Oblivion

 The Search

I have lost something I do not know what I cannot remember but I know it is so for I can feel the empty place in my memory. I seek to understand and perhaps find what I have lost and how I came to lose it. I have gathered much esoteric knowledge and many magical books. Hoping to come across a secret to recall the memory. I have also come across many magical rituals in my search to create portals, summon spirits, and commune with gods but nothing to have given clarity. I was during a trip to an old library of magical knowledge that I came heard of the sage a master of deep lore. It was a long journey to visit the sage for he lives in a remote hermitage and does not often desire the company of others. I found him and after stating my desire the sage told me that what I seek may be found. To find it would require me travel into Oblivion the realm of the lost and the forgotten.  He told me of finding the gates of oblivion and the rules that govern that realm. Do not go off the main path and do not linger overlong in that realm or you will be trapped there forever and foremost beware of the guardians of Oblivion.

The Gate

It was not hard to find the gate of Oblivion but you must be lost before it can appear. I had to do much wandering across vast plains, rolling hills and over towering mountains before I could become lost. The sage told that when the gate opened a mist would rise up and the gate would appear. The gate would be a gate of obsidian inscribed with arcane runes and designs. When the black gates open a world of billowing fog would be revealed with a track of dark stones running straight and true into the distance fogs.

The Endless Track

I step onto the ancient track and see the billowing fog around me. I look back and the gate is gone the track going straight into the distance both forward and behind. I begin walking down the path I pass colonnaded areas of the path where other mist shrouded paths branch off into the fog. At many of these misty paths I see the wraiths standing or wandering in the distance. The sage said no one is sure what these being are but it believed they are being who became lost in the realm of oblivion. As I wander down the ancient track, I am becoming aware of a sense of deep sadness. It is like the feeling is floating on the air a feeling of deep grief and infinite sadness and from some of the paths float a music as though an orchestra was playing a tune of sadness and longing for the realms of light and remembering. The sadness of this realm is heartbreaking but I must harden my heart. I only have a limited time in to find what I came for and leave so I cannot grieve for the lost. Occasionally I see a wraith on the path that I am walking I know that these are fellow wanderers in this realm. Most are people who became lost and wandered in and will find their way out eventually. Others are people who intentionally found oblivion for the same reasons that I did. As I travel, I see shapes in the fog dark brooding castles and outlines of vast cities. Many of these outlines are places that were lost and forgotten. Seeing some of the places looming in the fog make me feel a sense of deep sadness and others a sense of deep dread. It feels like countless ages have passed as I wander down the path before the billowing fogs seem to part and a dark tower appeared looming and brooding over the sea of billowing fog.

The Tower

Until the fog parts and I see a black tower looming in the mist, the sage said it is where I might find what I have lost. The path leads to the misty tower as I approach the I see stairs leading to a great door and flanked by the forms of great dog statues in mist. I go up the stairs and enter the door. The room I find myself in is a vaulting library filled with the stories and memories of all things that have come into the realm of the lost I see stairs along one wall hinting at other floors and libraries. Then I hear the whispers of lost secrets of city that were lost when the gods were young, of abominations whose nature and form must never be remembered, and peoples who were brought to this realm. I wander the library feeling a pull towards a particular part of the library and the knowledge that I seek. Even here in this library I see wraiths people who became lost when seeking knowledge.

I follow the pull to a part of the library and find many books and scrolls of information to read. Success, I have found what I was seeking and I know what I have lost now I must leave this land of fog and mist and just in time I begin to feel like I am fading and my memories becoming hazy. The sage warned that to spending to long of a time in this realm will mean you may never leave. I need to leave this realm hopeful without running into trouble.

The Guardians

 I proceed to leave the tower and notice the dog form in mist are gone. I do not know where they are and fear what they will bring. I go down and return to the path I need to get out of this realm. I move down the path at a faster pace than I came in when I heard a deep growl and saw the burning eyes and shapes of dogs flanking me. I remember more warnings from the sage the spectral hounds were guardians of the realms of lost. That they will not come on the path but they will shadow me and call the hunt to me. The wild hunt will drive from the path into the fog and leave me lost forever. I must escape before the hunt finds me. I break into a run with the dogs shadowing me as a darkness begins to fall. I rush past the misty roads and see the wraith scatter as the dogs' rush past and the darkness advances now I see darkness advancing overhead and it is like a great storm as lighting flashes and rolling booms of thunder. I am feeling weary as I run and I can now hear shouting and galloping in the rolling thunder as though a great host of horsemen are riding. The hunting is coming I cannot see them yet but they are coming. I see the gate and run faster as I see in the lighting flashes the horseman of the hunt coming as they ride on the storm. I do not know is I will make I can see them descending come to take me. I sprit and throw myself towards the gate as I lighting flashes. I land on the ground and hear distant thunder and angered cries and I notice I am back in my world. I had escaped the hunt and returned and I have found what I have lost. No, in the race to escape the hunt I let the memory slip and the tower has retaken it. I have lost something I cannot remember it and I know this because I can feel the empty place in my memory.