Chronicles of Martoushca of Peltarch II

[Kayleb]

In the depths of the night, Marty's slumber was restless, plagued by visions that danced on the edge of her consciousness like wisps of smoke. In her dream, she found herself standing in the heart of the commons, surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of her beloved garden.

But something was amiss.

The air hung heavy with an eerie stillness, broken only by the faint echo of dripping water. Marty's gaze was drawn to the fountain, its once crystal-clear waters now murky and dark, swirling with an ominous crimson hue.

A shiver ran down Marty's spine as she approached the fountain, her heart pounding in her chest. She reached out a trembling hand, the surface of the water rippling at her touch.

Suddenly, a figure materialised before her, bathed in a soft, ethereal light. It was her goddess Sheela Peryroyl, the halfling deity of nature. Despite the initial dread Marty felt in her presence, Sheelah radiated warmth and power and a sense of peace.

"Marty," Sheela's voice echoed in Marty's mind, gentle yet urgent. "There is danger lurking in the shadows, a darkness that threatens to consume all that you hold dear."

Marty's breath caught in her throat as she listened. Sheela's words resonated within her, stirring something deep within her soul.

"You are the guardian of this garden, Marty," Sheela continued, her voice filled with solemnity. "You must be vigilant and brave, for the fate of this place rests in your hands."

With those words, Sheela faded away, leaving Marty alone in the darkness once more. The fountain's crimson waters continued to swirl ominously, a silent reminder of the danger that lurked just beyond the garden's borders. Marty looked down at her hands, the hands Sheela said the fate of the green things in Peltarch rested. They were covered in blood.

Marty woke from her dream with a start. She sat up to peer out the front of her tent and began to pack a pipe with weed. As she reflected on the dream, she felt that it was not just a warning but a call to action to confront the darkness lurking Peltarch. She lit her pipe with a flame cantrip and drew back on it deeply. As she exhaled, she did her best to expel the sense of unworthiness with the smoke it exited her lungs.

Worthy or not, the call was clear.

With renewed purpose, Marty rose donned her armour and weapon bandoliers and prepared herself for the challenges that lay ahead.

Later that morning, Magistrate Shannon D'Arneau made a declaration in the Marketplace from the rant stand; "Citizens of Peltarch, and those divinely touched in particular, it is high time that we come together and cleanse this curse - this rotten taint - upon King George's fountain. Offer up your prayers and the power of your faith.
Torm wills it. The Triad wills it. What say you?"

Overcome with zeal, Marty barked out her response, "THE TRIAD WILLS IT! ALL FAIR GODS WILL IT! PELTARCH WILLS IT!"

((This post is an edited version of a vignette sent by Wolfe. edited a little))

[Kayleb]

PELTARCH.

The first rays of dawn began to paint the Docks District with a golden hue. Still mostly asleep, Marty donned her leather armour, and then clothed herself in her green robe before emerging from her tent. Eyes still mostly shut, she faced the direction of the rising sun, raised a sleepy salute to the sun god Lathander, picking up her satchel and heading toward the commons.

She began to wake as she made her way through the docks. Traders and fishermen were already busy hustling and bustling with their predawn chores. Despite the crisp air it was a clear morning, the absence of the gloomy fog that usually hung over Peltarch at dawn was a pleasant change.

It was going to be a nice day!

Still half awake, Marty cheerfully greeted the folks busy about the docks as she usually did, and they provided varying replies as they usually did.

Upon arriving at the commons, Marty drew her sickle from her satchel. The sound of cheerful chirping birds and the gentle rustle of leaves created an almost musical entrance. Marty took a moment to soak in the beauty of her surroundings, the sight of dew-kissed flowers and the sound of running water soothing her soul. With her index and middle finger extended, Marty drew a circular genuflection before her forehead. As she prayed softly in druidic, she banished what remained of her slumber, her faith causing enthusiasm to rise in her soul.

It was going to be a great day!

With a smile on her face and a song in her heart, Marty set to work. She trimmed the grass, watered the thirsty plants, removed any pesky weeds that dared to sprout, and gently pruned away dead leaves to make room for new growth.

As the morning sun rose higher in the sky, Marty shifted her attention to the more delicate plants and shrubs. She lovingly tended to each one, coaxing life from the earth with her green fingers and nurturing them with care.

Throughout the day, passersby stopped to admire Marty's handiwork and ask for gardening tips. Marty happily shared her knowledge, her passion for plants shining through with every word.

But as the hours passed and the sun reached its zenith, Marty noticed something troubling. Several of the plants seemed to be wilting and withering before her eyes, their once vibrant leaves turning a sickly shade of gray.

Marty knelt down for a closer look, her brow furrowed as her joyful feelings evaporated like the morning due. She examined the affected plants carefully, searching for any signs of infestation or disease.

It was then that Marty noticed a strange, faint odor emanating from the wilted foliage. It was unlike anything she had ever smelled before, a curious blend of sweetness and decay that made her stomach churn.

With furious determination, Marty continued her investigation into the evening hours. She searched for clues, consulted with Martin and other gardeners, even examining her own soul to find whatever sin was hidden there that would cause her goddess to remove her grace.

Her sins were many.
Things she shouldn't have done ....
Things she failed to do ...

Defeated, Marty made her way back to her tent. It was around the middle of the night by now. She gave a friendly nod to the working women as she made her way, instinctively scanning them for bruises, torn garments, or other signs of abuse. Rumours of a vengeful halfling member of the matriarchal cult of the "Crimson Glove" sneaking into the bedchambers of abusive men and filleting their private parts while they slept kept the working women of Peltarch a little safer. But Marty always maintained vigilance on their behalf.

Dark thoughts swirled through Marty's heart as she settled down for the night. Her feelings of failure began to morph as she projected her feelings. Grief turned into smouldering fury. Her small tent was illuminated by a dim light spell she had cast. She spend her last waking hours readying her weapons. Throwing daggers, sling stones, cruel blades of various sizes and shapes. Tomorrow she would not be "Marty the Gardener". She would be the hunter. She would find who or what ever was corrupting the ground, recruit a party of violent companions, and together they would paint the landscape red with the blood of their enemies.

... And with the shedding of their blood the grass would grow green once again.

((This post is an edited version of a vignette Wolfe sent to me. It has been modified a little to be more "Marty" accurate))

[Kayleb]

Dearest Diary,

-A time to kill-

N'Jast has declared war against Peltarch.

I'm currently reporting at the Legion Tower. I'm expecting that we'll be mobilised to defend either the pass or Norwick.

If things go they way they did in the past, Norwick will negotiate some kind of truce in order to stay out of the war. At least they will attempt to. I'm not sure if that will be possible this time.

The idea of going to war again knots my stomach. I saw enough death during the last war, and I'm not as young as I was back then. Facing the horrors of N'Jast's undead and their constructs, facing the heaps of corpses pointlessly slain, a part of me feels I am not up to it.

But that part of me will have to die. If war is upon us I do not have the luxury of deciding whether or not I am "up to it". I will be ready or I will die. And when my body is cast upon the pile of corpses, many more shall be piled on top of me - folks who may have lived if I had stayed alive a little longer.

I feel I do not have long to make myself ready.

I have purchased a new blade from Kenton Seth. It caught my eye, and when I went to test the sharpness of it's point with my finger the tip of my finger began to bleed before it touched the blade. It was as if just thinking about the dagger was enough to cut my finger! Owning this blade may help in the upcoming conflict. At the very least it would be an honour to die with such a weapon in my hand.

[Kayleb]

Dear diary,

When does a "person" become a "monster"?

Killing monsters is easy. I mean, not technically. Some monsters are hard to kill, and find it easy to kill you. But on an emotional level, once you've killed a monster you can feel good now that the land is a safer and a more monster-free place now it's gone.

But killing people - that is a different thing.

I feel that some people, by their abominable acts, become monsters. Removing these monstrous people from the land of the living is the duty of all who would consider themselves good and capable. It's difficult though. Maybe it's the niggling doubt - that they may not be beyond redemption? Or maybe it's the way they cry out for their mothers with their dying breath?

What ever the reason is, no matter how "evil" the person is, killing so many is starting to haunt me. It's like I have swung from one extreme to the other. I drove myself to physical and spiritual exhaustion trying to save people during the plague, but now to keep those same people safe I am piling up a mountain of corpses. Corpses of "people". Whether its subterranean cultists, or smugglers, or bandits on the road, I feel it has been a long time since I killed a regular "monster". My hands are red with the blood of "people".

I keep reminding myself of the words of that poem ...

"...A time to kill and a time to heal..."

Green Mother, clean and guide these hands.

[Kayleb]

Dear diary.

There is an old poem I like;

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.

... A time for war and a time for peace."

I heard someone recite this once - it really stuck with me.
I think because it resonates with my druidic beliefs?

The trick is - understanding the time.

With murmurs about war with Highhold, and the demon Razzi casually being permitted in and out of Peltarch, I currently feel times have changed, but I'm not sure if the wind of time has filled my sails to make my actions align with them.

Varya Tiller has fallen out of favour with her goddess - the Grain Mother Chauntea (bless her name).

This is heart breaking for me as the land will be a poorer place without Chauntea's power moving through one of her servants. But what specifically strikes at my heart is the cause of her fall from Chauntea's grace. It was Varya's intolerance of those who cooperate with demonic forces that caused her to fall. She was so blinded by hatred that she is now out of step with nature.

My prayers have now become dominated with pleas for her atonement and restoration to grace. For now I will do all I can to aid her redemption.

But I've had to look into my own heart. I have personally felt that Razzi should have been slain. I was not convinced by her "escape" from the abyss and she has demonstrated no evidence of repentance, or remorse over her decision to join the demonic horde as one of it's leaders, nor any change in character. The only thing I have seen of her is disgust at the temple Helm we brought her to for her safety.

I had once followed her using a Gnomish Positioning Scroll, but she has discarded that since leaving the temple, and appeared in Peltarch under the cloak of invisibility.

I have every reason to believe she is not on a path of redemption and means all of us only harm.

I do not feel I was a blinded by "righteous" as Varya Tiller was, but still ... Id happily fertilise the grass in the commons with Razzi's blood at this point. "Murder" being illegal, and the slightest of doubts that I am right about her, is the only thing staying my sling.

I believe in redemption.

I shall be meditating on it more deeply. I can't afford to lose natures grace upon me as Varya did.

[Kayleb]

Dear Diary.

I saw Shannon D'Arneau in the commons today.

I had to keep moving, so didn't have a chance to speak with him ... which I may have done? Maybe? ... If I didn't find him so intimidating.

I remember like it were yesterday one drama in the Docks where we were attacked by shadovar. He arrived to help as their leader arrived.

Shadovar villain says "Ah, so I see you have met my minions!"

Shannon invokes the power of his god destroying the Shadovar villain instantly.

So Shannon says - "Ah, so I see you have been turned into a pile of ash!"

Holy kippers! Honestly dear diary, it was one of the most brilliant things I've ever seen!

I wish he would frequent the commons more often! Maybe that way we'd have fewer fools being lured into damnation like poor Razzi.

If anyone's asking me - turning evil interplanar creatures visiting Peltarch into piles of ash is the best Policy. No question. We would likely meet same fate if we were bold or stupid enough to go wandering into their territory. Even more likely to be instantly killed if we went into into the meeting place of their primary city!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

[Kayleb]

Dearest Diary,

It's been a while since my last entry. In truth, since the plague lifted I've felt a bit lost. The plague in Peltarch was easily one of the darkest parts of my recent life, but now it is over ... I feel my purpose has vanished.

While I was tending to the sick I felt my purpose very strongly. In those days I knew who I was and what I was supposed to be doing. As horrible as the plague was it was an opportunity for me to fulfil my sense of responsibility toward the people of Peltarch. But now it is as if that purpose has evaporated. I've fallen back into an "Adventurer" lifestyle, taking the fight to the giants and undead that always threaten us. But there are many soldiers and adventurers who engage in that war. I feel my absence would not be felt were I to take my leave of it.

So I've recently made up my mind to search my soul again. Each time I try to retire from "adventuring" I fail. I suspect I shall do that until I die for the final time. But like a splinter in my mind is the feeling of unfulfilled destiny.

This must be a common feeling for those entering into their senior years? I'm not even sure how old I am, but my body is starting to feel age taking it.

[Kayleb]

Dear diary.

The plague has lifted!

I am yet unaware of what was accomplished and by who, but the cure to the plague has come and the quarantine of the Residential District has been lifted! May the gods bless all who brought this deliverance about!

At last the despair that weighed me down like a soaked blanket has been lifted off me! I can't remember the last time I was actually happy, but as I write this - joy washes over me like some previously unexperienced emotion! While I'm sure this jubilation shall be short lived I will do my best to savour every moment of it - to hammer the remembrance of it into the stone tablets of my heart.

MAY THE GODS BE BLESSED!

[Kayleb]

Dear diary,

I once heard a cleric preach that for every fiend there are two angels.

I'm not sure what cosmic survey he was basing that statement on, but the logic seems to hold. If it were not true the cosmos would be a horrific realm under the tyranny of fiends. Things are not even. They tilt in the favour of the celestial. That's how balance is maintained.

Or at least - that's the going theory.

I saw the demon woman in the commons again today. Again, none opposing her. If I felt I had the power to I'd slay the creature myself. It was - again - rounding up adventurous folk to venture south to combat a demonic threat in the Rawlins. I have been following the lead of Elder Aoth, who I have also been meeting in Peltarch from time to time. In truth however, I feel like a useless spectator of these events as they unfold.

I have heard word from the south that the wood has become infested with fiendish wasps and other flying horrors. The sound of their droning wings is enough to drive those who hear it insane.

I also heard tell of an elven lass in the docks being taken by "giant flies".

I keep putting off writing to Shannon. I shall tarry no longer with that. But surely he already knows of this threat? That an entire party of adventurers are being lead along by a demon? That - in all likelyhood - they will be lead along into damnation, as was Kara Du'Monte?

It seems odd that the likes of me should be the one to inform him of this. And if it is me, will my message fall on ears willing to hear? My name seems to be as good as dirt in certain circles.

I will continue to pray. My only dread is that my sins will cause my prayers to fall to the ground. Surely someone else will rise up?

For every fiend there are two angels. I shall continue to remind myself.

Love,

Marty.

[Kayleb]

Dear diary,

Unusual day today.

So I'm in the commons taking leave from tending to the ill in the Residential district. I had planned to try round up some coin from the richer adventurers there for more Remove Disease potions for those who have been struck by the plague. I hadn't planned to be there long as the time for prayers was approaching and I needed to beseech Sheela for more magic for the sick.

So folks in the commons were discussing demons. One of the folks in the commons flies off ... literally ... like a bird. Word was that it was actually a succubus.

So ... Demons are coming and going in Peltarch.

This is only my most recent encounter. Apparently the demonic war against devils is spilling out onto the land. This succubus has been duping adventurers into helping it in it's campaign against devils or some such.

I shall be writing a letter to Shannon.

So a bit of history - at the dawn of Peltarch's war with N'Jast there was a fella called Tancred. He used to sell dresses and such. Quite a good fella - or so I thought. He invited me out to a private meeting beyond Peltarch's walls. Turns out he was a summoner of evil shite and this was an ambush. Waiting for me was some kind of undead knight. It was all like "ALL SHALL FALL IN GLORIOUS DEATH!".

I ran.

I'm brave but I'm no idiot! Well I try not to be one. An ambush is - by definition - a situation where the target is at a serious combat disadvantage. Only an idiot would stick around in that kind of scenario if they have the opportunity to exit.

So here I was again - being invited out alone past Peltarch's walls - by a mentally dominated seafarer guard no less! And this was just after some demonic slag had just visited the commons! So like an idiot I went out. I thought I was going to have company but everyone disappeared.

So out past the gate was a demon about as big as city hall. Flaming wings, flaming sword, face like a frigg'n skull. Scariest shite I've seen in a long time! So initially I just ran. Seemed like the smart thing to do. I broke for high ground to get some kind of tactical advantage. But it wasn't after me so much. Turned out it had come to collect me - take me to some kind of meeting. So like a total moron I followed it.

It lead me past the shrine of Tempus down onto the Nars pass. At that point it raised it's sword. I was like "Fark this - see you later!". Because seriously - when it comes to ambushes there's an old saying - Fool me once, shame on you shame on you. Fool me again —you can't get fooled again!

So that was my day. Apart from that it was reasonably uneventful. I've since returned to the Residential to cast cures on the ill.

Don't talk to demons.

[Kayleb]

Dear Diary.

Toil continues in the Residential tending to victims of the plague.

Primrose (May the Green Mother bless her) Has suggested that Konjac root may help abate the intense hunger experienced by folks afflicted by the plague. It's also known as Elephant Yam.

I've not seen this plant grow in Narfell, but if my memory serves me right (doubtful) I have spotted dried Konjac for sale in Oscura . After the next batch of potions come in I will take some leave and rabbit over to Oscura to see if I can secure a supply.

My coin purse has all but run dry. I recently received some coin from the sale of some of my adventuring gear, and have put it aside for more potions of Disease Removal. I may have to dip into these funds to get some samples of Konjac for testing. After that I will need to try harder to secure some more coin. This will be hard to do without leaving the city, which at the moment I am loath to do lest more deaths be on my conscience.

I've not had any response to the letters I have sent to the Bardic College. I was hoping they may be able to put together a concert or some other fund raising event to help with things here. I will keep writing them.

The stories I have heard of plague victims becoming raging cannibals remains unconfirmed. I would imagine that if it were true I would have noticed this development. I am spending almost every waking hour with those stricken by the plague. If they were becoming rampaging ghouls I think I would have seen it happen at least once by now. The order is quite tight on its quarantining of severe cases however. Behind every locked door is a mystery that I guess some people get creative with?

Mother Sheela,
Radiant guardian of all that's green,
Banish this affliction.
May the works of those who hate life come to nothing.!
May their loins wither and turn to dust!
May their bowls explode.
May the stench of their bloated corpses rise as a warning to those who follow their path.
May a curse be upon all who curse your work,
And your blessing be upon those who please you.

Amen.

[Kayleb]

Dearest diary,

I've just emptied my account at the bank to fulfil the last order for remove disease potions from primrose. It was for fifty bottles, which isn't enough, but at least it will buy fifty of those worse afflicted by the plague more time.

I had saved the gold in my account as an insurance against my own death - to pay for a true resurrection at the temple should I ever fall in battle. My conscience wouldn't allow me to hold onto it though. My life is not more important than anybody else's.

Now that my gold coins have been totally depleted I have had to resort to publicly begging for aid in the marketplace.

A few brilliant souls have responded with some coin, but we are going to need a more solid solution. One of the first symptoms of the plague is hunger - so naturally food supplies are starting to run low. The order has started to ration food in the district, but we're going to have to push for more food soon.

I'll see if I can start selling some of my "adventuring" gear. Need to get more coin from somewhere.

On a personal level I could use a little more hope too. I've been doing my best to believe that there may be an end this this that isn't an utter disaster, and that my actions will make some kind of difference. But when honesty rears it's ugly head I know in my heart that I'm like a gnome casting illusion spells to fool myself. Despair seems to be my constant companion these days, occasionally kept at bay by brute, baseless optimism.

Sheelah help me.
Gods help us.

[Kayleb]

[[copied and pasted form an enchantment application. This is for the enchantment of her sling "Fury".]]

The dark night was just now beginning to brighten, the stars starting to fade as the dawn slowly approached.

Marty had been fasting for the last forty days, each day eating nothing but a single goodberry, and drinking nothing but a cupped hand full of water from the sacred brook. Her hair had grown long during her fast, and she had been careful not to wash it clean of the specs of blood and gore that had soiled it during battle.

She sat naked in the glen by a camp fire, upon which was boiling a small cauldron. Behind her sat Trin, also naked, braiding Marty’s hair as she sang a druidic chant. Trin wove thongs of leather into Marty’s hair, each strand cut from hides obtained from Marty’s personal war. One hide from a dire wolf, one a tanned giant’s scrotum, another cut from a lizardfolk’s back. Each hide had the story of the battle from which they were obtained written onto them in enchanted inks before being cut into long thin strips. As she braided the thongs into Marty’s hair she would occasionally fasten a tooth, a ring from a ruined suit of chainmail, a carved bone, each trinket also a trophy from battle.

Boiling in the cauldron was a brew made from the saps of different trees, dire wolf urine, and other reagents. If filled the grove with a woody acrid smell, mingling with the smoke from the fire.

Marty’s arms were crossed in front of her, hands closed except for the index and middle finger, making a “V”. In her trance, she delved deep into the love in her soul. She visualised Peltarch, her walls, the faces of her people, the scent of her muddy streets. She also visualised her comrades in the Legion, her brothers and sisters in the Circle, the faces of everyone she loved and cared about – most of them strangers. The images drifted in and out of her consciousness. For each face Marty uttered a short prayer to Sheela, and any other god that was listening, for their protection and prosperity.

Once Trin had finished braiding Marty’s hair, two long plats ran from each side of her head and down her back. From amongst the weapons that were laid out before them, Trin took Marty’s cruel looking bowie knife and shaved each side of Marty’s head with it. Two braids now in her hand, Trim raised Marty’s knife toward the sky eastward and continued her chant, increasing in volume and intensity.

Marty dipped each pair of spread fingers into a small bow containing a thick, tar like paint. Maintaining the “V” symbol, she drew the fingers out of the pot and painted a pair of stripes on each cheek, and a pair of stripes running down the sides of her freshly shaved head. The paint stung as it entered into cuts left on the sides of her head after Trin’s rough shaving. She then tossed the pot of paint into the cauldron and took up a heavy granite slab. She fastened a rectangular clay tile to the slab with one of the spare thongs. The tile bore magical strength runes written in Giant. The tablet itself was a trophy, picked up from a hill giant named Broont’ahg whom she had slain on the beach near Peltarch.

As she fastened the strength rune to the granite slab, Marty entered into a second trance. This time the soil of love that she had tilled in her heart began to sprout as she meditated upon the faces of her foes. The hideous faces of orcs, the snarling fangs of kobolds, the stench of zombies and ghouls, the swinging ball sacks of giants, the slick oily hairdos of vampires … As hatred and fury began to grow inside her, so did the divine magic begin to sprout from the soil in her heart. She growled the words of her spells as if preparing for battle …

Wisdom of the Owl …

Grace of the Cat …

Trin quickly fastened the masterworked pouch to the braids, assembling the sling. The pouch had been crafted from tanned giant scrotum and soaked in camomile tea during Marty’s period of fasting.

Marty continued to growl out the worlds of her spells.

Endurance of the Bear…

Strength of the Bull ...

Marty gripped the granite slab with one hand, holding it over the cauldron with the fastened strength rune facing toward her.

“NOW!” She cried out to Trin. As Marty spat out the worlds of the Blood Frenzy spell, her muscles now bulging and rippling as if they were about to burst out through her skin, Trin quickly grabbed her iron wood club and struck Marty square in the face with it. Marty’s nose flattened under the blow as it issued a geyser of blood.

“GRAGH!” Marty bellowed as she flew into her final rage. Her fist shot out and smashed against the Strength rune, shattering it into powder which then fell into the cauldron. The bones in her hand also shattered as they struck the granite slab.

As Marty collapsed, Trin quickly tossed the sling into the cauldron. The brew bubbled and boiled and surged up over the rim, spilling out onto the campfire. This sent a pungent stench up into the air that reached almost as far as Norwick. Trin let the sling simmer for a while as Marty writhed on the ground.

“Bitch!?... Shite … my nose … “

Trin used her robe to protect her hands as she grabbed each side of the cauldron. She gazed down at Marty’s flattened face as she tipped its contents out onto the fire. “Meh … ‘tis an improvement if you ask me.”

Marty spluttered out a laugh that bubbled up out of her bleeding face. “ … farrrrrk.”

The sling and the contents of the cauldron now lay on the ashes of the extinguished fire, the first rays of dawn’s sun bathing it in a dim orange light. Almost instantly grass and flowers began to sprout up out of the earth around it.

“Here,” said Trin as she dusted off her hands, coming over to tend to Marty, “Let me take a look at y’ then.” She pulled what was left of Marty’s nose together and quietly chanted the worlds of a regeneration spell upon her. She took Marty’s hand also, pulling the bones out straight as the spell began to heal them. Marty winced as the magic did its work.

After she had been put back together, Marty crawled over to where the sling lay. “… So you put it together right yeah? The left braid on the left side of the pouch, and the right braid on the right side of the pouch?”.

Trin had no idea there were “sides” of a sling pouch.

“…. Yes… Yes of course!”

[Kayleb]

Dearest diary,

i collected another twenty potions of remove disease from Primrose in the commons today. While out of the District I searched the market place to see if there was anything else I could find that could help us in our plight against the plague.

The Warrior's Soul stall had an amulet for sale that I am hoping will help me attune with the divine ... and if if their grace is upon me I should be able to cast more curing magic each day.

None of this will be enough of course. Just buying time. Hopefully Constable Dunderstone will be able to produce a more effective cure soon.

May the love of the gods be upon him.

[Kayleb]

Dearest diary.

Nothing is more lethal to high spirits than the death of a child.

I'm not sure if the little one died of the plague, or from some other cause. Regardless, I have been stricken with remorse and guilt almost beyond my ability to bear.

"If only I had been here"
"If only I had prayed more - was more spiritual"
"If only my sins weren't held against me so the gods of nature would grant me more grace"
"If only I had looked harder and found more clues regarding who or what was behind this plague."

If only - if only - if only.

I have made up my mind to leave the district no longer. Previously I had taken leave from time to time - to use my magic while on some frivolous "Adventure" to distract me from what was going on here. - no more - Every prayer, every ounce of grace I can beg out of the gods that will listen to me - all of it goes toward the sick now. I don't think I can bear one more death on my conscience.

I am going to sleep now, but a rooster is by my side. I have told him to crow as soon as he sees the sun. That should grant me a few hours of sleep. May the gods grant me at least a little peace as I slumber, and let me not be afflicted by nightmares of disease as has been the norm.

I love you.

[Kayleb]

Dear Diary.

It appears that I may have deluded myself into believing I was making a significant contribution toward fending off the plague.

Every day I had been casting magic from nature's grace to remove the disease from those who had been stricken in Peltarch's Residential District. I followed up on those who I had cured only to find that the divine magic only suppressed the plague without curing it.

While I continue to labour in the district to do what I can, I am overwhelmed with the feeling of hopelessness and insignificance. I'm struggling to be of good cheer when I am taking leave from the district, and while waiting for divine grace to return to me for more curing spells I am distracting myself with various pointless "Adventures". During these adventures I have noticed that the landscape is littered with magical items. It is as if some kind of cloak (?) that had suppressed the magic of these items from manifesting has been lifted from the land, and now it is uncommon to return to the city without a handful of new magical items in my pack. I guess this is a blessing? And I really should be showing some kind of gratitude for the good fortune that seems to be falling from the sky. But even the coin gained from the sale of these treasures does little to abate my misery. Most of It I am using to purchase more potions to to suppress the plague. If even I can buy some poor souls some time before the plague inevitably takes them, maybe that will be something?

[Kayleb]

Dearest diary,

So it's been a while since my last entry. Until today I have not been witness of much that would be worth writing about.

A plague has struck the residential district of Peltarch. The bulk of my time has been spent casting cures and other spells on those afflicted. I am able to cure around three per day, but I've been using restoration and endurance spells on others to help reduce their suffering.

I had heard talk of crystals being found in the hands of ettins and duergar. Taking a brief leave from my usual duties in the residential district, I ventured underground to see if the words were true.

I abhor being underground. I find myself getting lost easily, and my vision spell wore off earlier than expected. But the particular cave I ventured into did bring back fond memories. The last time I was there was during an assault lead by General Grag. It seems like a life time ago. I do miss the old Legion days. The Legion is still active in the land, but most of it's focus is now on defending the refugees and citizens of Hin Hold and Sam's Hole. We don't have organised "patrols" that go out and look for trouble like we did back in the old days.

So I slaughtered a good number of ettin, but was unable to find any of these crystals I had heard about. Just another bull shite adventurer's tale I guess? It was good to get away from the plague for a while though. And flirting with death did give me the emotional boost I needed after spending so much time with the ill.

I'm back in the Residential District as I write this. I hear that Jonnie and his friends are working on a cure for the plague. I'm sure they have the issue in hand. I'd offer my services, but whenever I'm with that group I just feel like I'm getting in their way.

I also heard word that vampires may be behind this plague. Seems like an odd move for vampires. Hard to see what they would have to gain from it. But I have noticed that some cultists who live under the city have succumbed to vampirism. Maybe they had maintained their faith in Talona after becoming undead? I heard somewhere that it was Talona the cultists worship - the Mother of all Plagues. Tossing up whether I should be cursing her in the name of Sheelah Peryroyl or presenting an offering to appease her.

Mother give me wisdom.

[Kayleb]

Greetings Diary.

Well, I've been very slack when it comes to making entries. It is entirely because things have been too consistent to be noteworthy.

I have opened a stall in Norwick. I guess that should have been noteworthy enough for an entry into this diary? Maybe even MORE note worthy if the stall was actually doing well...

Truth be told, I think it's despair that is writing this entry.

A group of dwarves has gone missing in the Underdark, and they are recruiting help to go search for them. Naturally I volunteered. I still wear Legion colours, and it would be a breach of my oath not to offer help. But I'm getting old. Maybe not old? Just tired? I'm definitely not as fresh or as quick as I used to be.

And the underdark is a place where none of my strengths as a warrior apply, and where all of my weaknesses are laid bare. Best case scenario - they are just lost or stuck somewhere and we all come home safely. More likely scenario - whatever slaughtered those dwarves will take us too. And even if someone drags my body back to a temple to be raised from the dead, I'm basically broke at the moment. Definitely not enough coins to be raised from the dead. In all likelihood this trip could well be my last amongst the living.

It's been a good life. I mean, the parts of it I remember. I don't have too many regrets. Peltarch has broken my heart though, and I feel the current state of the city is my biggest failure. I had dedicated myself to make it beautiful like it was before the war with N'Jast, when the flowerbeds and green grass made the city wonderful. And the people I served as a politician, who put me forward to fight the tide of authoritarianism and elitism ... those I utterly failed. Where Tidus' vision once reigned the puppets of Siamorphe now brood. A boy king pulled along by his loins, his puppet strings being tugged by his Siamorphean puppeteers.

But at least Peltarch still stands. That is something. I fought so hard and sacrificed so much to keep it standing agains the onslaught of N'Jast. Nobody remembers that war of course, but for me the unmarked graves that embrace my friends and comrades all along the road from Jyyd to Peltarch will always speak to me. They comfort and beckon me. As broken as my heart is at the current state of Peltarch it was always be my home and my first love. Too much blood and tears have been shed for me to feel any differently.

I suppose I should try to look in the bright side of my situation? Should I somehow survive this mission to rescue the lost dwarves I will experience a blessed state. Like finding a lost coin. While it is lost you're grieving over it, but when you find it the coin becomes more precious than the rest of your coins in your purse. That's something ... to be utterly lost and devoid of hope, and then to have your life redeemed from the shadow of death. The number of times I should have been removed from the land of the living and luck, or the love of friends, has kept my in this mortal coil. There have been moments where I was that coin, or have been searching for it and found it. It's a blessed state indeed.

I'm rambling.

Well dear diary, if this is my last entry, I hope you remember me fondly. Love your kin, live in harmony with your community and with nature, and try not to murder the wrong people.

I love you.

Martoushca Leaffall.

[Kayleb]

The penguin darted through the water; it’s back barely skimming the surface of the Icelace. She had been away from home for too long, and her desire to be back added haste to her movement. She wasn’t really sure how long she had been away for. From her point of view it could have been around a year, but she had entered into an astral trance while paying homage toward the Mountain of St Jerrick. Time can pass strangely when in such a state.

The penguin dove a little lower into the water, before sharply changing direction upward, bursting through the surface and flying up onto the dock. Upon landing she staggered a little, her flippers and fins tired from having swam so far. If her beak could smile it would have, her heart being overwhelmed with joy when feeling the familiar, splintery wood of the dock beneath her flippers. But her feelings suddenly sank. Everything was wrong. The smell of acrid smoke filled her nostrils, and many of the buildings so familiar to her were now in ruins.

“Qua Quark qu-”
[translation – “Holy Sheelah, …. what the fu-“]

A titanic shockwave tore through the docks, shaking the ground and shattering windows. The penguin was knocked off her feet. A cloud of burning dust erupted from what used to be the courthouse, as debris began to rain down onto the street.

“QUAERK!”
[translation – “SHITE-SAUCE!”]

The dazed aquatic bird clumsily got to her feet. She gazed in despair at what remained of her home’s justice – a rising cloud of dust and falling, shattered stone. Like a tempest, all the fears of her past crashed up against her soul. Before long she could hear shouting and battle. She dived onto a commando roll, tumbling into nearby ruins. She pressed her back up against a broken wall as a running battle surged past her. She would have joined in the fight but had no idea which side to fight for.

Once the din had passed, he penguin’s skin began to bulge and boil. One bulge grew into a large hump on her back and transformed into a backpack and bedroll. Another erupted out of her shoulder, sprouted a blonde mop of hair, and grew into a head as the penguin head retracted into the new head’s neck. One of the flippers stretched into a circular shape and became a shield. A white daisy was painted onto the front of the shield, while a host of scabbards housing throwing blades, darts, and other cruel looking throwing weapons lined the back. The penguin’s skin began to darken and became a suit of black, dark blue leather armour into which the body of a halfling woman inflated into shape.

Marty peered out from behind the wall she had hidden behind. The coast was clear. She made her way stealthily through the streets, hoping to find someone who could tell her was the hells was going on, and maybe reconnect with the Legion chain of command … if that was still a thing?

[Kayleb]

@21e6c651ae:

_Greetings diary.

It has been a month since Bane's Bane fell to the goblins. I would be lying if I said that my grief was over. But it has dimmed enough to allow life's normal routines to resume.

I have been on foot for so long I almost forget what it feels like to have a saddle between my knees. I have put off partnering with another horse lest I "replace" Bane's Bane. That is nonsense however. The position left vacant by a fallen soldier is reinforced. Soldiers are never replaced.

So I have made up my mind to reinforce my efforts by recruiting another horse to partner with me in my military and agricultural ventures. I will go to the stables tomorrow.

In the mean time I'll prepare as much magic as I can that will let me communicate with horses. I'm looking for a comrade. I'm not interested in any of them being "sold" to me._

@21e6c651ae:

_I'm not saying that horse sellers are slave traders.

Not to their faces at least. But the comparison is valid I'd say. At least in some cases. I did my best to bypass the seller and connect directly to the horses.

In truth, animals don't have the same kind of mind we people do. They aren't "intelligent" enough speak. But animals have their own kind of wisdom. With them it's more about feeling and instinct. At least in the wild it is. But after communing with the ponies in Peltarch's stable it became pretty clear how well "trained" they were. Training isn't a bad thing. Gosh I train myself! But sometimes training that drive out the feeling. Drive out the instinct. Training can turn an animal into a tool. That's a blasphemy to me.

There was one pony tied to the rail at the back of the paddock. "Forget about that one" the horse seller told me. "That bastard can't be tamed. Kicked one of my saddle boys right in jewels." He went on to tell me that the apothecaries were currently trying to reassemble the lad in the temple light house, and how he would pay for the healing if he were making more sales. His pitch may have one me over if I hadn't already made up my mind to hand over gold to release one of the horses.

I made an equine greeting toward the pony. He snorted at me in contempt. I could see in his eyes that he wasn't interested in being saddled or ridden. He was just over it all. He just wanted to fight.

I used magic to communicate to him. I made him feel the wars I have fought. The friends I have lost. I shared with him my feelings about Bane's Bane. It wasn't long before he could see that we were both on the same page.

"You sure about that one miss? I'm telling you, he's a real bastard. He'll kick you off as sure as."

"Aye" I told him. "And he'll probably try to kick my head off after that. That's why he's the one."

I think it was guilt that I saw on the horse sellers face. Maybe he felt bad about taking money for a horse he was about to get rid of?

I tried to get saddle and barding on the pony, but he wasn't going to have it. He bucked and kicked at me with all his might. I ended up on my arse in the mud.

"So what are you going to call him?" the seller asked me.

It was pretty clear already who this horse was.

"His name is Bastard."_