3/25/2016

You’ll have to forgive this scrawling of mine but I find myself in a state of mental disrepair. Lord Thomas is nowhere to be found and my knowledge of his vast estate is hardly adequate to conduct a properly through search by lamplight. Not that I have any desire to further wander these halls without ample lighting or human company. The subtle flicker of my lantern is doing little to calm my nerves as her shadowy progeny wistfully sway about the walls. It’s hypnotic how alive these halls seem.

I only arrived here just a week ago. I had known Thomas from a chance meeting the previous year. We meet upon the sudden and tragic death of a mutual friend and have maintained somewhat steady correspondence ever since. I had been out of touch in the most recent months due to other personal pursuits but I had recently returned to the area and decided to pay Thomas a visit. While as courteous and gracious a host as he had ever been, something weighed heavily on Thomas’s mind but I knew not what until several hours ago. He had spoken briefly about business with a small island village to the East and made mention of a bizarre artifact that had been uncovered there. Thomas had attained this artifact and was keeping it here in his home. I found the object here upon his desk. In the very spot.

As the sun caressed the distant treetops and bathed the window of my small room in a warm glow, I couldn’t help but notice that Grey had not come by at his usual time. Grey, another mutual acquaintance of our deceased friend, had been helping Thomas about the manor and acted as a grounds keeper of sorts. Typically Grey would pass by my room and collect me on his way to the library where we would muse withThomas late into the night of days long past and our many adventures. He never came. I searched the house as best I could but things are strangely not as I remember them from my previous visits. It is as if the rooms had rearranged themselves. I must be tired to think this the case. Nevertheless, I don’t recall what drove me to take the object on Thomas’s desk with me into the library. I had simply slipped it into my pocket as I searched for him. The sun had set and all light from the sunset had left the hallways so I took his lamp as well.

As I explored the vast selection of books, I came across an oddity. The manuscript had no visible words on its binding and only one phrase repeated on every page “Not here, keep looking.” Thinking it some horrendous practical joke, I decided to play along and checked each page. One was different; “Here’s the place. NX.” I searched the stacks. Desperate and frantic but I found “NX”. I pulled binding and deafening mechanical clatter pierced the silence. Seconds later one of the rows slid free and exposed a steeply descending stone staircase. I collected Thomas’s lantern and my courage as I stepped inside. At that point all reason had left me. I was fueled by pure adrenaline as I stumbled deeper into the earth. What had Thomas found here?

A golden light greeted my fatigued eyes as I left the final stair. At the far end of this sizable cavern rested a small alter. I approached cautiously in part to fatigue from the descent. As I neared it became clear why Thomas desired the artifact. There on the slab was an indentation the exact shape of this trinket I had collected above. I carefully pulled the glittering oval from my pocket and placed it into the recess. It was a perfect fit but nothing had happened. I gazed into its surface and could nearly see my reflection. Suddenly an intense dread consumed my mind. I focused harder on the reflected image and recoiled in horror. That was not me in the reflection. I panicked, turned to the stairs, and ran. I left the artifact there in the recess. I have no idea what I may have done. I fell during my clambering and twisted my ankle. At least Thomas’s lantern is intact. I have nothing to defend myself should whatever it was I saw down there in the darkness decide to come looking for me. I can only pray that it was just my mind playing tricks on me but that’s enough about that. What are you playing this weekend?

• Thomas (Twitter): Spending Easter with the family and my girl, so maybe some Pokemon Y on the train, but that's it.
• Greywolfe (Twitter, YouTube): I'm not really here. I won't be playing all the things.
• Yoda0VGs (Twitter): Well, John's playing the game I wish I bought instead of Rise of The Tomb Raider, so I'll just play some Marvel Heroes instead!
• Andrew (12/12 Games): This weekend, I think I'll introduce my son to my go-to Easter game, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg. There also will likely be some Super Mario Maker. That game is all kinds of awesome!
• Dante: I still have a lot of things to unpack and put away. I think I'll be able to play some Hearthstone and maybe I'll start with Never Alone.