3. Marie's Diary - Notes of a travelling hin

Marie's Diary - Notes of a travelling hin


  • The Fifth of Mirtul, 1511 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Norwick
    Weather: Raining

    Things are feeling strained a bit for me at the moment. I feel like… I'm not trusted. And it hurts.

    I've been doing a lot of work with the Order of the Watchful Repose. Lately, I've been looking into this issue of pages and locks. There's a lot I can't write down here, in case anyone ever finds it, but I can say a little.

    The pages need to be brought together, and used to seal what was broken. The undead want to use them to make the seal be permanently destroyed, and we want to close it up for good. And here's where it gets tricky.

    Lord Gallows, of Oscura, also wants the pages. He says he wants to close the seal as well, says it's for the good of Oscura, and the realm in general. Senria believes him, and is working with him to that end.

    I was working with the two of them, with the aim of removing a source of undead. And now, Ronan and Aelthas have spoken against my judgment. Both of them believe that we can't trust Senria to do what is right in this situation.

    Personally, I think they're both sore over what happened with Linn, and they're taking any chance they can get to make life hard for Senria, blaming her for what happened.

    I have to say though, Senria has been nothing but kindness to me. She has offered me whatever assistance I need, taken the time to speak with me when I've asked it, given me what information she could. On the flipside, Ronan and Aelthas seem determined to ignore me when they can, insult me and my honour, and undermine what I do and say. They don't even share information unless they absolutely have to.

    I handed the issue with the pages over to them to handle, seeing they don't want to let me do things my way, the way that was getting results. They want to bypass Senria, and deal directly with Gallows. Gallows can't be trusted, but Senria can. She would kill him, before she would allow him to harm Oscura. And she would act with honour, not out of greed, like he would.

    Sometimes, I wonder why I bother.


  • The Eighteenth of Tarsakh, 1511 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Raining

    Asides from my patrols, spending time with Raul, and working with the ladies, I've had a fair bit of time to myself. So, I decided to see if I can master a technique I only ever read about, and even that idea came from a random event.

    I was in Oscura, talking with Yuki when I heard someone toot a horn that made such a loud blast it hurt the ears. Turning around, I saw what they called a "Horn of Blasting". It has some magic in it that allows the user to once per day to make a loud blast of sound that can stun people, as well as hurting them.

    It reminded me very much of an ancient technique I read about in the libraries of my old Monastery, ten years ago.

    In times gone by, there was a Master of the Hin Fist whose name is lost to the pages of history. He was a wise hin, and his ki was strong. His aim was to perfect his skill, and to this end he travelled the realms, challenging all Masters that he met, and learning whatever they were willing to teach him. Over time, he became more than just a Master of the Hin Fist, rather, he became a Master of all forms.

    But, one day when he was travelling through a cold realm in the north of the world, he heard tell of a Master who had taken solitude on top of a frozen mountain. When the wind howled down its slopes, his voice could be heard as he went through the forms. And perhaps, most peculiarly of all, there was a rumour that if the Master should desire it, he could cause an avalanche merely with his voice.

    Intrigued the Hin Fist Master made his way up the mountain, enduring howling winds, freezing snow, and treacherous hand holds. And part of the rumours seemed true, he could hear the voice of the Master as he went through his forms.

    Eventually, he reached the summit, after a sold day's climbing. And there, he saw a flattened area no larger than a sparring ring. In the middle of it was a human man, wearing tattered robes. His hair was wild, his eyes gleamed silver, and his hands and feet were bare.

    Recognising this to be the one he sought, the Hin Fist Master bowed to him, and asked if they might spar, to test one another. The human Master nodded, and took his stance, bowing to his opponent.

    It is said that the sounds of their duel could be heard in the villages all around the foothills of the mountain, blow after blow dodged and parried, side stepped, and ocassionally taken on the chest.

    Finally though, the human Master stepped back, thrust both his hands forward, and shouted.

    KIAAAAI!

    The Hin Fist Master was stunned by the ferocity of his opponent's cry. The snow was blasted off the mountaintop where they fought, and on all sides of the mountain, the ice broke and tumbled down the slope.

    Defeated, the Hin Fist Master bowed to his opponent, then asked to be taught this most powerful technique.

    It was not recorded if the Hin Fist Master ever learnt this technique, but it does say that he went on his way after a month on the mountaintop, and that he retired from his wandering, satisfied with his ability.

    With this story in mind, I bought myself several of these horns, and went to the foothills to the west of Peltarch to test them, and to learn what I could. It seems that the horn is a focus for magic, but I believe that with practice, I may be able to replicate this ability through the use of my ki.

    My spare moments now are spent training in this. I blow the horn, then I try to emulate it using my ki. At first, it was nigh impossible. Then, I decided to go up the Giantspires, to perhaps emulate that aspect of the story.

    The higher up you go, the harder it is to breathe. The air seems thinner, colder. I noticed though, that the longer I spent up the mountain, the easier it became to breathe, both on the mountain, and in the city.

    I'm going to spend what time I can up there now, amongst the winterwolves, training with my horn and my voice. I hope in time that it will yield fruit. I need to become stronger, faster, tougher. I need an edge to survive here.

    Perhaps this is the edge I've been looking for.


  • The First of Tarsakh, 1511 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Raining

    I'm not sure what to write about today, I've tried to start this entry maybe a dozen times, and every time I've stopped. Guess I should just put down what's on my mind and my heart, and leave it at that.

    I watched the punishment, at least, the bit of it that was public. It was horrific, devastating. I don't want to go into details, but it is definitely something that will stay with me for the rest of my days. Yet another reason for me to be opposed to fire.

    Linn's back, and she seems like nothing has changed at all. She's still the fairly serious person she's been for a while now. Moved to Peltarch, for obvious reasons. Hasn't said anything about what happened, and I'm not sure how to broach the issue with her.

    My time with Raul has been sparce, seems like he's always out scouting somewhere, away from town. When we are together though, it feels nice… maybe even right. Not sure about it, will have to wait and see what time brings my way. He may turn out to be the man I want to marry.

    We spoke briefly, about a house, and children. He wants to live in a tent, far away from the city. No more than three children, he begged me. Oh, and no tent until he retires. But I know Raul, he won't retire until he's long past the age where he can have children. Have to see if he is set on that, or if he's willing to take something else.

    I don't mind if my home is a mansion, a cave, or a tent. As long as it is mine, and I can fill it with laughter and joy, and with the sounds of children playing. And I want to share that laughter and joy with a good man, a man who will be my husband.

    I told him I was the third of seven children, he almost choked. It was funny, but also a bit telling. I'd probably be happy with even two children, but four would be nice. He'd probably be happy with four, once he knew how things worked a bit better.

    He said that our tent would be glorious, bigger than any normal house, comfortable and warm, filled with all the comforts I could want. I know he could give that to me, if he wanted to.

    I guess the trick is to know what you really want.


  • The Twentieth of Ches, 1511 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Oscura
    Weather: Don't know

    The trial was today. I'm writing this in the Shiny Coppers, waiting for a guard to come and get me, hoping that Linn will be willing to see me.

    She was found guilty, and sentenced to three days of purging, having her left eye removed, being branded as a blood traitor, and exiled from the city on pain of death.

    And yet she didn't attend her own trial. The judge said that she had chosen to not represent herself. We all knew what the result would be at that point, that she would be found guilty. The trial, well, I think it was more for political reasons than anything else.

    Evidence was given, opinions aired. Details came out. Seems that Sogar was the one who reported Linn's actions to the Oscuran Authorities. Also seems that he lied, said that she offered to help the dragon take his vengeance. The merchant testified as well, said that Linn had tried to buy the wyrmling off him, but she couldn't meet his price. Belma'r, and others testified, but in the end, it was for naught.

    When they handed down the sentence, they said that the reason for her charge was not that she had told the dragon of the wyrmling, but because she had not told the authorities of her actions herself. I do wonder at the truth of that statement, but I can't do anything about it even if they are lying. And yet… they said that the sentence was a lenient one, because she had done good things in the past for Oscura. Three days of being burnt alive is a lenient judgment?

    Afterwards, I spoke to Senria about what had happened. Everyone was seeing her as the executioner in this, saying that she had a vendetta against Linn, that she was acting on personal motives. But... I don't think she was. I know Linn doesn't like her, and they definitely don't get along, but I know Senria, about as well as anyone can know a person.

    She's not like that.

    We spoke of duty, of how personal isn't the same as important. Of due course, and law.

    Even through all this, I know that I have work I have to do with her, and in this city. There are poor and homeless who need our care. There are undead to destroy. There is a lock to be sealed, and pages to be found.

    I might not trust the motives of Lord Gallows, and others in Oscura, but I trust Senria. She's offered me whatever assistance she can provide, in anything I ask.

    She's the first to do that in a long time.


  • The Fourth of Ches, 1511 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Raining

    Linn was arrested today, for treason against the city of Oscura. Seems that someone told them about what she said to the dragon.

    Elidur, Belma'r, and Adelie are all taking it pretty hard. They know there's not a lot of hope in this situation.

    The punishment for treason is pretty harsh, anything from purging to execution. And she'll be found guilty if it goes to trial, because her guilt has already been determined.

    I've spoken with Marty, and asked her to put political pressure on Oscura as much as she can, to get Linn freed. Asked her to speak with Norwick and the Silver Valley, so that Oscura will release Linn without a trial.

    But I don't think it will work.

    Politics moves too slowly, and the trial will be swift, less than a month from now. And in any case, Linn isn't the most popular person in the realm.

    Will they come to the party, to aid a woman they either don't know very well, or don't feel fondness for? Will they see the bigger picture?

    I guess the hardest thing for me is this internal division.

    Linn is my friend, and I care for her deeply, even if we don't always get along. But, at the same time, I can see how she broke their laws. I can see how she put the lives of other Oscurans at risk. And breaking the law is wrong… the law should be adhered to.

    And yet I still want to see her freed without punishment. I shudder to think what they will do to her, what the sentence will be. Whatever it is, it will not be pleasant, and it will not be over quickly.

    Elidur is trying to rouse the people of Peltarch up, to get things moving to save Linn. Belma'r is doing research to try and find a way to free her... and Adelie is doing everything she can within the law to save her friend and lover. Me? Well, all I can do is ask others to do what they can, and I can hope and pray.

    I'll be at the trial, come hell or high water, to support Linn, and my other friends. Especially Adelie. I don't know how this is going to affect her in the short or long term... how it will affect either of them.

    I just... I wish my heart wasn't torn two ways about this. What is more important? That law be kept, or that mercy prevails? Where is the place of forgiveness? Where is the place for examples?

    Too many things to think on.


  • The Twentyninth of Alturiak, 1511 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Sunny

    Been out doing patrols with other Defenders since my last entry. Been up to the Icelace Beach, the Ogre Caves, the Orc Caves, even headed down to the Duergar with Adelie, Linn, and Raul for some mining.

    It's interesting seeing the different personalities that people in the same job have. You have people like Raul and I in the Farscouts. From what I've seen, the other Farscouts are pretty similar to us. Probably what comes from spending so long in the shadows and out in the wild places. But then, you have the actual Defenders, and the Ceruleans, and the Archangels.

    Aelthas is a Defender, and a high ranking one as well. And I have to say that I do not like the man at all. Not one little bit. He's arrogant, he's pig headed, and he believes he is always right, no matter what anyone else says. Says that the Hoarans have every right to defend their land and shoot people on sight. Says that Orcs should be treated with honour. Even said that orcs have more honour than I do, simply because I attacked an orc that attacked Raul.

    And yet Adelie is a Defender as well. And she and I see eye to eye on things a lot more. Maybe there's just a pole jammed up his arse, I don't know. But I've seen more flexible polearms than that man.

    Anyway, back to the talk of patrols. There was an interesting one a few weeks ago, I had forgotten to write about it until now…

    I was sitting in the commons with Elidur when a group of shady characters walked past, headed out of the city. We followed them, but after a while they just disappeared from sight. Not sure how they did that, maybe they teleported, maybe they went invisible. In any case, a spectre soon appeared and headed straight for the Misty Caves.

    Eli and I followed, staying invisible. This was far more interesting than sitting in the commons watching the world go past. Into the cave we went, looking for clues as to who or what was in here... well, we found out.

    At the end of the cave there was a set of double wooden doors, and they were barricaded.

    Around that time, Raul turned up. Seems he found me with his GPS. We told him what we'd found, and so he sent me to find Linn for some artillery. I followed her signal to the kobold caves, and found her mining in there with Chasen. After filling them in, they quickly made their way to the cave with me, and we made our plans.

    Linn blew up the barricade, and we stormed in to find a ritual in front of us. Undead, demons, cultists, all of them were involved. So slaughter was the order of the day.

    The boss of the group seemed to be a succubus. No quarter for demons. No quarter for undead and necromancers. Down she went.

    We recovered some scrolls and other things, but that cave is just an absolute hotbed of activity. At least once a month there's a cult in there, or smugglers, or perhaps undead, or demons... it's never quiet.

    I'm thinking about either turning it into a monastery, or blowing the whole thing up to stop them using it. In either case, I'll need to apply to the city itself for permission first, don't want to cause any undue fuss or harm.

    Something needs to be done though.


  • The Second of Alturiak, 1511 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Temple of Kelemvor
    Weather: Raining

    Went on a trip with Linn and some others today. A merchant asked Linn to retrieve a box for her, in exchange for a golden staff of fiery doom. So several of us got together to help her do it.

    We started off in Peltarch, on a boat hired specifically for the job. Went out on the Icelace, to a cold, snowy island. There we ran into Red Wizards. They weren't too hard to deal with, thankfully. But at the middle of their camp was a pillar of stone, with runes on it. Seems that the pillar was some kind of magical focus, designed to move people around.

    We did capture one of the Red Wizards, he told us that he and his allies were working for Penguinus, a demonic penguin from the abyss. Sounds stupid, I know. A demonic penguin. But I saw how powerful he was, and how fast, and how tough. I sure don't want to mess with him. Apparently he and Orcus oppose one another, not that I can imagine the two of them facing off…

    Anyway, I did manage to find a sheaf of notes about the pillar, so I gave it to Linn to decipher. Whilst she was working on it, Stubs decided to test his luck by calling out the name of Orcus. Of course, he was smited for it, lightly at first, but then he went on trying to say it as many was as he could without actually saying it. There was a flash of light, and he dropped dead where he stood.

    Of course, this meant that I was on corpse duty, so I grabbed him and his things to wait and see what happened next. Didn't have to wait long either.

    Penguinus appeared in front of us in a burst of darkness. Seems he thought we were there to work for him, didn't even question all the bodies around us. Just told us to get to work and open the portal for him in the next hour before departing again.

    Linn did manage to get it working, and we all went through to what we found out later was the Lost City. Apparently we were in the bedroom of a powerful caster of some sort, probably undead... maybe a lich. We searched the room, didn't find much of note asides from a few foul books and a dessicated corpse.

    One of the group accidentally activated a magic mirror, which alerted the rooms owner to our presence... at which point, alarms rang out and we could hear the screams of demons being loosed to capture us, eat us, or maybe worse.

    At that very moment, Penguinus appeared in front of us, excited that we had activated the portal for him! Just what we did not need... or did we?

    We heard two very large demons coming up the passage to the room, so we sent Penguinus after them, telling him that they were minions of Orcus. Good thing we did too, they were balors. Two balors... and he killed them without taking a single scratch, then went on to find more demons to kill.

    We took the opportunity to get out of there, and went to another location via the pillar, this time a desert on the fringes of Thay. There, we found a pool of water where you could put the body of one who died from their own stupidity, and they would be raised to life. It worked for Stubs, so we got him up and on his feet again, and headed out in the direction of some ruins that a helpful local pointed out for us.

    We wandered in the desert for a while, took on some minotaurs and other things, but eventually we found a cave that seemed to be the place that we were looking for. Finally, the group let me scout ahead to see what I could find, and after a while I saw a spectre uncover the box we were looking for, and then disappear.

    I headed back to the others as quickly as I could, to find that the spectre had given Linn the box, along with some instructions. Oh, and Ronan was feeling tetchy that I had taken so long. Sometimes, I wonder why I bother scouting for people if all they're going to do is whinge, or ignore my advice.

    Anyway, we made our way back to the magic pool and were able to use it to travel back to the ruins of Jiyyd. Don't ask me how it worked, I couldn't honestly say. But as we were about to take the ferryboat across to the other side, the merchant turned up and asked for the box.

    Linn apologised, but said she couldn't hand it over. Turns out that the box was made long ago, when the mage empires were still around, and it was designed to blow up Narfell. Linn felt that she couldn't allow such a thing to be sold to anyone, it was too much of a risk.

    They discussed it back and forth for a while, until finally the merchant agreed to speak to the buyer about the situation. That buyer then agreed to come to the meeting and speak for himself. Lo and behold, an ancient Brass Dragon named Fred turned up!

    He told us that he collected the boxes like this, so that no-one else could get them. Linn handed it to him without argument, and everyone stared in wonder at the beauty of the dragon. I've never seen one before, and I have to say that it was an absolute wonder. But then, Linn said something that might not turn out so well.

    She told him about the wyrmling Brass Dragon that was imprisoned in the shop in Oscura. I knew the one she was talking about... poor thing sitting in a cage with a Lantern Archon and a Pixie. Fred was enraged about this, especially when Linn said she had tried to buy its freedom, but the shopkeeper wouldn't sell it to her. He swore to take his vengeance for this insult, and to do so messily, before he left.

    I know that what she did was a good thing, but I think she's going to get in trouble for it if it ever gets back to Oscura what she did... and I think that there will be innocents who die if the dragon does go through with what he said.

    After that, some people spoke of payment or reward for their work, and there was some argument about it. Personally, I was there to help a friend, not to line my pockets. So I said my goodbyes, and came here to rest.

    I hope Linn's staff was worth all this.


  • The Twentyfirst of Hammer, 1511 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Raining

    I took the plunge and made things a bit more obvious for Raul, he seemed to be too shy to do it himself, the poor silly hin. He was with Adelie and Linn in the markets, they must have just returned from a trip out to the wilderness somewhere.

    So, I snuck up on him and put my arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. He jumped from the surprise, and turned bright red… it was kinda cute. Even tried distracting me a few times to try and get away, but I knew his game. Didn't let him go until he had to go on duty either.

    He kisses pretty well, especially when he lets himself relax into it. It was nice, and it's especially nice to feel wanted and loved. I think this is what I felt I was missing for so long.

    I'm thinking about asking him if he wouldn't mind trimming his moustache a little though, it tickles. Never thought I'd have a concern like that, it's always been about the big things, not the small ones.

    In any case, Raul and I do work well together. Sneak around, flank the enemy, knock him over and put him in a world of pain. Then, step back into the shadows and move on to the next target. It might be a lot slower than how Adelie and Linn do it, but it works well for us.

    What I told Alexi still holds true though. I do want to be a wife, and a mother. I want my own home, and children. I haven't spoken to Raul about it yet, not sure how to broach the issue. And it's not so much a matter of wanting to rush things, but I want to make sure that he wants the same thing I do. Otherwise, there's not a lot of point to this.

    We haven't made love yet, I want to wait until I'm sure about this before we do. I don't want to do what I did with Linn, it hurt too much when it all fell apart. And for his part, he hasn't asked yet, or pushed, or even hinted. He's been a gentleman about things, not sure if that's because he's too shy, or because he doesn't know how to bring it up, or because he is happy to wait.

    I guess time will tell.


  • The Tenth of Hammer, 1511 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Norwick
    Weather: Raining

    The new year was quiet for me again this year. I took them time to go south and cleared up the ruins of the old Sisterhood hall as best as I could, destroying the undead that inhabit the area, moving rubble and clearing stones, and generally just trying to make the place a little more dignified. I didn't manage to do much on my own, but I wanted to try.

    For me, I think this is somehow symbolic of the struggle I've had.

    When I came to Narfell, the Sisterhood was in ruins, both in terms of the old hall, and in terms of the membership. Working hard with others, it was rebuilt. But now, it seems to be falling into disrepair again.

    I wish Marty was around more, I almost never see her these days. Too much time in city hall, too much time away from the Sisterhood. It's affecting her duties, affecting the ladies. Many of the Sisters have moved on or quit… partially I think from just how harsh this realm is, and partially from a lack of leadership.

    She asked that I run things in her absence... but that's not something I can do easily. I try, but I'm not a leader. I can protect, and I can build up, but to lead the women around me...

    I'm just not sure where to take the Sisterhood. I guess I lack that vision that Marty has. I want to see it prosperous, and full of joy and laughter, working hard for the good of all. But the little steps are where I fall down. Build up membership? Check. Build up individuals? Check. Work towards other, unnamed goals? No idea.

    Adelie and I do go out together to rid the land of evil monsters, and we further our own skills, but I don't see other Sisters around to invite them to come with us. And if I organised a specific trip out for the Sisterhood, would they come? Who would lead them? What would we do?

    Marty has all kinds of ideas. Gather wood, stone, metal, to rebuild the hall. Destroy evil in all its forms to make the land safer. Work towards political power in all the cities in the realm so that we can protect women everywhere. Recruit more ladies to our cause. And these are good things to do. But they take leadership to organise, and leadership to ensure that they are successful.

    I recently recruited another lady. Crux. She's an elven warrior, and she's got guts. I think she'll be a good addition to the family. But she is one, to replace the ten we've lost. Now there is me, Adelie, Crux, and Marty. So I have nine more to go... which is not going to be easy with things being how they are nowadays.

    I do hope that Marty gets things organised soon and comes back to the Grapevine. We need her here, to be the leader she is supposed to be.

    I need her here.


  • The Twentyfith of Nightal, 1510 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Norwick
    Weather: Raining

    No snow, again. Seems odd to be at the end of the year, and the coldest month (normally) and yet it's warmer than it was six months ago. Too many nature gods, goddesses, and spirits active at the moment, too much chaos. Hopefully it will all be resolved soon, otherwise I can't imagine the effect on the local animals and plants.

    Fight Night was interesting. I won the archery, but lost the boxing. Linn says I was being arrogant and mean, and she's right. Not sure why I was acting like that either… must just be the stress of everything finally getting to me.

    It was also interesting for two other reasons. Alexi was there, and so was Senria. They seemed happy together, which I'm glad about. Raul was also there... I beat him in the archery AND the boxing, but I gave him a kiss on the cheek. He, in return, also gave me a kiss on the check, and a nice big red unpolished ruby. Of course, he was very shy about it all, but it felt nice to be wanted. I'm hoping to be able to spend more time with him so I can see where this goes.

    I made a hard decision, and left the HDL to join the Peltarch Farscouts. I spend almost none of my time in the Silver Valley these days, none of the council seems to be around much at all, and I haven't seen or heard of Dietrick in years.

    In contrast, Raul is in the Farscouts, they work out of the town where I spend most of my time, I know their leader, and the work is straight forward. Normally they wear leathers, but because I don't know how to wear them, they're getting a special uniform made up for me. Hopefully it will be ready soon, I'd like to be able to help out the people in Peltarch, and this is another way I can give back to them.

    Terren took me aside today, to talk with me about the cultists attacking me. Told me about the god or goddess they follow, said that it was the god of poison before Talona. Kiputyttu. I, in turn, told him of my master, and the spirit that was bound to me, from him, the great enemy he had kept imprisoned.

    He wants to try a ritual, where he attempts to contact it through my mind, to get more information, maybe even find out who or what the spirit is. There's dangers involved, but there is probably less danger in knowing that not trying. At least then I might know why they're after me.

    Oh, and the undead are chasing me as well. Seems they can sense the taint of the page on me, and because I refused to give it to them, they're going to try and force me to give it to them. That sure wasn't a lot of fun.

    So many people and things are chasing me, some for good reasons, others for bad.

    Good thing I'm so fast eh?


  • The Ninth of Uktar, 1510 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Sunny

    There was an auction today, and I got to speak with Alexi about some things. It hurts a bit, but I did what I think needs to be done.

    The auction was, well, mostly boring to be honest. Lots of mundane, boring things, or things I couldn't use. I bought a few potions of strength and one to make me into a sword wielding warrior, but otherwise it was a non-event.

    There was one item at the end that I was interested in. A magical scabbard, able to cast some blessings on the wearer. I thought it would be really nice to have, and I had just about all of my gold still, so I thought I'd be able to buy it.

    But no… Linn bought it. The bidding was pretty fast at the start, and then she bid ten thousand.... I bid fifteen, so she bid thirty thousand gold.

    Thirty thousand... she just doubled my bid without even thinking about it. She probably would have kept going if I had pushed it, so I let it go. As it was, I didn't even have thirty thousand on me at that point.

    She had the gold, so she could buy it, and that's fair, I suppose. She bought it as a gift for Adelie, and I understand that. It's nice to give things to others, it makes them happy. But I do wonder if that was the only reason she bid so much on it.

    Afterwards, Alexi and I went for a walk, so I could talk with him. Senria's back, and adventuring. He and her had caught up a few times, and I now know that no matter what happens, it's unlikely that he will ever be able to give me what I want in my life. A home, a husband, children.

    So we talked. We talked about him, we talked about me, about Senria. About us. About Raul too.

    In the end, I told Alexi that I knew he would never be able to give me what I wanted, and that I should move on. He thought I was only talking about sex, he didn't see that there was more to it than that until I told him again what it was I was after.

    And he agreed with me. If that is what I want, he cannot give it to me, not now, probably not ever. And so, with Senria back in town, I told him that I would not be waiting for him, but that I would move on and try to find love somewhere else.

    Even as I write this, I want to cry. He was my first love, and he will always have a place in my heart. But we will never be together. We are kin in as much as we can be, and he loves me truly, but no matter what I do, or how long I wait, he will either be waiting for Senria, with Senria, or pining for her.

    How can anyone compete with a memory?


  • The Twentieth of Marpenoth, 1510 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Raining

    I'm not sure what to write about at the moment. There's been a few different things happen, but I'm feeling pretty down at the moment. Might as well mention them and see where my thoughts wander.

    I made yet another trip with the Legion, this time into the Underdark through the old Norwick Tomb. Killed lots of undead and hooked horrors, encountered some duergar working for Ostromog, took out some umberhulks, displacer beasts, skindancers and magic eaters, and general slaughtered our way through anything that got in our way.

    I almost died again though. I was on magic eater duty as I had no spells running on me, so when we saw one, we discussed the plan and I rushed into melee with it to try and take it out as quickly as possible.

    Well! One of the skindancers that was with it somehow cast entangle on the area we were fighting in…. which made the magic eater grow, and grow, and grow, until it exploded. Of course, I took the blast right to the body, because I couldn't get away from it. I was pinned in with one skindancer on each side.

    I don't know how it cast that spell... no-one has ever seen them do that before. Initially, I thought that someone in our group had cast it, and I was ready to chew them out for nearly sending me to the fugue. I guess that the gods were feeling perverse that day.

    Other than that, Linn has been pretty distant since the incident with her, Kosef, and Reri. I'm not sure what's happening there, but it feels like she's rejecting me for some reason.

    Another trip that happened was that Adelie, Raul, Nora and I went into the Underdark to see if we could find some Turquoise for Adelie to mine. Raul and I got to chat a little bit more, which was nice, and I got a work-out against the ettins. I can see how much stronger I've become now, with how easily I can sidestep their attacks and strike back at them.

    I guess things are changing for me, with the people that I spend time with. Some people are getting closer, and others are moving away. I know it happens all the time in our lives, but that doesn't make it any less upsetting.

    Especially with Linn. She and I were really close, but over the last year or so she's gotten more and more distant. She even spoke the other day of leaving the realm for good and moving on, that she was tired of things here. I hope it's not something I've done to upset her, I'd hate to have ruined such a good friendship without even realising it.

    Even though we don't agree on everything, she's still my friend.


  • The Second of Marpenoth, 1510 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Raining

    Another trip with the Legion, and another day of bloodshed, on both sides. It was rough, but I think that our actions may have struck a blow to the Hungry One.

    A druid elder had been kidnapped, and she was to be used in a rite for the Demon Prince of Undeath, to do something nasty in the realm. Of course, we had to stop them on two counts. Can't leave a druid to be sacrificed, and can't give the badguys more of a foothold than they already have.

    So a trip was organised, plans were made, people assembled. Starting out in the druid grove, we headed north to the Lost City. Seems that Ostromog kept his word and sent the forces he said he would, to harry the forces of Risha the Demonfavoured whilst we went in the back entrance of the keep.

    Hordes of undead were there to greet us, although they seemed unintelligent and unaware of who we were. We fought our way through them, and eventually we got to the lower cave where we had been told that the druid elder was being held. There, we had illusions cast on the strongest in the party to make them appear as bugbears whilst the rest of us were prisoners.

    Me? I was a prisoner. No need to wear armor, no need to hold a weapon, and small compared to a bugbear. Turns out that slaves like us were destined for the feeding pit, so we were led there, and taken in so that some huge vrocks could eat us.

    Of course, just as my luck would have it, the vrocks thought I would be the tastiest meal. Nearly killed me too… thankfully we overwhelmed them quickly enough that no-one fell. They went for me first, ignored everyone else. In one way, I'm glad. Attacking me meant that they didn't attack anyone else to start with, and I'm a lot tougher than many of the others who were there. It was still very disturbing though, shook me up a lot.

    I put on a brave face, but Terren could tell how much it had upset me, did what he could to comfort me. I really appreciated that, it meant a lot to me that someone there would care enough to look after me.

    Soon after that, we were found out, and had to rush to the rite area, to try and rescue the druid before we were killed, captured, or worse. Risha was there, waiting for us. As soon as I realised who she was, I rushed her and struck out with a flurry of blows. I wasn't the only one in there either, Grag was chopping away with an axe bigger than me, Ronan was using his spells, and there were others as well, all determined to bring her down.

    And bring her down we did, the final blow was Grag cleaving her head off to take as a trophy. Senria and I quickly looked around for anything of value that we could recover, and saw some large jars full of herbs and other supplies. We each grabbed a jar and emptied it into our pack, and joined the others to be teleported back to safety.

    You would definitely have to classify it as a good trip. Risha was defeated, we destroyed a huge amount of undead, bugbears, and demons, and recovered the druid elder. The bad part of it? We lost three of our own... although we were able to bring them back.

    Now I've had a taste of the Lost City. And I think that it's every bit as dangerous as they say it is. And yet, I know that soon we'll have to go back there again, to take on more foes in their own base. Sort of inevitable, really.

    I hope that a way can be found to restore the Hungry One's sanity, so that this fighting can end. Otherwise, more and more lives will be lost for what in the end is a pointless battle for both sides.

    In destruction, no-one gains except those that have nothing to lose.


  • The Eleventh of Eleint, 1510 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Snowing

    I had probably the most upsetting trip I've had since Master Dwarf died, and perhaps by no coincidence, it happened in the same place. And the day started off so well too.

    Marty and I had made a trip out to the Winter Wolves to get some hides for tanning, which was pretty successful. She had to leave to go back to work soon after that though, so I met up with some other folks in the markets… and Reri was there.

    She looked well. I've missed her so much, the only reason I haven't written more of her is that I thought she just wasn't going to be coming back, and I didn't want to write it down, didn't want to wish it to happen at all.

    Dirk was organising a trip to the Misty Caves to check out a rumour he'd heard about pirates hiding out there, smugglers with goods to be recovered. So Dirk, Linn, Kosef, Raul, Reri and me went out there to see what we could find. Reri and Kosef didn't get along well to start with because she was teasing him with talk of undead and necromancy.

    In any case, when we got out there, we didn't find pirates, we found renegade defenders! They were tough, and definitely knew their stuff, I can see why they were originally employed by the city.

    We fought our way through, things happened, but the really important thing was what happened when we'd defeated their captain.

    Reri went to cut his head off, to bring it back to town to give to the authorities. Kosef, well, he went off his head about it and attacked her, uspet that she was defiling a corpse. I understand why he was upset, but there's certainly better ways to go about it than just attacking someone.

    They argued, and we got attacked by a few more renegade defenders, at the end of which Reri "accidentally" shot him with her bow.

    Well, that was it. Linn handed me her Sisterhood robes at that point, and told me that she quit, because of what Reri had done.

    That was enough for me, more than enough. I turned my back and walked out of that cave, leaving them to argue amongst themselves. I sold what I had picked up, and dropped all the coin from it in front of them, and went off to restock on the many, many potions I had used and given away in that cave.

    All they did the whole way, almost all of them, was whinge about potions and how many they'd used, or about how they weren't making much coin...

    Coin doesn't matter. Not in the least. It's really just a way of keeping score, if you like that sort of thing. I have a big pile of it, and no real use for it. Maybe one day I will, but until then, it sits in the bank getting dusty.

    What mattered to me was that my friends came out alive. I just wish that they'd come out without causing so much pain and anguish.

    Reri and I spoke afterwards, about a few things. She apologised to Kosef, did her best to make recompense, and he accepted it. They're even going to have a drink together, which makes me happy. But Linn.... well, she's being painful about it. Won't accept Reri's apology, and won't come back to the Sisterhood.

    I think she's using it as an excuse to leave us, because we don't do enough for her. I just don't know what else I can do. I've busted my butt for years to do everything I could for the Sisterhood, and yet here I am, sitting with a only a few Sisters left, and all our plans in ruins, again. It feels like I'm bashing my head against a stone wall, what with Sisters arguing with one another, others up and disappearing, and some just not getting involved at all.

    Times like this I wish for death, for the release from duty it would grant me. But there is still too much to do for me to pass over. A road that goes on into eternity, each stepped paved with pain.

    And I walk that road alone.


  • The Twentieth of Eleasis, 1510 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Snowing

    I don't know if it counts for much, but to me it does. I'm the Fight Night boxing champion again, and I beat both Adelie and Yana to do it. Never thought I'd be strong enough to beat one of them, let alone both. So for another month I get to hold onto this champions belt, before I either give it up, or try and defend it.

    Yana says that I shouldn't compete, that it isn't fair for me to enter when I face off against others without my training. I can partially understand her opinion, but when I first came to the realm, I wasn't very strong. I still competed, knowing I would lose. I think that what Adelie said about it was more relevant.

    Adelie says that tournements like the boxing are meant to be won by the strong, because the strong are the ones who compete. If it was meant for the weak to win, it wouldn't be a test of skill and strength. And the weak compete so that they can become strong.

    That makes sense to me. I've trained hard to become strong, so that I can stand up to people like Adelie and Yana, and know that I can hold my own, that I have something to offer when we go out together to fight some great evil.

    I'm pretty sure that the next time I take them on, I could lose. They're both really strong, and it wouldn't be surprising at all for me to get beaten. Especially if they step up their training to make sure that they're stronger.

    I'm not sure if I will defend my title next month. I really only competed to see if I could beat Adelie, and I did. Yana took me on to try and teach me a lesson I think. She didn't think I should compete, so she wanted to take the title from me. And she lost.

    I won't be upset if I lose the title, but I'm not sure there's much point to trying to defend it. It's only a title, after all. They don't mean anything. Someone could declare me to be the grand high poobah of the Nars Pass, and no-one would care.

    Deeds matter, not titles, and not blood.


  • The Ninth of Eleasis, 1510 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Snowing

    Seems like I'm a popular person for all the wrong reasons, and I wish I knew why. I have a sneaking suspicion about what's behind it all, but I need to confirm it before I go any further with it.

    I was out gathering hides to finish off the order for Adelie when I heard footsteps behind me. I quickly hide in a crack in the cave wall, and looked to see who was there. It was a woman wearing armor that looked like it was made from beetle shells, with a weird symbol on it. She called to me, saying she knew I was somewhere here, and she certainly didn't look like she wanted to give me a present.

    I threw my lassoo around her, and held her in place for a moment, which she took as her moment to try and turn to face me and attack me.

    As we fought, she said that I had something that belonged to her group, whoever they were, and that she wanted it back. Of course, she didn't say what it was, preferring to fight to the death.

    Once she had fallen, I stripped the armor off her body and took her club, a primitive looking thing made of wood and stone. Maybe a minute or two later, I was attacked by another wearing armor with the same symbols on it. I defeated that one as well, and quickly made my way back to town, and safety.

    The symbol on the armor is a battered metal bowl over a fire. I have no idea what it is related to, it could be a holy symbol, but if it is, it's not of any god or goddess I've ever heard of.

    I've spoken to Herald and asked him to look into it for me, to find out who these people are and what they want. I know I can trust him to do it discreetly, and because he's doing it for coin, he'll keep my interests at heart rather than just doing what suits him.

    If they're after me because of the duty I carry from my Master, then I need to find out as much as I can about them, so that they can be stopped. If not, then I'm really confused as to why they are after me.

    If it's not one thing, it's another.


  • The Twentyfirst of Flamerule, 1510 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Snowing

    Finally mastered the technique of making the halfling knapsack. They're quite handy, as they distribute weight better than a normal bag. Adelie and Linn have both ordered some of my finest, so I'm going to need to get a lot of hides to work on them.

    Speaking of Adelie and Linn, they're lovers. Apparently they have been for a while now, ever since the auction. And here I was, thinking they were just friends.

    Adelie and I spoke for a while about relationships and things related to it. I'm glad that they've got one another, but I don't really have anyone. I have friends, and people who are like family, but that special intimacy that is shared between partners, well, I don't have that.

    Don't know if I ever will.

    Alexi and I, well, we're really close, but he's still waiting for Senria. I understand that, and I admire him for it, but I wonder how long he'll be waiting before they actually get to meet up again, if they ever do.

    Of course, I can't tell Adelie anything about Alexi and me. Can't tell anyone, really. So when she asked if there was anyone I liked, I had to shrug. There's certainly no hin that I'd look to for a relationship.

    Dietrick is an ass, and he's been out of the region for a while now anyway. Theon, well, he's a bit distant. Benji is taken, and Raul is nice enough, but there's no spark there. And beyond that, there's not that many other adventuring hins in the realm.

    Adelie and Linn want to set me up with Raul, they both keep dropping hints about him, saying that he likes me and so forth. Adelie says that the only way to find love is to go out looking for it, and I know in a way that she's right, but what do you do when your heart is already lost to another?

    Raul… well... I don't know really what to say about him. He's a Silver Dragoon like me, and he's stealthy like me, but he works for Peltarch as a Far Scout. He does a really good job, and is devoted to his work, which I admire.

    The first time we met, he was really bashful and shy, struggled to find the words he needed to talk to me. It was cute, really. Maybe he does like me, maybe not. In any case, I value his friendship, and I think I'd like to get to know him more.

    The more friends I have around me, the better.


  • The Fifth of Flamerule, 1510 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Snowing

    I've been working on my tanning lately, to try and stay busy. Master Dwarf's death still plays on my mind, even though he told me to be at peace, that he was happy to die the way he did, for something he believed in.

    Nightmares plague my sleep, where I replay what happened, and I ask myself, what if I had gotten there quicker? What if I had willingly gone with the cultists, rather than fought? What if I had been stronger?

    I see him, being sacrificed, bound and gagged in the middle of a pentagram whilst cloaked figures chant around him, invoking dark magics. And I see him standing strong, even as the life is taken from his bones. But for a second, maybe not even that, I would swear he looks right at me, knowingly, and nods, as if to signify his approval.

    From those nightmares, I awake covered in a cold sweat, my breath short, and tears in my eyes. The bedsheets are clenched in my fists, as if I was trying to hold onto something, to keep myself from crying out.

    Sometimes, I even take his place, and I am the one sacrificed. And like him, I stand there strong, not crying out, not pleading for my life. I refuse to give them that satisfaction.

    But, would I be that strong? Could I endure such a thing? I know that others look to me for strength, and I would give it to them, I would make the Sisterhood strong, I would make the Order strong. But what if I cannot? What if I really am what my father called me, a weak excuse for a hin?

    I know that my first instinct in a difficult situation is to run. Does that come from wisdom, or cowardice? At the monastery, my Master taught me that one should not fight where ones enemies wish it, rather, that if at all possible, that one should choose the grounds upon which they fight. But am I trying to adhere to that, or am I merely trying to save my own hide?

    So many doubts plague me, so many fears. I wish Alexi were here to comfort me, he always seems to make these things easier.

    I guess I need to get used to standing alone.


  • The Sixteenth of Kythorn, 1510 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Norwick
    Weather: Snowing

    Been spending time with the Legion again, they've been at the front of the effort against the Hungry One and his minions so it seemed like the best place to be.

    In the last few weeks, I've been down into the Norwick Crypts, out to the Bugbears, the old Elven camp, and even to the Abyss. The last one was the worst, and by far the most worrying.

    One of the druid elders was kidnapped, and apparently they tracked her kidnappers to the old elven camp, south of Norrwick. We made our way forward and encountered heavy resistance, eventually even facing off against a demon that came through a portal.

    Aramuil, Belma'r, and Ronan managed to re-open the portal, and we went through it, ending up in the Abyss. It was dark, hot, and smelt like brimstone. Of course, there were demons there, succubi and winged horrors, not to mention a massive balor that we encountered and quickly retreated from.

    Unfortunately, Malika didn't make it out… she was the only druid with the group, and the only person who died.

    In the end, we got her body back at an auction, and were able to return her to life, but the whole thing feels like a failure. The druid who was kidnapped is apparently being kept in a cave to be used in a ritual to a demon prince, some think that cave will be here, others (like me) think it will be in the Abyss. I can't see why a demon would keep a captive here, when they would be stronger there.

    Now that I've been there, I have a better idea of what I'm going to be up against when I eventually make my pilgrimmage to retrieve Anju's soul. My resistance to fire will help me, but I need to be much stronger, and I'm going to need good support. I can't do it alone, that's for sure.

    I'm hoping when the time comes, that Telli, Linn, and Adelie will come with me. I haven't spoken with them about it yet, the time isn't here, and there's already so many things happening that it would be pointless to mention.

    The trick will not be getting there, it will be getting what I'm there for, and getting out again alive and intact.

    And even if I do recover her soul, will it be accepted by her god?


  • The Twentyfirst of Mirtul, 1510 by Dale Reckoning

    Location: Peltarch
    Weather: Snowing

    Had a worrying encounter earlier. I was in the sewers beneath Peltarch, hunting rats for their hides when I was jumped by an undead assassin. It got in a few good hits initially, but after that, I kept my focus and took it down fairly quickly.

    I've spoken with the others in the Order, and they're in agreement that we need to go down there in force and clear the sewers out as best as we can, they seem to be almost breeding down there, there's that many of them.

    Undead there, undead down near Peltarch in the Rawlins, undead beneath Oscura, undead on the orc plains, it seems like the Hungry One is determined to wipe us all out with a veritable wave of undead.

    I still wish I knew why. There HAS to be some underlying reason for his hatred of this land and it's people. It can't just be random chance, or the roll of a dice. The answer either lies in the past, or the present.

    In any case, we need to keep looking for it, because I think in that reason, we'll find a way to stop him.

    The idea of not stopping him is not something we can entertain.