1296 AD, 23rd of July - Today we set out for the North once more. But as we travelled to the north it became appearant that something was watching us. We were about 3 hours into our travel when I realised I had not heard or seen a single animal. The forest had died out in silence, leaving us in an uncomfortable isolation. Pierandrea noted how he had seen a crow. Not much longer after he had, the biggest murder I have ever seen set down on the surrounding trees. They sang not a note, but simply followed and watched. Their feathers the only thing making noise as even the trees had silenced their leaves. We kept going forward, with Pierandrea clearing the way for our carriage with his earth magic. I think that was what angered it. For you see, the leshen is a territorial beast. It protects it realm like a loyal king, and it does not at all like unwanted guests who overstay their welcome.

Chaos ensued, but just before that happened I could swear I saw a raven with three eyes.

A fog captured us, raising seemingly instantly from the ground and enveloping us all. It was hard to see beyond even the first few trees, but it was obvious a fight would be near. Our horses, who had once been calm, now bucked and heighned at us, almost kicking Batista in the jaw before we could fasten their belts enough to keep them in place. It was during that fastening that it came upon us. First, a pack of wolves sprang forth from the fog, taking me by surprise. One had jumped on my back in an attempt to bit at my throat while another came forth to hit my front. I warded it with my sword while Zaccheria pulled the Wolf on my back off. His armour bluntly rammed a third wolf into a tree which crushed it's bones, giving us some time to recollect and finish off the other wolves. Pierandrea and Batista had their own share of trouble as wolves had come from every direction. They fired their arrows and magic, retreating to the top of the carriage while we formed a protective line around it. But we could do only so much, as eventually a wolf was able to get on top of the carriage and bite batista before Pierandrea could kill it.

It would soon appear to us that this had only been a taste of the Leshen's true power. Once it revealed itself to us, in response to the last death of the wolves, it silenced us all. An ominous figure, like a deer standing straight on its hind legs with long crooked fingers was what it seemed to be through the fog of its magic. It revealed itself to be an almost demonic creature made entirely from wood and set with the skull of a large buck, baren of anything but bone and horns. It was 3 metres tall. With limbs made of old broken wood, one would assume it to be brittle, but the contrary proofed true. With one shoot of its own earthen magic it was able to throw the carriage with Pierandrea and Batista on it into the air, launching it upwards for its own height before coming down heavily damaged. Pierandrea and Batista were flung out, forced to take to the ground where they lay for a moment, incapacitated. Zaccheria responded to the threat by jumping into his armour, which opened up to his approach and swiftly closed once he was in. I came to clash my sword against its arm, but it swung me away like it was batting a fly. It was not immortal though, as my sword had made a clear cut into its arm.

With zaccheria in his armour, he would continue to challenge the beast head on. It had anticipated the large armour though and quickly blocked the flamberge that came down towards its head. Blocking it still hurt the leshen, but it was able to counter the knightly figure with an uppercut from its left hand, which pushed back zaccheria a considerable bit. I attempted to aid zaccheria by slashing at the legs of the creature, which staggered it. Batista had helped himself and Pierandrea back to their feet, which allowed for them to start striking at the leshen. The onslaught of damage it was suddenly suffering caused for it to summon more beasts. While I and Zaccheria were about to close in for another attack, the crows flew down and encircled the leshen. We were both slashed by their many claws and forced back. Not one of our attack could hit the leshen now as the crows took every hit for it. It slashed at me, which threw me off guard and allowed for it to follow up with a near deadly hit. I was bleeding heavily and forced to step back while Zaccheria came to intervene, which caused only for more birds to scratch at his armour. Pushing it back and now standing in between me and the leshen, he unleashed a flamethrower spell onto the swarm of crows. Like the fog had enveloped us, the flames enveloped the leshen until all crows burnt dead. 

This opened the way for Pierandrea and Batista whoever launched their spells and arrows into the leshen. Before long, it came to its last stand, kneeling down due to the damage it had suffered. Zaccheria had taken me and pulled me to safety, so before he had the chance to lay down the final blow it somehow became one with the damnable fog and escaped. 


I could sense we had done naught but anger it in truth. I can only hope Pierandrea can heal me and Batista before it comes back.