3. Fury And Faith: Thoughts of a Warpriest

Fury And Faith: Thoughts of a Warpriest


  • _Lycka's Song
    Performed live, for Aelthas, in the Peltarch Gaol

    Oh, I took the silver wolfgirl, like all the doggies do.
    I took her once, and once again, and now he thinks they're his!
    She only wants a real man, and not a farkin' loon..
    She wants a bear to do her right, and not a farkin' moon!"_


  • _I haven't had this much fun in a while. It's as if the doubts and questions I had were suddenly wiped from my mind, and I finally understood how meaningless they were.

    First a band of harpies attacked the gates in Norwick. They were wailing, screaming and mostly dying. For a moment I almost felt bad for them, but then it passed. I then realised that they weren't really attacking, but more fleeing from something. So a group of us decide to head south into the forest for a good while to find out what they were fleeing from.

    We came across a group of harpies, wyverns and chimaera's fighting each other. It was a great free-for-all and we joined right in. Those chimaera spikes can really hurt, but we all lived trough it. I even walked away with a nice new gauntlet, and best of all, the tail stinger of an enormous wyvern. My best trophy so far.

    I thought it couldn't get much better than that, but when we returned to Norwick and night fell a group of vampires decided to attack. Most of them weren't too much trouble. One vampire mage was tougher but it turns out my new gauntlet can do some fun things; deaf mages can't hear what they're trying to cast. The toughest one was a master archer with acid arrows, that melted anyone that took one step out of the gate into a green puddle. Alestra died, even though I tried my best to keep her alive; that acid ate her faster than I ever could. Too bad. After another hour of being played with people finally started to take my advice to move further into town, with more light and high ground. Vampire didn't follow us in though. Smart.

    For the first in a long time I feel, not just know, why I chose to serve Tempus. Even trough the chimaeras and the vampires, I never felt fear. I took cover when I was taking too much, I fell back when I had to but I never felt fear. I felt excitement I haven't felt in a long time. I felt Tempus' eye watching over me, and His hand pushing me forward.

    Now to find a roasted boar, a crate of ale and Mia for the perfect ending for a perfect day._


  • _"You change your mind often."
    "My mind is a ship lost in a storm, and I don't see any lighthouse."

    I don't know where that came from, but it's true. I left the Academy to learn what I'm not ready to teach yet, but most of all to find myself. I just don't have any idea where to look. I joined Uljas' smashers for a while, and he has a good cause to fight for. But it's not my cause. I can't really be a warpriest when I don't truly, fully believe in the worth of the fight. A warpriest keeps his brother warriors believing in the worth of the fight, even when all hope of winning seems lost. But how can I do that when I don't really believe to begin with? Why did Tempus even make me a Warpriest?

    When Uljas explained why he came to Narfell, I kept on thinking back to the giant warrior that saved mother and me from the demons in Jiyyd. That seems so long ago now, and I've lost a lot of memories. But that one never fades. What does it mean? Does Tempus want me to fight demons? Does He want me to protect the weaker? Hells, even if He told me what I'm supposed to fight, would I be able to do it without worrying?

    I hate these doubts. There's warriors who don't drink or go with women because they say it clouds the mind, but these doubts are so much worse. It feels like there's a ton of rocks on my chest, pinning me down._


  • _I pulled myself together enough to go trough with the opening of the Academy, and it went pretty well. It actually gave me the hope the Academy could turn out just fine. But now Vladimir is turning into an even bigger idiot than he already is. How am I supposed to teach people that life isn't to be taken at a whim,
    that it's something you can't rebuild or undo, and that it's absolutely wrong to kill a man when he's helpless, or sleeping. Or to use poison or disease, when he constantly argues that it's fine to do whatever it takes to earn victory. More than that, he spouts this nonsense right in front of the few Initiates we have.
    He can crawl back into his cave along with the drow if he thinks that I have to tolerate him corrupting the Academy's soul until we're training murderers and assassins. He's not that valuable, and I didn't come all this way to put up with this sheite.

    Things like this make me want to go trough with the church of war idea I talked about with Val. At least nobody would argue that we'd train warriors. How can you even talk about morals and believes without considering the gods? They're the ones who give us the different paths of morals to follow, and there's a hell of a lot of them. They're not all right, but there's still enough for anyone.

    And to top it all, I haven't had a good battle in longer than I can imagine. The drow attacked Norwick but one of the first arrows caught me in the leg and took me out of the fight. So I missed that. I don't know what Tempus is trying to tell me with this. Not that it was all that important to me, but it would have been a chance to earn glory for myself and Him. All I ended up with was a few words before it started. What a farking waste._


  • _Everything is turning bland. It started when I was first thrown into that prison, and I thought it would pass but it didn't. And now everything is turning bland. Food and drinks don't taste as good as they used to. Rain doesn't feel as good as it did. Even being with Mia doesn't leave me with the satisfaction it did before. It feels like my soul is starving, and all these things are only crumbs and drops.

    I try to focus on the Academy, on doing what I started. But it's getting harder and harder, and I worry more about it every day. I worry if I'm up for it and I worry if it'll work as I once hoped it would. But it's just something I cling to by my nails to stop me from falling over.

    My soul craves battle, needs it. And not just endless hunts or raids too, but true battle. Desperate, meaningful battle where nothing else matters. The kind of battle where you no longer expect to survive. Last time I felt that was in the gnoll woods, and nothing since then. I don't know what scares me most; the fact that I'm turning into a war addict or the fact this isn't bloodlust. If it was bloodlust, I could temper it, I could learn to handle it. But I don't know how to handle this. Meaningful battles don't come as easy as just walking out the gates and cutting down dozens of orcs, or kobolds, or whatever.

    On one hand I just want to be left alone. I want to build a cabin or get a tent somewhere out of the way, and hunt and fish and just live in peace. I can almost stand the craving when I'm alone (or with Mia. She's quiet, she's nice and she doesn't complain and whine about useless sheite).
    But on the other hand, I'm a warpriest. I'm supposed to deal with people.

    Tempus, where do I go? What do I do? Who am I?_


  • _"Time to retreat!" he heard them shout over the sharp clanging of metal on metal, over the dull snap of breaking bones and the tearing of flesh, but it was already far too late for that. Gnolls were pouring over the group in an endless wave, the small group unable to hold the tide back. They moved as one endless blur of axes, fangs and dirty fur. It was too late for an organised retreat, and the whole group would likely be picked apart if it turned into a rout. Death grinned and the crows would have a feast today. But not yet.

    Wherever he was, which side he was on and what he was fighting became irrelevant, as did the reason to live to see tomorrow. There was only here and now. He banged his warhammer on his shield as he lost sight of his allies and another wave of dogmen surged forward. He was not going to live trough this, and the knowledge gave him peace. As he smashed his hammer and shield wherever they would land, breaking limbs and ribs, he felt no fear or doubt. He chanted the Song of the Sword under his heavy breathing as he drove deeper and deeper into the seemingly endless horde of howling, gnashing monsters. He vaguely recognized the terrible damage the axes were doing to his armor, and he vaguely felt the giant scythe of the packmother cleaving trough his back plate, tearing flesh free from his bones.

    But there was no pain. The more desperate his fight became, the lighter his soul fell, the louder the Song pounded in his ears and the brighter the glorious light of Tempus shone in his eyes. And when his traitorous body finally gave up, unable to go on, there was both fury and peace behind his eyes. This was a good death._


  • _I'm starting to figure it out. Or at least, I didn't go insane. After being kicked out of prison I did some mercenary work for a while, mostly around Oscura. The pay was fairly decent and people left me alone. I didn't feel like a priest anymore though, and I didn't pretend to be one. Until one night I was talking to Chea, and everything started falling together again. I never really cared what I fought for. The moments I felt truly at peace, when I felt true faith and the hand of Tempus on my shoulder were during those few strange battles I've seen. The one in the shadow plane, the one on the desert world and the one on the fire plane. Funny that non of them took place in this world, but it still thought me enough. They were places that were incredibly dangerous, were just about everything was out to kill us and the stakes were high. There was no chance to retreat. It might have felt desperate to others at times but things never felt that real. There was only then and there. Nothing else mattered.

    Since then the prayers and teachings are all coming back. I'm not entirely sure what it all means but I know it's these moments I live for, and the rest of my time should be spent preparing for these moments. So I raid and gather gold for now. I'll get some better armor for myself, I'll save up for a real temple. Ormpur still feels like a good location, but I'll have to clear out the undead there and the demons on the way there. There's also that ruined tower halfway into the pass. Wouldn't make for such a bad place either, but those gypsies might have something to say about it.

    Side note: I whine too much. Stop whining._


  • _One more month is what they told me. One more month until they let me out, and I still don't know what to do with it. Where to go, what to do. I have to spend two years in prison to get right back where I was. At least before I knew I was a priest of Tempus, even though I didn't know what that meant. Now, I don't know if I'm even that anymore. How did I even get to being a priest of Tempus?

    I only remember a few things of those days. I remember leaving Peltarch, and father left me and my mother in the N'Jastan camp. And then he was off to fight, just like that. I guess he felt he did enough to make sure we wouldn't get in the way of whatever crusade he was on.
    We didn't live there long either. A few weeks in, someone opened the gates and demons started pouring out, tearing apart everyone around. People screaming, burning, beaing torn apart. Strange things howling in the night as they ripped trough unprepared soldiers and servants. My mother took my hand and we ran, we ran. My chest was burning and still we ran. And then I tripped. I thought I was dead for sure, I could feel them chasing us. And just when I thought it was all over, a giant came out of nowhere. I never did see his face. All I remember was the the massive armor with a glowing symbol on it.. a burning sword. I didn't know it back then, but it must have been a warpriest of Tempus. He stood between us and the demon.. it was even bigger, twice as large, with horns, and wings the size of a house.. and they fought. I crawled up to my feet and mother pulled me along. I never did look back, I never did find out who won. I never saw that giant again though.

    A little later we were in N'Jast. Father had made it back along with a few soldiers, and they got busy building and preaching right from the start. He never had any time for me and mother anymore. I don't remember much at all, just that there was a temple in N'Jast, full of soldiers that had the same symbol as the giant on their armor and shields. One of the priests told me about Tempus, and what sort of god Tempus is. He's a free god, who fights, hunts, feasts.. I didn't want to become a craftsman. I know my father wanted me to, but I didn't. So I had to escape. I joined the clergy and escaped from N'Jast. I even had to leave mother behind. Now, I wish I hadn't. It feels like she was the only person who really cared about me. Hells, in the years since I've left N'Jast, I don't know if there's been anyone else. Father may have cared when we still lived in Peltarch, but after the war he had changed too much.

    I used to be happy running from it all. But now I've been stuck in one place too long and it's all catching up with me. And now I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know if there's anything worth staying here for, and I don't know what's worth seeing or doing elsewhere. If Tempus wants me to fight for what I believe.. well, I don't know what I believe. Or even if Tempus wants me at all anymore.

    What the hells happened to me?"_


  • _Tiny green men are coming out of the walls, out of the stone floor. They crawl around, into my ears. They're everywhere, and they're watching me. They talk to me too, sometimes. I can hear them scraping in the walls. I can feel them moving in my ears.

    Tiny green men._


  • _Almost a year now, or more. It's hard to tell in here, even when working outside. The world moves on but every day is the same to us. At least I'm getting to know the people who are in here with me, and in the same work group.

    There's Kado, apparantly a former Defender, a "hero" of the N'Jast war. He's in here over something with a noble, but he doesn't share what. He's a good man, though. It's typical that those people will turn on their protectors as soon as the threat is gone. Cowards, the whole lot of them.

    There's a halfling called Grin. Pretty appropriate name for a thief and thug who's always getting into trouble, but won't stop joking about it. There's something about his sarcasm, and his sense of irony, that makes this place just a little more bearable.

    Now, Kosh I can relate to. Half-orc mercenary, and a Temposan. Ended up in Peltarch and got into a fight with some sailors, where those searats had to do with a few less straight bones. We watch each others' backs in here, and out there. I hope he gets out when I do.

    Amaliel's an elf. You'd think she wouldn't last a single week of the work they have us doing, but she's a lot stronger than she looks. In a way, she reminds me of Yana. I heard she's been in here since before the war. When the city was occupied she escaped, only to turn herself in again afterwards. Nobody knows why, or what she did though.

    And Herrick. Killed another man over a girl, and he got tossed in here. Not much to say about him.

    Elidur came to "visit", and the rat didn't do anything but laugh at me. He tossed me a string of beads of Tempus, which is even worse. He knows I'm no good here as a priest, and now he's insulting my god too. It was nothing short of saying 'look at where following your god got you, and look at the free coward I am'. He called me an animal. I'll prove him wrong once I get out of here. Animals don't break every bone in your body for revenge.

    Yana spent a day here, replacing another guard. I talked to her about the law a bit. She believes in it, but law is still a farce. There's a handful of gods saying they know what law is all about, and even they can't agree what it is. There's no such thing as justice, there's only people telling other people what to do. It's one group of people telling other people what to do, how to live their lives, and enforce it with guards and prisons. All it takes is another group of people with the skill and will to stand up to it, for it to fall apart. At least war is honest._


  • _It's been an interesting few weeks, though I doubt the next few years are going to be.

    I spoke with Maya. She claims to have had a vision, and that it may have had something to do with me. I don't know about that, but she would teach me for now. We also decided it would be a good idea to raise a shrine to Tempus somewhere. She also said I should try living in Norwick, and now I know why…

    I got into a fight with Elidur. Well, it wasn't much of a fight. The coward picked one, then put a spelltrap in place and ran off. The guards didn't care when I found him in the commons, nor did they care when I shot an arrow into his leg, nor did they care when he screamed like he was being flayed. In hindsight, I should have just killed him. Now I'm rotting in this cell and he's running around, living proof that cowards will always win as long as they have people to hide behind. Where is the justice in this?

    It's been a few days now, and I'm starting to think I should have just left when I had the chance. I thought it would be the honourable thing to stay and face the consequences of what I did, but now I've given up more than I was ready to give up. The guards won't let me have anything sharp enough to spill even a few drops of blood with.. I can't feel Tempus' presence in this cell, and if I can't even spill a few drops of blood, even my own blood, for the next two years, I don't know if I'll ever feel His presence again. What good am I like this?

    So this might just have caused me my freedom, my god and my purpose, whatever it would have been. And for what? Because I thought that my honour and courage would give me victory, that I would earn Tempus' favor in a battle I did not understand, nor had the weapons to fight, if I fought it with courage all the same. Where did I fail?

    Even if I want to escape or die trying - at least I'd die fighting for my freedom - I can't help feeling I'm in here for a reason. Not because this is justice, or because their laws are right, but because Tempus wanted me to be in here. I don't know why though. With the plan to raise a shrine, I thought I'd finally have some way to really serve as I should.

    Does He want me to teach prisoners? I don't know these people, and the guards barely let us talk. They make us do all kinds of work they can't bother to do, and after that most of those locked in here with me are too tired to listen. Or maybe they're just too broken to care anymore. Am I going to end up like that?_


  • _And I've prayed, and prayed, and prayed some more. I've prayed for days. For weeks now. In the sun, in the rain, in the snow. I've seen the sun rise and set and rise again and I'm still praying.
    But nothing comes. No words, not even a whisper. No sign. No warpriest to teach me. Nothing. What can I do but keep praying though?

    At least the choices I see have become a little more clear, a little more limited.
    I could give everything I have and am to Tempus. I could devote everything to Him and take a step apart from this world. I would fight on different sides, for everything and nothing. I would ensure prisoners on any side are treated well, and that warriors on any side fight with honour. I would deal with those who died in battle, and I would do my best to guide those warriors who need it.

    Or I could fight for myself. I could start raiding and take what I want. It would still be with honour, and it may even teach other the value of defending themselves. And I'd fight for myself, which is always the easiest to do.

    Or I could fight for my home, and my friends. I could join the Peltarch Defenders. But I'm not a soldier. I don't think I could take orders like that, march when I'm told, fight when I'm told, sleep when I'm told. And in the end I might even be taking orders from those who don't pray to Tempus at all.

    Tempus, what do you want me to do? Why is it harder to decide what's worth fighting for than actually fighting?_


  • _What in hells has been happening to me lately? Nothing is moving forward with the Ormpur campaign – it hasn't even really begun yet --, some ice queen almost froze my balls off, people have been calling me an idiot wherever I go and all I've done in the past month is die. And the worst part is, I died doing the job of the Defenders. They should have given the dead the proper rights after the wars, but no, they prefer they rot away and get paved over. And then they look surprised when some day they rise again.

    Why does someone I've never met before walk up to me and call me a "dumb Temposan" because I happen to die? Aelthas doesn't die. Adelie doesn't die. Lycka doesn't die. No, the whole world will burn, but they won't die. They'll manage to stay alive just fine. I hate to write it down, but maybe these Six do deserve to get to Lycka's children. Just to teach her not to pick a fight you aren't ready to lose.

    Maybe the problem is me. Maybe I've just started caring, and wanting something. Things were going fine until I came up with the Ormpur idea. But has anything worked out since? Have I been given any sign that I should do it? Even the Battleguard would only help me after I've already done everything myself. But just once, I want to fight for something -I- believe in, and not for what other people want.

    Fark it, I'm going to see if Alicia has anything to say about it. And I'll pray to Tempus about this. Maybe He's willing to give me some insight tonight._


  • _Another day, another death. I'm starting to wonder how much longer it will be until I run out of lives to live. And what a death it was. A few powerful undead things out of the grounds in the swamps, and I went there along with the Defender Adelie, a few orcs and then a few people I don't know. It was going alright, until an enormous zombie crawled out of the ground. Adelie immediatly said she wasn't going to fight it in melee and took out her bow. That figures. I ran out of arrows just that moment, and I can be damned if that wasn't a sign from Tempus. So I drew my sword and charged in, praying for that one hit that would take it down. I did get my hit, and it did take me down. In fact, it took me down so fast I was already dead before I hit the ground.

    And when I came back, it was just the way it always is. Surrounded by pity and regret. Why does everyone around here have such an utter fear and loathing of dying? If it wasn't for the people dying to hold back N'Jast, this would have been part of the kingdom now. "Victory is gained by the dead, for they have given everything for it." as I was told.
    Besides, I'm not dead. I only stopped living for a short bit.

    Almost nobody came to the gathering I organised. Only Nora and Mialee were there, and Nora was the only other Temposan. Death might hurt, but that felt worse than getting stabbed in my bed. I don't know where they were hiding, or what they were fighting, but after waiting a whole day we were still the only ones there. That really hurt.

    And now I'm working to gather an army to take the fortress in Ormpur from the undead, and hold it long enough to consecrate it as a temple-barracks of Tempus. The general of the Legion, Grag, said he'd join me, so that's something at least. So would Aelthas. Now I just have to wait to hear from the Kelemnvorites, talk to the mage tower mages and see if there's any other group that could help. If this works, it'll be the biggest battle I've had so far, regardless of how it turns out. A chance to earn some true glory and honour."_


  • _Finally managed to pay off the ears-and-bones debt. Still nothing from Curvy. I don't expect her to just forget me, but I'd rather get whatever she wants me to do over and done with. 'sides, if she waits too long I'll be dead (again), or maybe even old and grey. Don't think age matters quite as much to them as it does to us.

    I'm getting stronger too. Tempus is giving me more and more power, though I still don't know what to do with it. I've called a gathering of all Temposans that hear about it, so maybe that gives me some insight. Maybe I'll even meet a local Battleguard. I wouldn't mind having someone more experienced in the faith and in war to teach me. Aelthas does well, but he's no Temposan.

    I wonder where Sylvyr's gone off to. I hope she's doing alright. I hate to admit it, but I miss her. I guess she had her own path to follow though. And in the meantime I keep meeting new people, and going on different raids. That's just it. No great battles yet, just raids and skirmishes.

    Enough writing for now, I need to get at least a few hours of sleep before I go and raid the orcs again._


  • _Almost gathered enough bones to pay off that debt. Good thing too, because I died again, and my debts keep stacking. After the last time though, I got some good advice from Aelthas.
    1. Don't be an idiot that gets the whole group killed. Makes sense to work as a group if you're part of one. No honour in leading those who aren't ready to die to their deaths.
    2. Fight smarter, not harder. Only a Garagosan would charge headfirst into everything he meets, and trust to come out on top every time. Tempus wants us to pick our fights carefully, and then give it our fullest. I've written it before: pick on people your own size, and both up and down.

    Aside from that, things seem to be going pretty alright. I can feel I'm getting stronger from fighting smarter. I'm still not sure if I should pick one of the sides here. There's a reason to join the Defenders, since I moved back here. But taking orders and standing watch all day doesn't really appeal to me. Maybe I should just put up some notes and try to start a gathering of Temposans, and see what comes out of that. First meeting alone should be interesting enough.

    Exemplars aren't really going anywhere right now. I haven't seen Fury in a few weeks now, and I'm not sure what we're supposed to do without her. At least Nora is still around, and I see some of the others from time to time. No idea what they're up to though.

    And then there's sweet little Mialee. She's an elf, and a mage at that. Not that the elf part bothered me before, but I don't understand a thing about magic. There's something innately dishonourable about turning an enemy into a pile of goo by waving your hands at him. Still, Mialee's nice enough. She's pretty quiet, but she has nice legs. And just like me, she's just starting to find her way around. Maybe I can convince her to become a battlemage. I finally found a room with a lock too, so tonight should be fun._


  • _Things haven't been going too well lately. First I died. Then I had to make a deal I'm probably going to regret later on to get back. And now I found out that my things haven't been lost at all, but they were found. By a captain of the Peltarch Defenders no less. I'm surprised to find Aelthas being who he is. I had expected him to have me torn apart by the whole city on the spot, but he was quite reasonable. So my battle begins earlier than I planned, but perhaps it's better this way. I can't run away from it anymore, and I'm relieved it started.

    I'm still not certain which path Tempus wants me to follow. Should I pick a side like Maya did, and fight for it? Or should I devote myself to war above all else? It would be the most devoted path, but at what cost? I can imagine it though, enforcing the universal rules of war and punishing those who break them, as is written in the most basic dogma. In practice, it would mean defining the purpose of any war, having both sides agree on them and then standing back only to care for prisoners and those who died, to ensure they're treated with respect. And to make sure the war stays within the purpose it was started for. A lot of battles that happen around here aren't officially acts of war though. Just skirmishes and raids on both sides. And then there's those that aren't going to agree to any rules, who think they can just do whatever they want in war. They are the ones that should be thought to think different At least that's how it'd be. I'm not particularly looking forward to becoming a raving zealot, even though it would probably give most people the smug satisfaction of saying "told you so".

    It would be a lot easier to find a worthy cause and fight for that in Tempus' name. But I haven't really found a worthy cause so far. I'll need to talk to a few people, maybe I can find one. I think I'll start with Aelthas._


  • _Kneeling before his sword at the edge of the great chasm that seperates Jiyyd from the west of Narfell, Hammerhand prays in reflection of the great battle that took place there.
    ".. and bless Reilash and Benji in their battles, whatever they might be. May they be strong and coureagous, and die with honour should they fail.

    Utghard sod challenged my honour for refusing to stay guard at the gates of Norwick for drow. That one doesn't even know what he's up against. From what I was thought, spotting a drow at night is like finding a shadow in a room with no windows and doors. Fighting one is like fighting the wind itself. And if they really want to get into the town, they won't need to get trough the gates. If he really wanted to protect the town, he should have stayed close to the townsfolk, not go stand "watch" over some far edge of it. If those drow attack him there, it's only because they're toying with him. Good luck guarding the town with a dozen arrows sticking out your left eyeball.

    Tempus knows I'm no guard, and I'm not going to pretend to be one. He chose to be guard, so he should do his damned job and stop whining about people that aren't quite so patriotic. Like he was born here. Hells, he probably wasn't even born anywhere near Narfell, what would he know?
    Besides, if those drow fight with honour and take on some good challenges, I'll take their side any day. But from what I heard, they don't really fight with honour.

    See, that's what you get with folk like Maya around. Tempus bless her if her claim to be a Champion is true, but she damn well should have known better than to pick a side. A real Temposan doesn't pick a side. If you fight for a cause, you can ask for Tempus' blessing, and you might get it if you're worth it. But that's nowhere near fighting in Tempus' name. Fighting in Tempus' name means fighting for honour and glory, and for battle itself. It's not about fighting for people, or for places, or for good or evil. You're an emissary of war, and war favors all and non.

    I'm starting to see why Battleguards are so few."_


  • _There almost was a battle between those campfolk and a group of mercenaries from Oscura. They called it off at the last moment though, I guess those mercenaries just aren't eager enough. At least I had the chance to talk to some of those eastlanders now, and I have to say it made choosing a side a hell of a lot easier.

    I've had a few dreams these last nights though, and they're notable enough to write down. In the first, I'm leading a group of Steel Fangs. Sometimes smashing into a wall of enemies, sometimes holding the top of a hill against a neverending tide of foes. In either case, we all die but we die as gloriously as it can possibly get.
    In the second dream, I'm part of a group of Battleguards. But these don't fight in battles, they enforce the rules of battle. They hunt down those who act without honour, use poison, attack innocents and kill prisoners. We also enforce some contract. Something signed between both sides that states the rules of the war. What are they fighting for, who's fighting and what are the victory conditions. The contract also states that they'll fight with honour and respect.

    Is one of these what Tempus wants me to become? Maybe it's both? Either way, I'm not nearly ready yet. I don't have the skill, or strength in faith, and I don't have the brothers in faith that are in those dreams. Besides, I might not actually live to get there anyhow. Better focus on the now. And what I need right now is another ale._


  • _The smooth-tongued and fleet of feet that avoid all strife and never defend their beliefs wreak more harm than the most energetic tyrant, raider, or horde leader.

    I'm happy to write I haven't met anyone here who wasn't up for a nice fight now and then. It's a harsh land, and it breeds harsh people. Talking only gets you so far anyway, with goblins, undead, orcs, huge snakes and whatever else is out there. I can't help feeling a bit alone in my faith though. Everyone seems so afraid of dying, that they tend to forget to live. They're always whining.. "let's think about this", "let's think this trough", "let's decide on a plan first". It's pretty damned depressing sometimes. Has -any- plan ever lasted longer than the first swing of a sword, or the first arrow? The plan is only as good as long as you can change it.

    Anyhow, I'm not seeing much in the way of tyrants, raiders or horde leaders right now. In fact, I feel like I'm the one doing the raiding, which is just fine. Still haven't decided on how to start a war between those eastlanders and others, but every day I'm more confident it has to happen. They can claim the bridge all they want, let's see them earn them. Norwick's had to earn its place. Peltarch had to earn its place. Jiyyd earned its place for a while and then lost it. It's pretty ironic that in trying to take it back, they might have lost it forever. That's what you get with demons.
    Let's see if I can find any others, warpriests or not, that would see the sense in testing those Eastlanders.

    PS. Few days have passed and Curvy Girl hasn't come back yet. Maybe she'll end up forgetting me. Though I wouldn't mind grappling her for a bit, I doubt I'd come out on top. And I doubt I'd live trough it even more._