hallifax, and Cheliyi
Lunarose of Celest, hacked at the cloier until a suitable skin sample
was recovered. Thus equipped, Uzriel headed out to Gaaglin Swamps, to
Professor Vleim Etloo of the Department of Alchemical Studies.

Once there, the usual pessimism of Professor Vleim did little to hasten
the research. Uzriel, Sapphira, and Kalas Zagreus were able to procure
the vleebgarglegush alembic for the Professor nonetheless and the study
of the skin sample got underway. Meanwhile, back in Paavik, the scent of
sweat and anxiety pervaded the village. As it wafted, Cheliyi reported
an odd sensation in her mind but could not quite put it into words.
Others did not report any such sensation, however, and assumed it was
her telepathic prowess at work. The smell persisted and both the
Professor and the Fellowship remarked it was familiar but still could
not place it so Huskii reminded all of the lethal ooze found in
Muhanlesh Caverns, which was the source of the smell there, and
theorised that the cloier might be chock-full of the dangerous
substance. Slaying it might not improve the situation of Paavik, if so.
While they waited for results to come from the Gorlognal Academy, the
group, now bolstered by Madungonga and Hiari Myeras of Serenwilde, and
Etra Nightshade of Gaudiguch as well, continued to dissect the events.
The identity of the being who might have compelled the researchers there
to act was at the top of the list of mysteries - with the kephera and
illithoid the main suspects due to their innate psychic powers.

Before long, Professor Etloo concocted an acidic substance from the
blood of floating urns of the Aquarius Astrosphere brought to him and
the team at the Academy was ready to get underway with an enormous
barrel in tow. As they head for the Grey Moors, the pervasive odour
abruptly lifted from the village of Paavik but there was little time to
debate the meaning as the cloier itself was still there. Equipped with
the barrel, the group assaulted the cloier for the last time. With the
barrel thrown at the beast, its skin started to dissolve and numerous
punctures appeared within it, letting gases escape. That was the
beginning of the end as it did not take long for the cloier to be
vanquished after that. The battle was less challenging than expected in
fact, even accounting for the acidic substance trick up their sleeve.
Nonetheless, the cloier was defeated.

In the aftermath, the Professor received a cloier organ for study for
little else was left but a husk of corroded flesh, and happily took off
for the Academy, leaving behind the Research Assistant to accomplish the
work they set out to do, and not even checking in on his kin - Etilla.
Some stayed behind to ensure Paavik was put to rights, while others left
for Muhanlesh Caverns, where it all began. First to return, Tridemon was
already there, making good use of Etilla's recovery. Etilla, like
Melpith, was certain she wanted to summon the cloier, not just conduct
their usual research to retrieve that which was lost during Project
Touchstone. The goal was to summon the cloier she insisted, and Tridemon
was certain it was a psionically implanted idea, given the state of the
both of them. Etilla even remembered leading the cloier out of the
caverns.

What concerned Huskii most, however, was the smell. Given the subject
matter, some speculated the Soulless God Muud could be involved, or
Soulless God Crazen, or a fragment of the Soulless Goddess Illith, or
even the Soulless God Zenos. Cheliyi worried the Eater of Flesh and
Earth from Gaaglin might be involved, which is what made it click for
the Research Assistant that the smell reminded her of Gaaglin Swamps,
particularly when newcomers came to visit and the Eater was first
empowered. That had Tridemon lay the blame squarely at the Elder God
Blooredi's feet, for both the Great Worm tended to by the Fellowship,
and the Eater tended to by the Thaumaturges, were His works. Meanwhile,
others thought to suspect the Fellowship, who were also new arrivals in
the swamps at the time.

What mattered though was that the Grey Moors were saved, and the cloier
stopped from becoming even more powerful and decimating the Basin of
Life. On her end, Phuslik Meshglog decided to stay with the researchers,
determined to be on guard should something be amiss during the next
waning gibbous phase of the moon - a prime window for the summoning
ritual.

With more questions than answers, the investigators dispersed to their
homes, knowing well that something is amiss but unable to piece together
this abstract puzzle for the time being.

Penned by My hand on the 16th of Klangiary, in the year 661 CE.