Scars of Risenholm

Author’s Note
As I sit here, alone at the edge of a cliff, I find that it is not impossible to view this entire world and its inhabitants as a terrible after-effect of some dreaming and demented being or beings. Which, as you might learn later, is more than just a possibility - it’s a probability!


And so, we come to the crux of the matter. Inside these carefully written pages, laid out before your eyes, will be a collection of my experiences, my noteworthy interactions, and whatever else I find that will be of interest to the coming generations and their ilk. We shall begin, as is proper, with an introduction and a brief explanation as to the personage of the author.

My name, so far as I might remember it, is Shayol Athandar. Before my coming to be in this existence, I was nothing - and yet now, here I am. Or, well, so I might say, but with the nagging sensation of a man that has sat upon his legs for too long and stood up suddenly to try and dance, little nagging sensations insist that I know more about myself than I might perhaps at first perceive.

I will not refer to my name or whatever memories I might ‘find’ during the course of these explorations. It is, as it stands, irrelevant to the purpose, the crux of this novelization. For, this, as the title might suggest, is a systematic guide to the world and its systems, as far as I am able to deduce.

As for a dedication, it is with a simple and straightforward thought that I decide to dedicate this book to whomever dares to pick it up and read it. I, the author, salute you!


Getting Started and Various Other Details
If you ask anyone what they remember, most of them will answer with the same general memory; crawling or climbing from the Well itself. This is not to be an uncommon occurrence, but we’ll get to that in a moment.


As you may have noticed upon awakening, there is something very, very wrong with the Well. It is damaged - according to the locals, by the former Captain of the Guard, for whatever reason. This damage means that those who arrive in the world are likewise damaged more than might be considered ‘normal’ until relatively recently.

When I, dear reader, first arrived in this damned world, I find that the thing I remember most was the feeling of my fingers digging into the stone. Clawing, climbing, ripping my way from that depth. The slick warmth of my own blood pouring from countless wounds that I had no memory of. In fact, the few memories I did have in that moment were all coalescing and scrambled, like someone or something had condensed them into an unholy slurry.

Now, there is something to note about coming out of the Well, which will be stated now. You need not worry about dying from wounds such as those you received when you arrived; for, whatever reason it might be, once you arrive in this world, you cannot leave unless you take the plunge yourself.

Whatever is it I mean by that, you might ask? Well. I can’t really explain it, but whenever you ‘die’ - be it from jumping off a cliff, getting your head chopped off, or whatever else - you will ‘revive’ at the Well. You will simply reappear, fully intact, lacking a few items perhaps but otherwise unscathed. It is not a pleasant experience, from what I have gathered - you’ll understand that when you’re as skilled and practiced as myself, you don’t suffer such fates easily.

No, it appears there are only two ways to leave this world; dying of old age (as the graves in the cemetery appear to imply) and jumping, willingly, back into the Well. By all accounts, taking that irreversible plunge yourself back into those depths is simply - it. You leave. You are gone. Poof.

Regardless. As for a proper guide, once you are free from the medical embraces of the good doctor, you’ll find that they are generous and give out a sample of various supplies you might need to make it through the day once you are through. The veteran Scar hunter (we will get to Scars soon enough) who is located near this merchant is also more than willing to give out advice.

Now, I will offer a little shopping list for you, after an explanation on some of the stranger aspects of items that you might not remember from whatever passes as memories in your newly-Risen, addled brain. Feel free to inject your own objects here where needed.

Please note that when you arrive, you’re gifted a small stipend of gold, potions, and other miscellaneous things. These are absolutely useful, of course, but I am going to be writing this list as if you had not received them. Besides, it’s never a bad idea to over prepare for every possible occasion; it’s gotten me out of many poor situations.

Oils: Oils are a special poison coating, to put it simply, that you apply to your weaponry. There are various ‘flavors’ that you can choose from, which will do many different things to whatever it is you hit - but to put it basically, they’re extra damage to your foes. Make sure you have some for undead, vermin, and elementals. As I will explain when I begin talking about Scars, those three will be universally useful for your first few hunts.

Warding Potions: These apply various magical enchantments and protections upon your person, protecting and warding you from the attacks of your enemies. Be it by making your skin as hard as bark, making an invisible shield that will protect you from low-level spellslingers, or even making you a ghostly, shifting visage to your enemies- all are useful. Make sure you carry at least two of each. Do not drink them all in one sitting.

Enhancement Potions: Much like the above potions, these are likewise a mixture of various elements (we’ll get to what, exactly, at some point!) that will not only make you a more effective fighter - they’re also make you more handsome and wiser! Though I would not rely on them for all things. If you’re a shitty person, to put it bluntly, no amount of potion will fix you. Carry two of each upon you at all times, is what I would advise; and like above, do NOT drink them all in one sitting.

Healing Kits: These are - well, what do you expect? Bandages, needles, thread, a bit of sanitizing alcohol. Always carry at least four of these upon your person, for they’re infinitely handy in a variety of dangerous situations. Such as when your comrades have had one too many blows to the head, but are still more-or-less intact; using one of these, with the proper training (which we will get to) can save their lives.

Armor: If you need me to tell you what armor is, I don’t know if I can really help you. I will do my best. For those that do need to know - it’s a protective layer that goes over your bare skin to prevent things such as blades and acidic spit from burning straight through your flesh. Wear whatever feels appropriate to you.

Weapons: The opposite of armor, as it happens. These are blunt or sharp objects that can be used to deal vast, gaping wounds in your enemies. Use whatever you remember having training with, or whatever you think is going to help you to stay alive the longest. Either works, and frankly, even if you just pick a club of wood, you can swing it enough to become skilled in it eventually.

Ammunition: Some weapons, specifically bows, crossbows and slings, require you to have this. It’s a fancy word for arrows, bolts or bullets. Don’t overthink it. Make sure you carry more than enough for what you think you’re going to be doing, and then buy that same amount again, because frankly this is Risenholm and you’re better off being over prepared.

Containers: Bags, boxes, satchels, funny little containers. Buy one of these to put your food and potions in, if you’re a bit of a control freak like myself. It helps you to keep your pack organized in the long run, and they don’t weigh too much. Or just, I don’t know, throw it all in your larger satchel like some sort of maniac.

Runes: Elemental one-time use Power runes that can be rubbed upon your weapon to make it a little more spicy. Now, pay attention to the information I list later on in this document; every single enemy you run into has a specific and proper weakness when it comes to these, while some are completely immune to others.

Using this list of various things, and keeping it in mind, this is what I recommend for an initial inventory:

2 of Every Enhancement Potion.
2 Potions of Protection
2 Potions of Death Ward
2 Potions of Blurring
2 Potions of Shield
2 Potions of Barkskin
4 Healing Kits
4 Light Healing Potion
1 Leather Satchel
1 Suit of Armor (Reader’s Choice)
Weaponry Appropriate to the Reader (With relevant Ammunition, as Necessary)
1 Fire Rune
1 Vial of Elemental Oil
1 Vial of Undead Oil
1 Vial of Vermin Oil

Simple, isn’t it? It will grow more and more convoluted as things go on, trust me; but this is a good starting collection of objects that you should insure you have before leaving the Well. Ask for help from the veteran Scar-hunter (you’ll know him by sight, though you must have already seen him if you’re reading this book. Frankly this first-timer information is more-or-less wasted, but this is a guide and I am nothing if not thorough).

From there, you should leave the Well. Do not, in any way, attempt to damage or hurt the Well. You will be killed. And yes, I know I said the only way you could permanently die was to jump into the Well or die of old age - but frankly, if you try to fuck with the system, you will be thrown into the Well. And what is being thrown, if not involuntarily jumping?

Heading outside, you’ll find yourself in a square. Across from the Well building are two buildings; one is the Tavern. It is possible to find a room to stay here for sleeping arrangements; but don’t expect it to be, well… comfortable. Or permanent. Or private.

To the right and ahead of you, will be the Temple to the Sleeping Gods. I recommend you not go there. I suppose there are also some cottages of various townsfolk. Don’t enter those, it’s rather rude to barge into people’s homes.

More importantly, directly to your left, there is a small building set in just next to the Well building. That is the storehouse. I have no idea how it works, but you can use a chest in there to store as much of the random crap that you get from your adventures as you might desire. Remember this; you will soon have so much ichor and scrap that you will want to know where to put it. And orbs. We’ll get to those later, however.

If you follow the road to the left and head across the river, towards the Mill, you’ll find the general marketplace. The anvils and associated hammers next to them are for cracking open Seeds (we’ll get to those). The strange and rather grumpy looking old man with the cart will buy whatever scrap you don’t wish to keep - leave it on the anvil and talk to him, he’ll cart it over to his little area himself. The more posh looking man with the quill that stands near him will buy any Scar Fragments you might be carrying, for a set price.

A lot of this is just, simply, not going to make any sense to you. Just deal with it, please. I promise it will make far more sense the further along we get in this little guide. Along one of the stalls is a set of alchemical equipment, provided by the Millers (that’s one of the ‘factions’ here, I suppose) that anyone is allowed to use. Using ichor and scrap, you can create your own potions rather easily at one of these. The recipes and the guides on how to make them are listed on the little papers on the desk. Try to be civil.

There’s a few merchants; a blacksmith with basic ironwork, a boy that sells magical scrolls, a potion-maker who also sells orbs and other goods. Honestly, all of them are perfectly fine to talk to. If you must.

Further along the road, you’ll find the Tailor’s shop; this is marked by the creepy-looking mannequin out front, and the big sign that says ‘Tailor’. Going in and to the right, you can work with one of their specialists to make your own outfit - 100 gold for fitting, 50 for accessories. There’s also a man in there who can help you remember fighting styles, I suppose, if you need such a thing.

If you take a right, instead, and head up past the Mill, you’ll find the Mayor’s house. There’s a small library in the foyer which might be interesting (and possibly where you found this book). Don’t burn any of the books, you’ll find that a quick way to be put down.

And I suppose that would be the major highlights of town. There’s more to it, of course. I could go into detail and explain the Dredgers, the Millers and the Reeves; I could explain the history of the little village and the various goings-on that have been happening around town lately. But, and I’ll be blunt, they don’t really matter at the moment to the freshly-Risen. You should be focused entirely on getting your bearings, establishing firmly in your mind who and what you are, and dealing with the present.

We’ll get to the past in time.

Your First Scars, and other Information
Well, that last chapter was a lot of busywork. This will be a far more lighthearted jaunt through territory that could leave you mauled, beaten, and bruised; so buckle up and pay attention. And for the love of whatever you consider to be holy, be prepared before you leave town. Honestly.

There are, technically, six ways to leave Risenholm. One of them is to jump into the sea, or find a boat, and sail as far away as you can before drowning in the ocean and inevitably coming back to the Well. Another is to jump into said Well. I don’t immediately recommend either of these options, but - well, keep them in mind. You never know what might or might not be necessary in the coming months of your tribulations in Risenholm.

We’ll start by explaining a simple fact of this world; that memories can create literal scars upon the landscape that, so far as I’ve been able to learn from others, can manifest echoes of whatever they’re remembering upon the landscape around them. For example, we’ll speak of what is (perhaps) the easiest scar to start with; that in the farmlands.

Heading east from town, you’ll quickly find yourself in an area that smells like a combination of sulfur, sewage, and rotting meat. This is the farmlands, or was the farmlands, until someone transplanted a Scar directly into the middle of it. The Filth (no, really, that’s what the locals call these creatures) that spew forth from this ungodly rip in reality are responsible for the death and decay of the crop yields, and our more recent food shortage in town.

Now, not all of the fields are gone, as you might notice; there is presumably enough food to ration out and make things sustainable for a short period at least. But this scar is one that must, inevitably, be destroyed somehow if we’re to continue flourishing. That is not an easy task.

If you see deer or boar in the area, you would not be remiss to kill one and take the meat back to donate to the inn, however. I’m sure it’d be a much more pleasant meal than the grey soup.

Regressing slightly before this, however, we should briefly talk about stability and your position in this world in regards to potion consumption and scroll usage. Certain things in this world - such as, for example, potions and scrolls (obviously) - use up your ‘stability’. That’s your body’s connection with the physical reality. The less stability you have, the closer you get to - well, death. If you drink all your potions in one sitting, your body will rupture and you’ll just die horribly. Don’t do it.

Take rests between potions. They last for quite a while, and sitting for a few moments between chugging in town is more than useful; it’s a necessity! When you’re out of town, set up a campfire using your wellwater. One portion of wellwater (half a bottle) is one rest. Remember that.

Now that you have presumably taken the time to ‘buff’ yourself up, head back through the gate towards the Farmlands. The further East you go, the more you’ll start to see reality bending on itself. You’ll notice black tendrils snaking from thin air, strange pustule growths, and horrifying little bastards that like to nip and claw at you. These are the Filth.

If you head to the center of the destruction and stench, you’ll find the Orb. It’s… well, it’s an orb. Touch it, focus your mind, and you’ll find yourself falling into the reality of the Scar itself.

It is not a pleasant scar. If you have something to cover your nose, I recommend using it; but more importantly, keep your wits about you! There are dangerous little bastards in there that love to swarm you. But keep heart, and with skill and blade or whatever else you might use, you’ll find that you can persevere and defeat any that might decide to charge you. As you head through this little maze, you’ll find various points of crates and scattered objects on the ground.

Ichor, scrap, and more tantalizing - seeds. These are what you delve for! Collect them, and carry them with you. Those seeds are the fragmentary bubbles that contain, somehow, objects that you can use in the real world to arm and protect yourself. Smacking them with a hammer at the anvils in town helps the idea contained within materialize in the world proper, and while most of them will be completely and totally useless; you can find some rather good things in there.

There is little else of note in this festering pit, beyond the echoing memory of whoever the bastard was that put it in the Farmlands to begin with. Once you’ve gotten to the final door, brace yourself for a fight within. A young Warrior - a larger and more dangerous Filth-beast - awaits you behind the door. It will cast a dazing field of gas that will stun you; I recommend letting it shoot off it’s load, then run out of it as soon as you can. It will affect the enemy as well as you, so use that to your advantage. Regardless, it’s not a tough fight; a few hard slashes and slit throats, and you’ll find yourself victorious.

Upon striking down the Warrior, you’ll notice a few interesting things; for one, you’ll gain a fragmentary physical memory of your own body’s memories. That is to say, you’ll find yourself more refined and prepared for the world at large as your body (not necessarily your mind) remembers past experiences of what it had gone through before. Along with those experiences, you’ll find that a fragment of the scar itself is in your possession. That’s important for various reasons.

For one, it’s your primary source of income. We cannot afford people to do anything but hunt scars at the moment, so you don’t have the option (really) of being a farmer or a blacksmith. Frankly, we need people to cull the threat of the scars, and for every fragment you’ve collected it’s evidence that you’re helping to cull the threat of the scars themselves.

For another, if you’re of the type to wield Power (such as a wizard or a sorcerer, or whatever you wish to call yourself), you can ‘attune’ to these fragments, apparently. These will ‘flavor’ a few of your spells, so to speak. So if you attune to the Farmlands Scar and go to summon a creature, for example, it will look like something from that scar.

Once you’ve collected what loot is left, leave the scar through the obvious exit. From here, you have a few options; the one you always have is to head back to town, crack your seeds, and call it a day. Alternatively, you can head south, then west, and go to another relatively easy scar.

I’ll assume you’re following my own recommendations, so, heading south from the farmlands, you’ll find yourself in a quiet clearing. There are some ruins, a small door heading underground, and various creatures around; for now, ignore all of these. We’ll get to the ruins later in this guide. Assume for now that they’re beyond you. If there are wolves, mindful of the pack leader; it’s roar is frightful. Avoid the spiders entirely, if you see any. Keep following the edge of this clearing to the west, until you see a small exit.

Heading through it, you’ll find yourself directly south of Risenholm, near the old Lumber Camp and a boat. Frankly, I don’t understand what’s going on with the boat. From what I could gather from a few of the Dredger’s, they stole it from an angry robot and sailed it over a lake of angry frogs. We’ll get to it later, I’m sure.

More importantly, there’s a small graveyard. Around it, various cold winds have manifested into humanoid-shaped figures that are want to tear your flesh from your bones. I would advise coating your weapon with elemental oil, and using a fire rune to cut these rather easily apart. They’re coming from the next Scar on this little jaunt of ours; it looks like a gravestone. Touch it, and enter a new horror.

Those winds are the enemy for the majority of this scar; I recommend heading left along the pond once you enter, to skirt around the edges and collect whatever loot you might. Don’t worry about picking it off bodies or opening tombs; this isn’t real, or anyways, if it was, they don’t need it anymore. Collect what you can, and head on. There’s a small walkway, where three elementals and a shadowy figure stand; this figure is capable of putting down a slick patch of grease.

I recommend, much like with the Filth creatures, that you get it to send off it’s little patch - before immediately getting out of it to stand at the edge. If the enemy are still in the patch, but you’re outside it, that means they can be affected by the damned thing and you can’t. Use this to your advantage and rip them to shreds.

Moving from there, you’ll find the main enemy of this little scar. It’s a dog. It’s a dog that you have to kill. I never said it’d be pleasant, did I? But don’t worry. It’s not quite what it seems.

Before you so much as look at that dog, kill its friends, the elemental winds. They’ll go down pretty fast if you focus on them. Once those are down, kill the dog. As soon as you appear to land the killing blow, you’ll find that it transforms into a giant, terrifying black Grim. I’ll spare the exact details of what a ‘Grim’ is for the inevitable bestiary that I’m bound to create at some point, but needless to say, kill it.

Once you’ve done so, the scar will be ‘completed’, and you’ll get your fragment. Congratulations.

From here, you have two ways to proceed to our third little Scar on this starting hunt. The first way is to go north to town, then head west. The other way is to head due west, over the bridge, south of Flint’s lumber camp. You’ll find a gate and a worn path that will lead you to a little ruined house with a well out front. Sometimes, you’ll see some thugs and a scarred bottle sitting outside those huts; do not approach them. Not this early on. Ignore everything in here unless you have to fight. Head northwest, along the edges. You’ll see another path; take it.

This will lead you to the coast, just west of Risenholm, near a ruined tower overlooking the cliff. The balls of light that attack you are more-or-less harmless, if not a bit annoying. Make your way to the cliff, and look down; and you’ll see the next Scar. It’s that ruined ship. Well, sort of. In actuality, it’s the chest sitting just outside the ship. Head down to it whenever you’re ready.

You’ll find several undead sulking about the place; use an electric rune on your weapon, if you have one, and avoid blunt weaponry entirely. Slashing is the most effective, I find, but piercing is justifiable enough. Head to the scar - and touch it.

Inside, you’ll find yourself on the deck of a ship. Some old man will yell some nonsense at you, then you’ll feel the entire thing lurch and shudder. He’ll yell at you to go see what that was about, then unlock the way forward. Don’t worry about him anymore. Head down into the ship.


Kill what zombies are in your way as quickly as you might, and listen to the tale of the cursed chest as you travel deeper. Be careful; at one point, you’ll find a large water elemental has joined their ranks. It’s a bit beefier than some of the enemies you’ve fought so far, but should go down relatively easily if you have that electric rune on your weapon. Slaughter it, the enemies, and head deeper.

Once you’re at the very bottom of the ship, you’ll find the first truly dangerous fight you’ve had so far. It’s a cursed pirate corpse that projects a strange aura about itself that makes those zombies that fight with it a bit more powerful. There are two tactics here; one is to simply kill the Captain as fast as you please, and then mop up the zombies. The alternative method, and the one I tend to use, is to kill the zombies first, then the Captain. Honestly, it just depends on taste; but the less things that are swinging at you in the moment, the less potential damage you can receive.

Watch your wounds and be sure to have a potion ready to drink at the first sign of things going south. But, with effort, you’ll find that he’s easy enough to destroy - and the scar and it’s rewards are yours for the taking.

And with that, you’ve completed the basic ‘routine’ of three of the weaker scars. If you do this enough, you’ll remember enough about your own skills to be able to do some of the stronger ones I’ll cover in this guide later on. Or, maybe you’ll just find that scar hunting isn’t for you, and give up. I’m sure there is, despite my own belief, something else you could do in town.

Regardless. Head back to town, rest up, and check those seeds. You’ll find equipment that will make the trip worth it, and earn more than enough coin to cover any expenses. If you find yourself failing too much, ask for help. There are some of us who don’t mind helping the younger Scar hunters on their first few delves.