Case #212
Subject. The sudden disappearance of the entire population of Black Shimmer Aerie, Elemental Plane of Air.
Investigator. Ilva Rossovich.
This investigation was commissioned by Alvar Lassark, Magistrate of Defense of the Executive Tribunal & Autarch Aelosia of the Aegis Ward in the year 416 AAL.
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Summary
The Black Shimmer Aerie, located in the Elemental Plane of Air, a previously flourishing Aarakocra community of much historical significance, was found by a Djin merchant desolated and abandoned.
The aerie was known within the Aarakocra community for three things:
1. Its native paladin General Algulavir's participation in the Dawn War leading the famous Abyss Walkers in the last assault against the conclave of Obyrith demon lords called The Abyss Weavers.
2. The small obsidian orb that Algulavir took as a war trophy and became an heirloom passed down every two decades from general to general, which due to the de-codification of the Oculus ad Abyssum's 7th chapter's cipher by MITRA's Hermeneuts, is known to be the key to The Abyss Weavers' prison.
3. Its main temple to the goddess Aerdie Faenya, which the aerie is designed around and which was a popular pilgrimage destination for Aarakocra.
Conclusion
An Aarakocra from Black Shimmer accidentally broke the obsidian orb key or, as the Aarakocra from the aerie called it, "The Black Shimmer of Warriors," unintentionally freeing The Abyss Weavers- a conclave of Obyrith demon lords who'd been imprisoned since the end of the Dawn War.
The Abyss Weavers killed every Aarakoca in the aerie and used their bodies to fuel a portal into the Abyss.
Due to the chaos that The Abyss Weavers could ensue now that they are free and the fact that The Shadow That Kills Treacherously feeds on chaos, it is likely that the demon lords were and are being aided by it.
Recommendations
Since Urbes Tritios' worst enemy, The Shadow That Kills Treacherously, could get stronger with the help of The Abyss Weavers, the city should make the capturing and imprisonment of the Demons one of the Aegis Ward's top priorities.
Main Report
During the awarding of the Black Shimmer of Warriors to this vicennial's selected Aarakocra general, the Chief accidentally dropped the obsidian orb key, causing it to crack. The Abyss Weavers, who most likely had been preparing for centuries in case an opportunity like this presented itself, used the crack to escape.
The demons' escape must have been very taxing energy-wise, so to refuel, immediately after escaping, they absorbed the souls of the Aarakocra inside the Chief's hut.
After their initial attack on the Aarakocra, the Abyss Weavers started massacring the entire Black Shimmer population. A fight ensued, and the Aarakocra were eventually forced to barricade themselves inside the main temple of Aerdie Faenya. Eventually, the demons forced their way into the temple and slaughtered the remaining Aarakocra.
The Abyss Weavers used the inhabitants of Black Shimmer's bodies to fuel a ritual of teleportation that transported them into the Abyss.
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Investigation Diary Entries
Day 01.
5:30 pm.
I arrived at the aerie.
Immediately after setting foot in Black Shimmer, I got a horrible gut feeling; my heart dropped, and all my hair stood up as if reacting to electricity running through the air.
The place is desolated and has visible traces of a battle taking place, such as dried blood splatters on walls and the streets. Yet, strangely enough, I see no corpses.
It is worth mentioning that the aerie seems to be of considerable size; one could say it is a little "more urbanized" than typical Aarakocra aeries. I believe this is because of its former popularity as an Aarakocra pilgrimage destination.
6:56 pm.
I found a big pool of dried blood, bigger than any random splatter I've encountered, coming out of what seems to be the Chief's hut.
As I approached the hut, I was suddenly hit with the scent of blood and stone; it reminded me of the smell that lingers in dungeons days after battles.
Before going inside, I put on gloves and magical protective gear.
7:30 pm.
The sight I encountered inside the hut was... Uncanny, to say the least.
The dead Aarakocra inside the hut, which I assume to have been the Chief, some military men of high ranking, the Shaman, and the general who was to receive the gem as a gift, all had unnatural jet black eyes and seemed frozen in place. Like statues of people witnessing something horrible. All of them had traces of dried blood that indicated that they had been pouring it for quite a while.
The positions the Aarakocra inside the hut were frozen in are the following:
The Shaman.
Standing between the Chief and the general who was being awarded the honor of the Black Shimmer of Warriors.
She had a concerned face, and her arms extended as if trying to catch something.
All of the Shaman's feathers were plucked. Whoever did this seems to understand the Aarakocra's anatomical features and properties well enough to know that a Shaman's feathers have powerful magical properties.
The Chief.
Standing in front of the general and beside the Shaman.
He had a surprised face, one arm extended as if trying to grab something, and the other arm positioned lower as if what he was attempting to take had fallen, and he was trying to catch it mid-fall.
The celebrated general.
He appeared to have genuflected in front of the Chief and beside the Shaman during his last moments.
He, too, had a concerned look and his arms extended as if attempting to catch something.
The other Aarakocra in the hut appeared to have been petrified with concerned, defensive (their arms covering their faces or mid-sprint as if trying to run) positions.
There was soot splattered around the place. It looked as if a smoke bomb had detonated where whatever the Shaman had dropped landed.
Where the smoke explosion seemed to have begun, the soot was blacker.
I took samples of the Aarakocra's petrified skin and black eyes and some from lighter and blacker soot.
9:45 pm.
I set camp outside the walls of the aerie. As per usual, I put up two tents; one to sleep and dine in and the other one to set up my alchemical laboratory.
12:15 am.
After running some tests in my lab, I discovered the following:
The soot seems to be from an arcane type of smoke, demonic even. The soot that appeared blacker had tiny particles of obsidian- which was heavily charged with demonic energy- mixed with it.
The Aarakocra's skin and eyes had a trace of a specific type of abyssal magic left behind when the victim's spirit has been consumed for energy. I now pity their souls; it must have been very painful.
12:30 am.
Conclusions of the day:
The Shaman, while trying to get the obsidian orb key from the Chief's hands, must have accidentally dropped it and cracked it- a crack would have been enough for the demons to utilize and escape from their prison. When the demons escaped, they did it with such force that the obsidian orb exploded.
The Abyss Weavers' escape must have required a lot of energy, so they immediately consumed the souls of those present.
Day 02.
9:40 am.
I explored the aerie further. There were traces of a battle but no bodies.
There were signs of handling of corpses but no corpses in sight.
All the blood trails and battle signs led me to the main temple of the aerie.
11:11 am.
The temple to Aerdie Faenya seems to have been barricaded, but to no avail since there
are signs of forced entry.
There was a strong feeling of dark arcane forces emanating from the temple. Before going inside, I put on magical protective gear.
11:37 am.
Inside the temple, the scene seemed right out of a Demonic Rituals textbook; in the middle of the desecrated fane, I found a circle drawn with blood with strange symbols drawn inside. On top of these symbols, there lay some Aarakocra body parts.
The scene was sad more than anything, really. A place of worship that once had been happy and beaming with life had been defiled in the cruelest way possible. The statue of Aerdie Faenya seemed to be crying, if that is even possible.
I copied the symbols inside the circle of blood to study them later.
12:10 pm.
I returned to my lab tent and took out a book on the Abyss, and surely enough, I didn't have to look long to find some of the symbols that were drawn in the temple were part of a teleportation ritual.
I believe that the Abyss Weavers used the bodies of the Aarakocra they killed to fuel a teleportation ritual to get to the Abyss.
3:30 pm.
I packed my things and waited for my ride outside the aerie.
It is a shame, really, such a lively community, just like that, gone.
