Journal entries split into three parts would be spread across Port as well as in Barovia, if all were collected they would go together as follows.
Month 4, Day 12, Year 780 / 05/09/2025
"In my home, High Forest, Faerun.. the Hall of Mists sat between Fhaokerymkilr to the North, Darmaerthe to the East, Morndinvuddrrin to the South and the Shadowtop Cathedral to the West. There the Sacred Hall lay, an ancient site created by the Sarrukh, or better known as "Saurians", an ancient race of Serpents that once controlled much of Toril, as they were one of the "creator" races, so the Sun Elves and Arakhor stated. This race is also responsible for the creation of the Nether-scrolls and who is to know what other ancient relics or sites they brought about in their once powerful organizations and Empire. (I speak in past tense here, as I do not know if the Hall of Mists is alright, since I am here now and cannot return, hence 'sat'.)
Why is the Hall of Mists important? What is the Hall of Mists?
The Hall of Mists is a portal in an ancient site that was crafted by the Saurian race as a means to explore other planes of existence and what they used such for, I do not know.. perhaps strategic advantages in war? Perhaps to seek allies and dealings with and in unknown creatures in unknown planes? Perhaps to conquer new lands outside of Toril?
There are a few things that I remember with my teachings from where I grew up as a child, within the dearly missed forest that I will never forget, perhaps these things are in correlation with this place, wherever we are, at least, somewhat... these mists filled with Undead and other horrors, where the will teeters on the brink of insanity and its strength seems to slowly diminish and the spirit may become corrupted, I have felt such will, being stretched thin like a rubberband and I only continue to refocus myself on it, trying to never let loose of what makes me strong and good.
It is an important site because of this fact, the means to travel to other planes /easily/, to places not reachable by horseback, not even dragonback, perhaps not even by most means of magic but only through the most potent spell-casting that there is, one would be able to do such conveniently, by stepping through this portal at the very high risk of ending up somewhere they do not wish to go, perhaps there was a way to focus it on where one wanted to go? This I am not familiar with, I only pass these stories down from my ancestors to those who are interested.
What I do know is that this portal lead to some very malevolent places, filled with negative energy, so such was told by my family... the Elves and my dear Grandfather, Arakhor. They spoke of Undead coming through the Portal, the gate.. often, Shadows, Liches, Vampire's, sometimes Fiends as well.. They spoke of a few places it could lead, the Outer Planes, Celestial heaven's, Negative material plane.
From -2436 DR, to 1344 DR, the relics known as the Nether-scrolls were buried within the Hall, along with other rare artifacts, I admit I have not done much research or learning on these scrolls, I only know that they were powerful and sought after by many. Mintiper Moonsilver scattered and hid these away in 1344 DR, to locations I do not know.. My focus lay mainly on the portal and it’s properties as well as the places connected to it.
In 883 DR, the Hellgate Keep disturbed portions of the land, creating an influx of Giant Red Ants to burrow into the Hall of Mists site, they tunneled themselves deep into the soil beneath and came up through the ground, this magical and sacred site gave these Ants the ability to phase, to jaunt.. does this sound familiar? to the spiders in Sithicus perhaps?
I am not sure if this mist-place correlates to the Hall but some things I find fascinating in my research.. The Void spiders being similar to the Ants, one of which I wrote on earlier.. the second being Yggdrasil, the Ent of Degannwy being similar to Arakhor, the 'Portal' under Degannwy that leads to the courts being similar to the Hall itself, these things are all familiar to the place where I am from, the place I defended for 49 1/2 years of my life until I arrived and became stuck here.
I have learned that there is a rift here, called the Shadowrift.. One other has called it the Shadowfell but I was informed that it was called rift so I will stick with that. It lay over around Degannwy, perhaps around the Blighted woods. Perhaps if I disappear someday or if my will breaks, one can take what I have found and grew to learn from and of, in both my home and this dark land to use it for something, good. I seek books on a lot of these topics, the spiders, the rift, the tree and some other things I dare not mention aloud here."
