Well, the events up until today have been very interesting, to say the least. I figure it is about time for me to start logging my activities, as these "interesting" events are getting difficult to track. The experiences are certainly stacking quickly. After meeting some humans, one of which a murderer who Nell, Brom and I are charged with delivering safely to The Wall, and becoming involved in some strange conspiracy with the living dead, Orgosh and jailers, I find it a little more difficult be surprised these days.
During our first day after leaving Ashden's Point -- the town where we met the jailer, a proprietor of what appears to be an Orgosh conspiracy of one sort or another, and where we had to fight off some undead beings -- we were assailed by some giant, venomous spiders where a very large tree had fallen across the road. I was poisoned by one of these spiders, but we all managed to destroy them and get away relatively unharmed, yet slightly weakened and quite tired.
Not all has been bad, though. With Brom -- as unavoidably odoriferous as he is -- and his knowledge of the wilderness, and Nell and her ability to fend off dangerous creatures with great ease, travel has been rather swift. And just the other night I suddenly discovered the meaning behind all of the Draconic characters that comprise the spellbook given to me by Magister Isalis. I can now cast a few spells. I even got the chance to kill a large mountain cat with a Lesser Orb Of Acid. One should note that the cat was attacking us and Nell had suffered a great deal of physical trauma from the large cat. I did not kill the cat in cold blood. This was while camping on the way to Wildsgate. Yet, something about that portion of the trip bothers me, and I am not exactly sure why, is that we might have been followed by a raven. A very large raven, at that. Gideon wanted to know why I was so suspicious of the raven, but I just could not explain to him exactly why I felt the way I did. I seem to recall reading about ravens and some tie between them and arcane magics. I should read up on that some more. Perhaps there was nothing at all to worry about. But after seeing the dead walk, I have become a little suspicious of many things that might appear normal to most.
After that, we continued to travel toward Wildsgate until we happened upon a hunting lodge with some rather scary-looking people residing there. I did not want to spend the night there, but the others in my party insisted and, truth to tell, the food and the warm place to sleep were indeed welcome. The odor and uncleanliness, however, was not entirely welcome.
After departing the lodge, we continued down the road that paralleled the Saedre River while I endured Gideon's constant and ongoing litany about his socks. I wonder if he murdered someone for their socks. Perhaps I should pretend as though I do not wear or own socks while I am traveling with him. Perhaps socks hold some kind of religious significance for humans from his land. I'll have to ask him, subtly, about this. Anyway, on the road we ran into a wagon and driver and his infant child who were being attacked by Orgosh that were riding on very large bats. The driver's name was Relthor and, after assisting him and his child in surviving the attack, he was amazingly kind and genial for a human. He even drew me a map of the local area. He also gave us some information on Wildsgate, which has been helpful to us, and gave us a ride into town. It is too bad that he did not have an extra pair of socks for Gideon. But what is strange about this run-in is that the Orgosh that were attacking the man and his child were attempting to spear them with tethered javelins and haul them off somewhere and we had heard rumors of this sort of activity while on the road. This means that it has probably been going on for a while. So I am curious why The Watch and local towns, like Wildsgate, have not been maintaining guard posts on the major roads.
Now we are in Wildsgate and I have finally gotten to take a bath and replenish some necessary travel supplies. In a couple of hours I will be getting some new arrows from the local Dwarven arms dealer. He's amazingly friendly for a Dwarf and he smells better than most Dwarves. Gideon is giving me that suspicious look again. I think he's going to say something strange that I do not understand, much like he usually does when he gives me that look. Perhaps socks are a token or offering of friendship, or something of the sort. Maybe that is why he was talking so much about it. These humans are not very sophisticated with their abilities to articulate thoughts and communicate with others. Perhaps he was trying to give me a hint that offering a pair of socks is customary for friendship between travelers. I think I'll go buy him a pair. Uh, oh. He's walking up to me.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Nell's Diary
4th of Junet, 1581 TR
Dear Diary,
Where to begin? I met an elf named Erhivor as I was traveling to Ashden’s Point. He is pleasant, though strange. He was going the same way, so we decided to travel together and he let me put some of my gear on his donkey (or is it a mule? I can’t tell the difference, honestly). On the road we came across Brom, a real live barbarian. He wears furs and has braids in his hair and he smells atrocious. I knew I would come across some up at the wall because of the treaty, but I wasn’t expecting to meet one so soon, nor was I expecting that he would come along with us to Ashden’s Point. As it turned out, he was also supposed to meet Lucian Banebright. He managed to remember this despite a nasty hangover.
When we got to town, we met Lucian Banebright at an inn called the Salted Pork or Tasty Pig or something. He was expecting me and Brom, but then Erhivor informed us that he was going to the wall as well. I was quite surprised at this, as he looked far too dainty to be a decent cadet, but he explained that he was to study with the Tower Initiates. Lucian Banebright then gave us our first orders – escort a convict with us to the wall. A convict. Escort a convict. His name is Gideon and apparently he’s been spared a trip to the gallows by agreeing to serve on the Watchguard. I’m not sure what he did to get arrested in the first place, but seeing as he’s from the Fen, I’m not surprised he committed a crime. I imagine he’s committed many, but was only now caught. However, despite his background (or, actually, probably because of it) he was quite handy in the fight against the undead.
That’s right – undead. Walking corpses. Well, one walking corpse and two skeletons – both of whom I dispatched with my maul. Part of me still can’t quite believe that I fought undead, but it really happened; it’s all so strange. First, we had Gideon released from his jail cell. The jailor, Knute, seemed to be completely incompetent, but apparently that was all a ruse. That evening, as the four of us were eating dinner in the Ham place, we heard a woman scream. We rushed outside to investigate, and saw a decapitated corpse lying in front of the jail. Brom knelt down to investigate, and suddenly the corpse’s hand lashed out! Brom stood there like an idiot and got a good walloping, and then Gideon and I attacked it with a dagger and maul, respectively. Erhivor shot arrows at it, and then when he realized how futile that was, started throwing rocks, which always seemed to hit me. Brom turned out to be even more useless than Erhivor, running back to the inn and trying the door (which was locked). After Gideon finished off the zombie (I can’t believe I just wrote that down), an animated skeleton broke down the door of the jail. I jumped in front of it and started to fight, not realizing that I was blocking Gideon’s way. After I saw him standing there with a rocking chair held over his head, I backed off and let him into the fray. The rocking chair broke of course, but still, I appreciated Gideon’s attempt to do some actual damage. Imagine – the convict is more helpful than the elf or the barbarian!
After I crushed the skeletons into ash (there was another inside the jail), I was in quite a bad state. You’d think I’d be complaining about the pain, but after what happened to me later, I’ve realized just how much pain a person can be in, and the injuries I sustained in the fight with the undead really pale in comparison. So, I was bleeding from the ear, and Gideon tried to patch me up (that was awkward). Then he put me in a panic when he handed me a radish and said I had to hold it to the wound to keep from getting cabbage ear! I wasn’t quite sure what that was, but it sounded awful. So, I wobbled back into the Salted Piggy and found Brom eating away at his stew, completely healed. I was quite curious about that, and I asked him about it. Seeing my bandages, he suddenly produced a bone and waved it at me. I was afraid he was cursing me with some filthy primitive magic, but miraculously, my wounds began to heal. I was unsettled to say the least, but I suppose I have to be grateful, as the bone did save my life later on.
Suddenly we heard some commotion from outside. Gideon was being interrogated by Philip, the head priest at the local temple of Heironeous. He wanted to know what had happened, and why there was a decapitated corpse. We explained about the undead, and found the body was not Knute as I had previously believed. Erhivor explained that he thought he had seen Knute run off behind the jail and into the forest. Then Gideon took Philip inside the jail and showed him clues as to the criminal activities that had been going on. Knute had a trunk filled with a disguise kit, a forgery kit, and a silver coin with a six-pointed star on it. Also, there were human bones that appeared to have been skinned of their flesh. Gideon informed Philip that he had suspected Knute of selling prisoners into slavery, but the discovery of the bones (and the whole undead incident) had us wondering if he wasn’t involved in some sort of necromancy.
Honestly! The things that go on outside of Tiryns! I had no idea. And the food is terrible. The Salted Ham served “food” that was barely edible. What I wouldn’t give for a bit of cheese and glass of wine! Oh, or how about scones with clotted cream and marmalade? Oh, it's torture! My mouth is watering at the very thought. Brom doesn't seem to mind the food, nor does Gideon. I can only imagine the kinds of food they're used to eating.
Anyway, Philip was very interested in the silver coin, so he told us to come to the temple the next morning to talk with him about it. However, when we got there, we found Philip near death, and most of the other priests lying dead around him. Brom healed him with his bone, and he told us that Knute had returned in the night to steal back the coin. Apparently, it’s Eastern currency, which is highly unusual because they are not allowed to trade in these parts. Outside the temple, Gideon found Knute’s trail, and Brom tracked him.
Gideon was annoyed that we were risking our lives to pursue Knute. He said as much at one point, and I pointed out to him that for someone who has been spared a death sentence, he certainly complains a lot. And just what does he think we’ll be doing as members of the Watchguard? I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting undead or fighting alongside convicts, but I know that this life will put my life in peril again and again. Tracking down Knute was the right thing to do, and I think our duty as well, considering we are cadets-to-be. Gideon needs to learn this – fast.
So, Brom tracked Knute to a little river, and then up the river we found his boat. We followed his trail until we spotted a campfire. I stayed back as I make a lot of noise in my armor. The boys went ahead to sneak up on him, but then Brom fell over a log (isn’t he supposed to comfortable in the outdoors?) and cried out. That startled me, and I thought they’d been spotted, so I went charging into the camp. Knute was there, along with a bizarre creature in a robe – an Orgosh. He was small, and had lizard-type features. He ran off as soon as he heard us and blew on a horn to alert the rest of the horrid little things. Gideon fired off an arrow and pinned the creature to a tree.
Meanwhile, I made quick work of Knute with my maul (the others helped too). I even got him right in the groin! He really deserved it too, not just for the priests, but for slashing me with a poisoned blade. When Knute was near death, Gideon got him to submit, and I searched his trunk for an antidote. I also found some papers which turned out to be forged orders of execution for fellow prisoners of the Ashden’s Point jail.
We tied Knute up and then Erhivor, Brom and I started off towards the river, dragging Knute along behind us, while Gideon (rather valiantly, I have to admit) stayed behind to pick off the Orgoshi as they chased us. Unfortunately this plan didn’t work out so well as were ambushed when we got to Knute’s boat. That was the fight where I felt HORRIBLE HORRIBLE PAIN.
I’ve realized now that it's one thing when you're playing in the garden with your brothers. You get a few skinned knees, a twisted ankle, maybe a bloody nose, but you forget about it in an hour or so and go back to playing. How is one supposed to go on when there are JAVELINS EMBEDDED IN HER CHEST?! And the horrid things were barbed which made pulling them out especially painful. I really thought I was going to die, until Brom shook his bone at me.
In any case, we managed to get out of there, but were unable to make it back to Ashden’s Point before nightfall, so we camped in the woods. During the night, while Gideon was on watch, an Easterner came upon us and killed Knute with poisoned darts. Gideon alerted the rest of us and together we killed the assassin before he could kill us, thankfully. We went back to Ashden’s Point the next morning.
It’s amazing to me when I think about all that has already happened, and we’re not even at the wall yet. I have a suspicion it’s only going to get more difficult. Oh well, at least I got to bash things with my maul, which is always good fun. And when I think about what my life could have been, either married off to an old man or stuck at home with Mother until the end of my days, I know I made the right choice in coming on this journey.
You know what? I’ve just realized that there was also the body of the woman we heard scream in the first place. I assume Knute ran after cutting her throat, knowing we were in town and would catch him if he stayed. But who was she? What was she doing in the jail? Why did Knute kill her? I’m very troubled that I did not think to ask Philip who she was before we left that sorry little town. Currently we’re camped along the road. I’m writing this entry before settling in for the night. I was thinking I’d try and write a letter to Lex, but I’m not sure how much of my adventures I should include; I don’t want to worry him. At the very least I must tell him of my companions so he can inform Mother. I’d give anything to see her face when he does.
Love, Nell
Dear Diary,
Where to begin? I met an elf named Erhivor as I was traveling to Ashden’s Point. He is pleasant, though strange. He was going the same way, so we decided to travel together and he let me put some of my gear on his donkey (or is it a mule? I can’t tell the difference, honestly). On the road we came across Brom, a real live barbarian. He wears furs and has braids in his hair and he smells atrocious. I knew I would come across some up at the wall because of the treaty, but I wasn’t expecting to meet one so soon, nor was I expecting that he would come along with us to Ashden’s Point. As it turned out, he was also supposed to meet Lucian Banebright. He managed to remember this despite a nasty hangover.
When we got to town, we met Lucian Banebright at an inn called the Salted Pork or Tasty Pig or something. He was expecting me and Brom, but then Erhivor informed us that he was going to the wall as well. I was quite surprised at this, as he looked far too dainty to be a decent cadet, but he explained that he was to study with the Tower Initiates. Lucian Banebright then gave us our first orders – escort a convict with us to the wall. A convict. Escort a convict. His name is Gideon and apparently he’s been spared a trip to the gallows by agreeing to serve on the Watchguard. I’m not sure what he did to get arrested in the first place, but seeing as he’s from the Fen, I’m not surprised he committed a crime. I imagine he’s committed many, but was only now caught. However, despite his background (or, actually, probably because of it) he was quite handy in the fight against the undead.
That’s right – undead. Walking corpses. Well, one walking corpse and two skeletons – both of whom I dispatched with my maul. Part of me still can’t quite believe that I fought undead, but it really happened; it’s all so strange. First, we had Gideon released from his jail cell. The jailor, Knute, seemed to be completely incompetent, but apparently that was all a ruse. That evening, as the four of us were eating dinner in the Ham place, we heard a woman scream. We rushed outside to investigate, and saw a decapitated corpse lying in front of the jail. Brom knelt down to investigate, and suddenly the corpse’s hand lashed out! Brom stood there like an idiot and got a good walloping, and then Gideon and I attacked it with a dagger and maul, respectively. Erhivor shot arrows at it, and then when he realized how futile that was, started throwing rocks, which always seemed to hit me. Brom turned out to be even more useless than Erhivor, running back to the inn and trying the door (which was locked). After Gideon finished off the zombie (I can’t believe I just wrote that down), an animated skeleton broke down the door of the jail. I jumped in front of it and started to fight, not realizing that I was blocking Gideon’s way. After I saw him standing there with a rocking chair held over his head, I backed off and let him into the fray. The rocking chair broke of course, but still, I appreciated Gideon’s attempt to do some actual damage. Imagine – the convict is more helpful than the elf or the barbarian!
After I crushed the skeletons into ash (there was another inside the jail), I was in quite a bad state. You’d think I’d be complaining about the pain, but after what happened to me later, I’ve realized just how much pain a person can be in, and the injuries I sustained in the fight with the undead really pale in comparison. So, I was bleeding from the ear, and Gideon tried to patch me up (that was awkward). Then he put me in a panic when he handed me a radish and said I had to hold it to the wound to keep from getting cabbage ear! I wasn’t quite sure what that was, but it sounded awful. So, I wobbled back into the Salted Piggy and found Brom eating away at his stew, completely healed. I was quite curious about that, and I asked him about it. Seeing my bandages, he suddenly produced a bone and waved it at me. I was afraid he was cursing me with some filthy primitive magic, but miraculously, my wounds began to heal. I was unsettled to say the least, but I suppose I have to be grateful, as the bone did save my life later on.
Suddenly we heard some commotion from outside. Gideon was being interrogated by Philip, the head priest at the local temple of Heironeous. He wanted to know what had happened, and why there was a decapitated corpse. We explained about the undead, and found the body was not Knute as I had previously believed. Erhivor explained that he thought he had seen Knute run off behind the jail and into the forest. Then Gideon took Philip inside the jail and showed him clues as to the criminal activities that had been going on. Knute had a trunk filled with a disguise kit, a forgery kit, and a silver coin with a six-pointed star on it. Also, there were human bones that appeared to have been skinned of their flesh. Gideon informed Philip that he had suspected Knute of selling prisoners into slavery, but the discovery of the bones (and the whole undead incident) had us wondering if he wasn’t involved in some sort of necromancy.
Honestly! The things that go on outside of Tiryns! I had no idea. And the food is terrible. The Salted Ham served “food” that was barely edible. What I wouldn’t give for a bit of cheese and glass of wine! Oh, or how about scones with clotted cream and marmalade? Oh, it's torture! My mouth is watering at the very thought. Brom doesn't seem to mind the food, nor does Gideon. I can only imagine the kinds of food they're used to eating.
Anyway, Philip was very interested in the silver coin, so he told us to come to the temple the next morning to talk with him about it. However, when we got there, we found Philip near death, and most of the other priests lying dead around him. Brom healed him with his bone, and he told us that Knute had returned in the night to steal back the coin. Apparently, it’s Eastern currency, which is highly unusual because they are not allowed to trade in these parts. Outside the temple, Gideon found Knute’s trail, and Brom tracked him.
Gideon was annoyed that we were risking our lives to pursue Knute. He said as much at one point, and I pointed out to him that for someone who has been spared a death sentence, he certainly complains a lot. And just what does he think we’ll be doing as members of the Watchguard? I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting undead or fighting alongside convicts, but I know that this life will put my life in peril again and again. Tracking down Knute was the right thing to do, and I think our duty as well, considering we are cadets-to-be. Gideon needs to learn this – fast.
So, Brom tracked Knute to a little river, and then up the river we found his boat. We followed his trail until we spotted a campfire. I stayed back as I make a lot of noise in my armor. The boys went ahead to sneak up on him, but then Brom fell over a log (isn’t he supposed to comfortable in the outdoors?) and cried out. That startled me, and I thought they’d been spotted, so I went charging into the camp. Knute was there, along with a bizarre creature in a robe – an Orgosh. He was small, and had lizard-type features. He ran off as soon as he heard us and blew on a horn to alert the rest of the horrid little things. Gideon fired off an arrow and pinned the creature to a tree.
Meanwhile, I made quick work of Knute with my maul (the others helped too). I even got him right in the groin! He really deserved it too, not just for the priests, but for slashing me with a poisoned blade. When Knute was near death, Gideon got him to submit, and I searched his trunk for an antidote. I also found some papers which turned out to be forged orders of execution for fellow prisoners of the Ashden’s Point jail.
We tied Knute up and then Erhivor, Brom and I started off towards the river, dragging Knute along behind us, while Gideon (rather valiantly, I have to admit) stayed behind to pick off the Orgoshi as they chased us. Unfortunately this plan didn’t work out so well as were ambushed when we got to Knute’s boat. That was the fight where I felt HORRIBLE HORRIBLE PAIN.
I’ve realized now that it's one thing when you're playing in the garden with your brothers. You get a few skinned knees, a twisted ankle, maybe a bloody nose, but you forget about it in an hour or so and go back to playing. How is one supposed to go on when there are JAVELINS EMBEDDED IN HER CHEST?! And the horrid things were barbed which made pulling them out especially painful. I really thought I was going to die, until Brom shook his bone at me.
In any case, we managed to get out of there, but were unable to make it back to Ashden’s Point before nightfall, so we camped in the woods. During the night, while Gideon was on watch, an Easterner came upon us and killed Knute with poisoned darts. Gideon alerted the rest of us and together we killed the assassin before he could kill us, thankfully. We went back to Ashden’s Point the next morning.
It’s amazing to me when I think about all that has already happened, and we’re not even at the wall yet. I have a suspicion it’s only going to get more difficult. Oh well, at least I got to bash things with my maul, which is always good fun. And when I think about what my life could have been, either married off to an old man or stuck at home with Mother until the end of my days, I know I made the right choice in coming on this journey.
You know what? I’ve just realized that there was also the body of the woman we heard scream in the first place. I assume Knute ran after cutting her throat, knowing we were in town and would catch him if he stayed. But who was she? What was she doing in the jail? Why did Knute kill her? I’m very troubled that I did not think to ask Philip who she was before we left that sorry little town. Currently we’re camped along the road. I’m writing this entry before settling in for the night. I was thinking I’d try and write a letter to Lex, but I’m not sure how much of my adventures I should include; I don’t want to worry him. At the very least I must tell him of my companions so he can inform Mother. I’d give anything to see her face when he does.
Love, Nell
Subtlety and Steel
"It all started the night after an unusually heavy drinking escapade. I woke to the stale taste of the air in the stable I had slept. I somehow managed to stumble my way down the road a ways to encounter a annoyingly clean and cheerful elf by the name of Erhivor, and a plain ugly young girl in armor who called herself Penelope. They started yelling at me, and somewhere in the pain I made out they were heading the same direction I was, and since the elf offered to pack my gear onto his donkey/mule, I figured it was worth the unpleasant company. I generally dislike the company of others, much preferring to travel alone, but something felt different about these two, that I might need them later in my travels.
We made good time on the road, and soon arrived in Ashden's Point, ironically the same town I had been the night before...I think. Nothing about the town spoke of anything special, but I was soon to find out that this was anything but the case. We decided to find the Watch official we were supposed to report to. We met him inside the inn and after a short exchange of words, he tasked us with the task of escorting a convicted criminal to the Wall as a sort of rite of passage into cadetry with the Watch. Now neither of my two companions were too pleased with this, which I didn't understand. Its an honor to carry out tasks and missions for the Watch, and they should have accepted this with much more enthusiasm and respect for whom they were now working for.
After a short discussion they agreed to this task, and we walked over to the jail house to take our charge into custody. We met with what can only be described as a none too bright individual who identified himself as Knute. We presented our orders, which the man looked at upside down and for just but a second. We followed him inside the jail ad were presented with a rude and annoying, yet oddly clean convict by the name of Gideon. I could tell right away that I was not going to like this man, everything about his demeanor disagreed with me. But as it was my duty to escort him to the Wall, I decided to tolerate his company, who knows, maybe he might be useful at some point in our travels.
After Gideon joined out small group, we went back to the inn to see if we couldn't get better acquainted. Midway through our meal, which unfortunately was sparse on conversation, we were startled by a woman's scream from outside. After rushing outside to investigate, we saw a figure which seemed to resemble Knute fleeing from the jailhouse. Laying in the doorway was a body which seemed to be missing a crucial part, its head. I walked over to investigate, and while leaning over the mangled corpse, to my horror it reached up and grabbed me! Now I have never encountered something like this before, the dead moving about, so I was frozen with shock, which unfortunately left me vulnerable to a punishing blow to the face. Well my companions soon rushed to my aid, and after a terrifying battle with a headless corpse and two walking skeletons, we emerged battered but victorious.
To my surprise, the convict, Gideon actually participated in the battle. I viewed him as much more of a potential coward. Penelope also surprised me, not so much for being a woman, as women warriors as somewhat common among my people, but for her skill and expertise in the fight. Erhivor on the other hand was somewhat useless in the fight, but seeing his frail frame, I wasn't expecting much anyway.
After investigating the jailhouse, we discovered some coins that seemed very out of place, with a strange star symbol imprinted upon them. Gideon also came across what appeared to be a disguise kit and forging materials with the coins. He said something about prisoners being sold off as slaves, but before we could look much more, the head priest of the local temple interrupted us. When presented with the coins, he became very quite and almost seemed to be scared. He asked us to meet him at the temple the following morning to explain more.
The next morning, upon arrival at the temple, nobody answered the locked door. Suspecting something was wrong, I put my ear to the door and head the faint whispers of a dying man coming from inside. Well after bashing the door in we were greeted by the scene of a slaughter. Finding the head priest hardly alive, I tended to his wounds. He told us that Knute had snuck in during the night and attacked him, leaving him for dead no doubt. He also told us the coins were easterner, which was very odd because they don't trade this far out. Something seemed very wrong, and I had a feeling that this was not just about slaves, the coins also seemed to be a very important clue as to what was truly going on. We asked which way Knute had left and quickly followed out a window and tracked his passage through the forest. We followed his travel up a river and after a short travel we came upon a canoe which seemed to have been hastily hidden. Spotting a small trail of smoke in the sky, we decided to investigate, assuming our prey had assumed he was safe and was now setting up camp.
While sneaking up on the camp, we unfortunately gave our positions away with some noise and had to charge into the camp to avoid losing him again. Knute was now with a small and disgusting looking Orgosh warrior, who quickly ran away and sounded a horn, no doubt calling more of his kind to us. After a short fight with Knute, who was quite a skilled fighter and wounding Penelope, we took him prisoner, and would have questioned him there but were forced to run for our lives due to more Orgoshi charging our position. Again surprising me with bravery and selfless action, Gideon provided a rear guard to try and slow our pursuers down, allowing us to reach the boat unhindered. But unfortunately we were ambushed at the boat by more of those damn pesky Orgoshi and their accursed javelins! After a terrible fight in which many of us were injured, we were victorious and beat a hasty retreat down the river to avoid more trouble. Things have gone from odd to scary, first with the coins, and now with Orgoshi and the undead, I don't know what to think. Right now I am just hoping I survive to report to the Wall.
Later that day, night was approaching and with the added burden of Knute, we realized we were going to be unable to make it back to town, so setting up camp and choosing a watch order, we went to sleep. During the night I was awakened by the sounds of fighting and discovered Gideon fighting with a shadowy assassin. After a brief skirmish in the dark, we overcame the attacker and noticed he was an easterner. And also to our dismay, found Knute dead, having been shot several times with poisoned darts.
We seem to have stumbled upon something much bigger that ourselves, but I am still anxious to investigate all of this further. I hope we can get to the bottom of what is going on, why the Orgoshi are here and what the easterners have to do with all of this and why they are even showing their presence in these parts. Hopefully we can learn more in Wildsgate, our next destination."
- Conversation with an acorn.
We made good time on the road, and soon arrived in Ashden's Point, ironically the same town I had been the night before...I think. Nothing about the town spoke of anything special, but I was soon to find out that this was anything but the case. We decided to find the Watch official we were supposed to report to. We met him inside the inn and after a short exchange of words, he tasked us with the task of escorting a convicted criminal to the Wall as a sort of rite of passage into cadetry with the Watch. Now neither of my two companions were too pleased with this, which I didn't understand. Its an honor to carry out tasks and missions for the Watch, and they should have accepted this with much more enthusiasm and respect for whom they were now working for.
After a short discussion they agreed to this task, and we walked over to the jail house to take our charge into custody. We met with what can only be described as a none too bright individual who identified himself as Knute. We presented our orders, which the man looked at upside down and for just but a second. We followed him inside the jail ad were presented with a rude and annoying, yet oddly clean convict by the name of Gideon. I could tell right away that I was not going to like this man, everything about his demeanor disagreed with me. But as it was my duty to escort him to the Wall, I decided to tolerate his company, who knows, maybe he might be useful at some point in our travels.
After Gideon joined out small group, we went back to the inn to see if we couldn't get better acquainted. Midway through our meal, which unfortunately was sparse on conversation, we were startled by a woman's scream from outside. After rushing outside to investigate, we saw a figure which seemed to resemble Knute fleeing from the jailhouse. Laying in the doorway was a body which seemed to be missing a crucial part, its head. I walked over to investigate, and while leaning over the mangled corpse, to my horror it reached up and grabbed me! Now I have never encountered something like this before, the dead moving about, so I was frozen with shock, which unfortunately left me vulnerable to a punishing blow to the face. Well my companions soon rushed to my aid, and after a terrifying battle with a headless corpse and two walking skeletons, we emerged battered but victorious.
To my surprise, the convict, Gideon actually participated in the battle. I viewed him as much more of a potential coward. Penelope also surprised me, not so much for being a woman, as women warriors as somewhat common among my people, but for her skill and expertise in the fight. Erhivor on the other hand was somewhat useless in the fight, but seeing his frail frame, I wasn't expecting much anyway.
After investigating the jailhouse, we discovered some coins that seemed very out of place, with a strange star symbol imprinted upon them. Gideon also came across what appeared to be a disguise kit and forging materials with the coins. He said something about prisoners being sold off as slaves, but before we could look much more, the head priest of the local temple interrupted us. When presented with the coins, he became very quite and almost seemed to be scared. He asked us to meet him at the temple the following morning to explain more.
The next morning, upon arrival at the temple, nobody answered the locked door. Suspecting something was wrong, I put my ear to the door and head the faint whispers of a dying man coming from inside. Well after bashing the door in we were greeted by the scene of a slaughter. Finding the head priest hardly alive, I tended to his wounds. He told us that Knute had snuck in during the night and attacked him, leaving him for dead no doubt. He also told us the coins were easterner, which was very odd because they don't trade this far out. Something seemed very wrong, and I had a feeling that this was not just about slaves, the coins also seemed to be a very important clue as to what was truly going on. We asked which way Knute had left and quickly followed out a window and tracked his passage through the forest. We followed his travel up a river and after a short travel we came upon a canoe which seemed to have been hastily hidden. Spotting a small trail of smoke in the sky, we decided to investigate, assuming our prey had assumed he was safe and was now setting up camp.
While sneaking up on the camp, we unfortunately gave our positions away with some noise and had to charge into the camp to avoid losing him again. Knute was now with a small and disgusting looking Orgosh warrior, who quickly ran away and sounded a horn, no doubt calling more of his kind to us. After a short fight with Knute, who was quite a skilled fighter and wounding Penelope, we took him prisoner, and would have questioned him there but were forced to run for our lives due to more Orgoshi charging our position. Again surprising me with bravery and selfless action, Gideon provided a rear guard to try and slow our pursuers down, allowing us to reach the boat unhindered. But unfortunately we were ambushed at the boat by more of those damn pesky Orgoshi and their accursed javelins! After a terrible fight in which many of us were injured, we were victorious and beat a hasty retreat down the river to avoid more trouble. Things have gone from odd to scary, first with the coins, and now with Orgoshi and the undead, I don't know what to think. Right now I am just hoping I survive to report to the Wall.
Later that day, night was approaching and with the added burden of Knute, we realized we were going to be unable to make it back to town, so setting up camp and choosing a watch order, we went to sleep. During the night I was awakened by the sounds of fighting and discovered Gideon fighting with a shadowy assassin. After a brief skirmish in the dark, we overcame the attacker and noticed he was an easterner. And also to our dismay, found Knute dead, having been shot several times with poisoned darts.
We seem to have stumbled upon something much bigger that ourselves, but I am still anxious to investigate all of this further. I hope we can get to the bottom of what is going on, why the Orgoshi are here and what the easterners have to do with all of this and why they are even showing their presence in these parts. Hopefully we can learn more in Wildsgate, our next destination."
- Conversation with an acorn.
Monday, April 23, 2007
A Little More Detail From Erhivor On The Newt Problem
So, I thought it would be a good idea to go through some of the details that occurred last night. I am not sure why, but let's just call it a sudden desire to track events.
One thing that Gideon does not know, is that when Nell, Brom and I approached Newt as he was lounging outside of the jail and handed him the writ to discharge Gideon into our "custody", Newt read the writ upside-down. None of us actually told Newt what the content of the writ was and none of us actually said Gideon's name to him. But he still took us straight to Gideon's cell and released him to us. So, it seems that Newt wanted people to think that he could not read.
In addition to this, forgery and disguise kits were found in a strong box and what might have been an Orgosh silver mark. Later we found Newt associating with what might have been Orgosh, which would link him to the coin and the forgery and disguise kits. Now, when we were first alerted to a problem by a woman's scream, we found what we thought was Newt beheaded, yet I saw what appeared to be Newt running off being the smith's building. But, as Gideon pointed out, the body that we thought was Newt's was wearing the wrong boots and the Priest pointed out that the body's stature was a bit different from Newt's. And cleaned humanoid bones were found in the jail, indicating that someone was killing people and salvaging the bones or using the flesh for some reason. All of this could mean a number of things, but perhaps we should keep these things in mind.
Where these facts become skewed is where we hunted down and captured Newt. We fought against walking corpses at the jail before we tracked him down, somehow linked to him. But why, then, did he defend against us later with just a crossbow and a sword? And how come we could simply tie him up and run off with him? Shouldn't he be able to use some spellcraft or magic to oppose us? Curious, no?
Another thing bothers me is: Why did he attack the temple? To retrieve the silver mark? Why? And why were these strange creatures, or Orgosh, so desperate to kill Newt? The only obvious answer is that Newt could reveal something, and that something must be important. A planned attack on the mainland? I can't think of much that would need more secrecy, but I really do not know.
What we have, so far:
- Newt causing convicts in the jail to disappear, according to Gideon, and evidence in the way of forgery and human or humanoid bones to back it up
- Newt being linked, in some way, with the "dark arts" or necromancy
- Newt dealing with strange, barbaric creatures that are very likely Orgosh
- The Orgosh being relentless in pursuing us and wanting Newt dead once we captured him
Am I missing anything?
I do have one more question, and it may seem strange, but does anyone know what the Orgosh prefer to eat?
One thing that Gideon does not know, is that when Nell, Brom and I approached Newt as he was lounging outside of the jail and handed him the writ to discharge Gideon into our "custody", Newt read the writ upside-down. None of us actually told Newt what the content of the writ was and none of us actually said Gideon's name to him. But he still took us straight to Gideon's cell and released him to us. So, it seems that Newt wanted people to think that he could not read.
In addition to this, forgery and disguise kits were found in a strong box and what might have been an Orgosh silver mark. Later we found Newt associating with what might have been Orgosh, which would link him to the coin and the forgery and disguise kits. Now, when we were first alerted to a problem by a woman's scream, we found what we thought was Newt beheaded, yet I saw what appeared to be Newt running off being the smith's building. But, as Gideon pointed out, the body that we thought was Newt's was wearing the wrong boots and the Priest pointed out that the body's stature was a bit different from Newt's. And cleaned humanoid bones were found in the jail, indicating that someone was killing people and salvaging the bones or using the flesh for some reason. All of this could mean a number of things, but perhaps we should keep these things in mind.
Where these facts become skewed is where we hunted down and captured Newt. We fought against walking corpses at the jail before we tracked him down, somehow linked to him. But why, then, did he defend against us later with just a crossbow and a sword? And how come we could simply tie him up and run off with him? Shouldn't he be able to use some spellcraft or magic to oppose us? Curious, no?
Another thing bothers me is: Why did he attack the temple? To retrieve the silver mark? Why? And why were these strange creatures, or Orgosh, so desperate to kill Newt? The only obvious answer is that Newt could reveal something, and that something must be important. A planned attack on the mainland? I can't think of much that would need more secrecy, but I really do not know.
What we have, so far:
- Newt causing convicts in the jail to disappear, according to Gideon, and evidence in the way of forgery and human or humanoid bones to back it up
- Newt being linked, in some way, with the "dark arts" or necromancy
- Newt dealing with strange, barbaric creatures that are very likely Orgosh
- The Orgosh being relentless in pursuing us and wanting Newt dead once we captured him
Am I missing anything?
I do have one more question, and it may seem strange, but does anyone know what the Orgosh prefer to eat?
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Chronicles of Gideon Fox
Chronicles of Gideon Fox
Excerpt One: Bromon’s Well
In the heat of midsummer, Bromon’s Well always had the smell of rotten life. It was worst during the long and humid afternoons, when the stench of the marshes would waft through the alleys and thoroughfares of the once great city over beggar, merchant and guildthief alike. The whole city stank of decay and to Gideon it only seemed appropriate that the Nobles and Guild-masters with their finery would be steeped in the same rank scent of decay as those less fortunate on the streets of the Beggar’s District. Night was falling and with the cool evening air the scent of the swamp would soon fade a bit from the streets to something resembling tolerable. At first lamplight, the Bazaar of the Bizarre would be open for business.
Gideon would often come to this part of the Beggar’s District to watch the opening moments of what was probably Tyrinthia’s oldest and most widely renowned black market. The day’s last warm gust of wind whipped a mop of dark curls around his face and tugged Gideon’s ash grey cloak from bulky shoulders to reveal the thick leather of armor underneath. Gideon knew there would be a reckoning tonight and he wanted to see something familiar..
Outside of the alley, merchants of nefarious services and questionable goods scuttled to and fro with loaded pushcarts or mysterious bundles clutched close to their chests. Here one could find stolen goods for sale, or take medicine from a healer with no guild license. Faith was available from the preachers of outcast or forgotten gods and if you knew the right corner you could get a damn fine bowl of noodles for a copper and a knowing wink. Good people and bad all mingled and operated outside the pulse and pound of the regular. The have nots were all here trying to scrape out a living from underneath the feet of those who had real power, the haves and the going to gets and the keep on gettings.
Gideon was here tonight because he wanted a reminder of what it was he was trying to protect. Growing up on these mean streets he knew there were good people being ground to dust under the heel of all this so called civilization. People like his father who died a pauper and his mother who he had never known. People who either didn’t have the skill or didn’t have the desire to be a part of the system, people who just couldn’t make it that way and get in with the Guild or the Ariadans in order to get ahead. People who too often became prey for hunters of a more sinister nature than a hunting cat or a hungry wolf, the meat eaters at the top of the urban food chain. Gideon wanted a reminder that he was lucky because he was bigger and faster and stronger than the others. He was lucky that he had all his limbs and he didn’t get sick with the plagues. He was lucky that he wasn’t sold to one of the pleasure dens by age 10 and didn’t become lost in a bottle of wine by age 12 or suffer a number of the other less fortunate fates that so often happened to the children of this city. Survival in this rotten corner of the world was never easy and often full of unpleasant necessity, but Gideon knew he was lucky and he always tried to give back. Lately he’d given about all he could handle. Even to those native to the Beggar’s Quarter, there were some things so unpleasant, so dark and terrible that it could chill them to the very bone. Gideon had seen much of those things of late.
“You’ve been busy,” spoke a smooth high voice from further back in the alley.
Gideon knew the voice. It belonged to man slightly younger than himself named Karl. Karl was of average height and build, with an unremarkable face and a forgettable nest of straight brown hair. Quite boring, quite simple, quite perfect for someone who wants to be forgotten, quite perfect for an aspiring young assassin. Gideon did not turn around, but looked back across his shoulder to acknowledge Karl. “So it would seem. Is it time?”
“Soon enough it will be. It’s too bad about you leaving.” Karl seemed honestly to mean what he said. He and Gideon had entered the Assassin’s Guild as new trainees together only but a few months prior. Though they seemed to have little in common, they got along well enough as young toughs looking to make a name for themselves in the world. Training was intense and the instructors were men of the most dangerous sort. It was not 12 days since the guild had told Gideon he did not seem to have the proper determination to be given a final exam. Of course, in the Assassin’s Guild, the final exam was your first murder.
Karl spoke with a smugness that would have roused Gideon to anger had he not been feeling so numb, “They said you didn’t have what it took.”
Gideon gave that a moment’s consideration before responding with an ironic half smile. “I think they were right.”
Karl’s face pinched up as his thoughts turned more to the business at hand. “You knew Jazel wasn’t going to let you interfere with his operation. Why did you bother?”
Jazel was a mid level operator in the Thieves Guild who had been making some fast coin selling trinkets to the locals. About a month previously a small community of ghouls had begun preying on the villagers from some of the outlying ruins of the old City. It was the night Gideon had been kicked out of the Assassin’s Guild that he found one feasting on the flesh of a young girl while he was wandering the back alleys of the district. That girl had been wearing one of Jazel’s tin, “protection,” talismans. Gideon destroyed the thing and began hunting them down, one by one, in their dark dank holes. Word spread in short order and Jazel was not pleased that people would soon stop buying his protection wards and made sure Gideon knew as much through one of his thralls. Gideon’s response was less than welcoming and it seemed now that Jazel’s displeasure had provided Karl with his final exam.
With slow and deliberate movement, Karl came closer behind Gideon and spoke his farewell, all business, nothing personal. “It’s funny how things work out, Gideon. I always figured you would pass your exam before me.”
For one brief and sudden, moment Gideon spun around to face Karl, and made eye contact. For one brief second their eyes met as two men who knew one another and knew that this moment, this place in time, what was happening right now was just business, nothing personal. That moment quickly passed and Gideon continued his spinning motion to until he again faced the crowd outside the alleyway.
Karl’s eyes were wide with surprise. As the slash across his throat threw arterial spray in a high wide arc across the wall beside him, he let his hand slowly slide down with his half drawn shortsword to let it rest again in it’s sheath. With a painful slowness he dropped to his knees, and then to the ground.
“You were right, Karl, you were right.” Gideon sheathed his dagger and walked into the Bazaar with the sounds of watchman’s whistles already reporting in the square…
Excerpt One: Bromon’s Well
In the heat of midsummer, Bromon’s Well always had the smell of rotten life. It was worst during the long and humid afternoons, when the stench of the marshes would waft through the alleys and thoroughfares of the once great city over beggar, merchant and guildthief alike. The whole city stank of decay and to Gideon it only seemed appropriate that the Nobles and Guild-masters with their finery would be steeped in the same rank scent of decay as those less fortunate on the streets of the Beggar’s District. Night was falling and with the cool evening air the scent of the swamp would soon fade a bit from the streets to something resembling tolerable. At first lamplight, the Bazaar of the Bizarre would be open for business.
Gideon would often come to this part of the Beggar’s District to watch the opening moments of what was probably Tyrinthia’s oldest and most widely renowned black market. The day’s last warm gust of wind whipped a mop of dark curls around his face and tugged Gideon’s ash grey cloak from bulky shoulders to reveal the thick leather of armor underneath. Gideon knew there would be a reckoning tonight and he wanted to see something familiar..
Outside of the alley, merchants of nefarious services and questionable goods scuttled to and fro with loaded pushcarts or mysterious bundles clutched close to their chests. Here one could find stolen goods for sale, or take medicine from a healer with no guild license. Faith was available from the preachers of outcast or forgotten gods and if you knew the right corner you could get a damn fine bowl of noodles for a copper and a knowing wink. Good people and bad all mingled and operated outside the pulse and pound of the regular. The have nots were all here trying to scrape out a living from underneath the feet of those who had real power, the haves and the going to gets and the keep on gettings.
Gideon was here tonight because he wanted a reminder of what it was he was trying to protect. Growing up on these mean streets he knew there were good people being ground to dust under the heel of all this so called civilization. People like his father who died a pauper and his mother who he had never known. People who either didn’t have the skill or didn’t have the desire to be a part of the system, people who just couldn’t make it that way and get in with the Guild or the Ariadans in order to get ahead. People who too often became prey for hunters of a more sinister nature than a hunting cat or a hungry wolf, the meat eaters at the top of the urban food chain. Gideon wanted a reminder that he was lucky because he was bigger and faster and stronger than the others. He was lucky that he had all his limbs and he didn’t get sick with the plagues. He was lucky that he wasn’t sold to one of the pleasure dens by age 10 and didn’t become lost in a bottle of wine by age 12 or suffer a number of the other less fortunate fates that so often happened to the children of this city. Survival in this rotten corner of the world was never easy and often full of unpleasant necessity, but Gideon knew he was lucky and he always tried to give back. Lately he’d given about all he could handle. Even to those native to the Beggar’s Quarter, there were some things so unpleasant, so dark and terrible that it could chill them to the very bone. Gideon had seen much of those things of late.
“You’ve been busy,” spoke a smooth high voice from further back in the alley.
Gideon knew the voice. It belonged to man slightly younger than himself named Karl. Karl was of average height and build, with an unremarkable face and a forgettable nest of straight brown hair. Quite boring, quite simple, quite perfect for someone who wants to be forgotten, quite perfect for an aspiring young assassin. Gideon did not turn around, but looked back across his shoulder to acknowledge Karl. “So it would seem. Is it time?”
“Soon enough it will be. It’s too bad about you leaving.” Karl seemed honestly to mean what he said. He and Gideon had entered the Assassin’s Guild as new trainees together only but a few months prior. Though they seemed to have little in common, they got along well enough as young toughs looking to make a name for themselves in the world. Training was intense and the instructors were men of the most dangerous sort. It was not 12 days since the guild had told Gideon he did not seem to have the proper determination to be given a final exam. Of course, in the Assassin’s Guild, the final exam was your first murder.
Karl spoke with a smugness that would have roused Gideon to anger had he not been feeling so numb, “They said you didn’t have what it took.”
Gideon gave that a moment’s consideration before responding with an ironic half smile. “I think they were right.”
Karl’s face pinched up as his thoughts turned more to the business at hand. “You knew Jazel wasn’t going to let you interfere with his operation. Why did you bother?”
Jazel was a mid level operator in the Thieves Guild who had been making some fast coin selling trinkets to the locals. About a month previously a small community of ghouls had begun preying on the villagers from some of the outlying ruins of the old City. It was the night Gideon had been kicked out of the Assassin’s Guild that he found one feasting on the flesh of a young girl while he was wandering the back alleys of the district. That girl had been wearing one of Jazel’s tin, “protection,” talismans. Gideon destroyed the thing and began hunting them down, one by one, in their dark dank holes. Word spread in short order and Jazel was not pleased that people would soon stop buying his protection wards and made sure Gideon knew as much through one of his thralls. Gideon’s response was less than welcoming and it seemed now that Jazel’s displeasure had provided Karl with his final exam.
With slow and deliberate movement, Karl came closer behind Gideon and spoke his farewell, all business, nothing personal. “It’s funny how things work out, Gideon. I always figured you would pass your exam before me.”
For one brief and sudden, moment Gideon spun around to face Karl, and made eye contact. For one brief second their eyes met as two men who knew one another and knew that this moment, this place in time, what was happening right now was just business, nothing personal. That moment quickly passed and Gideon continued his spinning motion to until he again faced the crowd outside the alleyway.
Karl’s eyes were wide with surprise. As the slash across his throat threw arterial spray in a high wide arc across the wall beside him, he let his hand slowly slide down with his half drawn shortsword to let it rest again in it’s sheath. With a painful slowness he dropped to his knees, and then to the ground.
“You were right, Karl, you were right.” Gideon sheathed his dagger and walked into the Bazaar with the sounds of watchman’s whistles already reporting in the square…
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Erhivor At The Salted Ham Having An Ale
"Well, just prior to leaving the Valley of Seale'de for The Wall, I spent the last four-score years or so assisting my sire in hunting and tracking and assisting one of The Valley's educators in various studies and scribing, and tutoring my peers in various languages. I was never much of a hunter or tracker, certainly not compared to my sire. Books and languages were always an inspiration of mine, so I took quickly to learning various tongues and reading and understanding various texts.
"Most of my peers and elders are known for being fun-loving and making celebration. I too enjoy fun and drinking and celebrating, but not always as thoroughly as most of my kind. There are other Elves, like myself, who take to study and education more so than to celebration, but ... well, you are probably aware of the stereotypes of Elves being a bit hedonistic. Stereotypes and rumors are usually based partly in truth on some level.
"It has been most interesting -- and scary -- the last two days. I never before would have expected to see the things that I have witnessed in this small town. Jailers selling their charge into slavery, and possibly consuming some of their charge as well. The walking dead. Taking a javelin in combat with Orgosh barbarians. Waking up to someone blowing poisonous darts at me. It all makes me wonder what exactly I have gotten myself into, and how deeply, in leaving The Valley for The Wall. I am concerned about how much worse these circumstances will get, and how frequently they will arise. But, at this point, I am too deeply enmeshed in it to back out, I suppose. So, I have no choice but to see it through. Perhaps, some day, I will be able to write a book about it.
"Another ale, please? Thank you."
Nell's Diary
Selected entries from the diary of Penelope Eudora Evangeline Plainsworth:
9th of Mow, 1572 TR
Today is my eighth birthday, and I received you as a present from my father. Mother says she hopes it will inspire me to stay indoors, so I won’t get any more freckles. I told her I planned on taking you with me into the garden, and then Mother made that face where her lips get thin and it looks like she smells something unpleasant. Mother and I don’t get along very well. For one thing she named me Penelope Eudora Evangeline Plainsworth, and for another she never lets me have any fun. Mother always wants me to stay inside and do boring things like embroider and serve tea; I’d rather be outside with my brothers, Alexander and James. Sometimes my other brother, Timothy, plays outside with us too, but he’s often too sick. Tim and Lex are twins, a year older than me. Tim is the oldest by about a minute. Around the time when I was born, Tim contracted a terrible fever, and he’s been weak ever since. Lex is just fine though, and he is my favorite brother. He calls me Nellie, and he always picks me over Jamie when we play games with teams. Jamie’s alright I suppose, though he can get very annoying. He’s a year younger than me, and he hates to be left out of anything Lex and I do.
Oh dear, Mother’s calling. She says she wants to teach me about cutlery. If I hurry I might be able to sneak out the window and down the tree.
9th of Mow, 1572 TR
Today is my eighth birthday, and I received you as a present from my father. Mother says she hopes it will inspire me to stay indoors, so I won’t get any more freckles. I told her I planned on taking you with me into the garden, and then Mother made that face where her lips get thin and it looks like she smells something unpleasant. Mother and I don’t get along very well. For one thing she named me Penelope Eudora Evangeline Plainsworth, and for another she never lets me have any fun. Mother always wants me to stay inside and do boring things like embroider and serve tea; I’d rather be outside with my brothers, Alexander and James. Sometimes my other brother, Timothy, plays outside with us too, but he’s often too sick. Tim and Lex are twins, a year older than me. Tim is the oldest by about a minute. Around the time when I was born, Tim contracted a terrible fever, and he’s been weak ever since. Lex is just fine though, and he is my favorite brother. He calls me Nellie, and he always picks me over Jamie when we play games with teams. Jamie’s alright I suppose, though he can get very annoying. He’s a year younger than me, and he hates to be left out of anything Lex and I do.
Oh dear, Mother’s calling. She says she wants to teach me about cutlery. If I hurry I might be able to sneak out the window and down the tree.
Love, Nellie
24th of Octumbre, 1573 TR
Dear Diary,
Mother locked me in my room with no supper again. This time it’s because I was using my dolls as target practice. Lex was throwing them up into the air so I could swing at them with his wooden sword. I told Mother I thought she’d be pleased that I finally found a use for the dolls, but she just kept going on about how I’m “the worst daughter in the history of humankind” and that she cursed her loins for bringing me into the world. I think she’s just angry because that porcelain one was antique. Oh well.
Love, Nellie
30th of Novis, 1574 TR
Dear Diary,
Mother tried another concoction on my hair today. She’s been trying to find a way to keep it from being so frizzy, but nothing seems to work. Now my head smells fishy. I really hate Mother.
Love, Nellie
12th of Janvive, 1575 TR
Dear Diary,
Something miraculous has happened! Mother told me she is going to have another baby. I pray that it will be a girl, so she’ll have someone new to torment. I know it’s what Mother wants too.
Love, Nellie
17th of Aoag, 1575 TR
Dear Diary,
The baby is a girl! I’m eternally grateful. Not only will Mother be too busy with the baby to pay attention to me, but once the little one grows up, she can make doilies and paint teacups with Mother. Hurrah!
Mother is delighted. At first, she was afraid she had wasted all the best names on me, but with help from Auntie Cordelia and a botany book, the new baby has been named Angelina Isabella Gardenia Magnolia Plainsworth. Three middle names instead of two – Mother’s really outdone herself. I think I’ll call her Algae.
Love, Nellie
5th of Decem, 1577 TR
Dear Diary,
You should have seen Algae today. Mother was entertaining some guests, and they all thought Algae was the most adorable child they’d ever seen, with her golden curls and rosy cheeks. Algae just ate up the attention as always, twirling around and giggling. Mother put an enormous pink bow in her hair; I was surprised she could even lift her head. At least it took the attention off of me, so I could go outside with Lex and the other children. We played hide and go seek in the garden. At one point I was the seeker, and I found Jamie in a bush with Ophelia Treefellow. He was giving her little kisses on the cheek. It was revolting.
Love, Nellie
27th of Avril, 1580 TR
Dear Diary,
Another maid had to be let go today, the same one I caught in the closet with Jamie. This time the excuse was that she had broken too many platters, although I don’t recall her ever breaking any. I heard the other maids say she was being sent away to a home for young ladies who are “in a bad way.” Later I overheard Lex giving Jamie a lecture about honor, but I doubt it will make any difference. Mother says Jamie’s too handsome for his own good; I say he’s a spoiled brat.
Have to go, Algae’s screaming at her nurse again.
Love, Nell
3rd of Marchize, 1581 TR
Dear Diary,
Timothy died last week. I haven’t been able to write about it until now. He was sick for two weeks, growing worse and worse, until one morning he died. Mother hasn’t come out of her room yet. At first I could hear her wailing from all the way downstairs, but now she just sleeps. Even Algae can’t get her to come out. Father isn’t speaking, and Lex has been left to run the household. He’s the oldest now. He had been planning on leaving for the Wall, as second-born are expected to do, but now he has to stay. And now I wonder if I might get to go in his place.
Love, Nell
6th of Mow, 1581 TR
Dear Diary,
Mother has locked me in my room again. This time I’ve really done it. Ever since Tim’s death, she’s been set on getting rid of me. Unfortunately for her, I’m not pretty or thin or graceful or very well-behaved, so she’s been scraping the bottom of the barrel. The worst was tonight. Mother invited Rudolph Banebright, a lecherous old scab, to dine with us. I tried to stay out in the sun as much as I could, hoping to get more freckles, but Mother put some terrible powder on my face to cover them up. I also made my hair especially unruly by combing it towards the scalp. Luckily there wasn’t much Mother could do to fix it. Then she forced me into a frilly dress that was much too tight. I was hoping the old man would see through the façade, but all he seemed to care about was the fact that I was young. He kept smiling at me all through dinner; it was disgusting. If my mother is going to marry me off, couldn’t she at least find someone closer to my age? I kept interrupting people at dinner, talking about the life cycle of the maggot, things like that. Nothing seemed to repulse Rudolph, he just kept smiling and saying what a “pretty young thing” I was. His eyesight must be poor. Finally I kicked him, then claimed I have involuntary spasms. I meant to get him in the shin, but my aim was a bit high it seems, judging by the way his eyes bulged from the pain. That was when Mother sent me to my room.
Now they’re deciding what to do with me. I know Lex is advocating for my going to the Wall. I’ll be seventeen in a few days, and it’s the best way for me to serve my family aside from marrying Rudolph Banebright and being forced to smother him in his sleep. All I can do now is hope Lex convinces our parents to let me go.
Love, Nell
14th of Mow, 1581 TR
Dear Diary,
It’s been decided – I can go to the Wall. In the end it was Aunt Cordelia who convinced my mother that it was the best thing to do. After all, there’s a likely chance I’ll die, and if not, I’ll settle in the Wilds and never embarrass my mother again. I will miss my darling Lex, however. Today he gave me a strange breastplate to take with me. It’s an old family heirloom that’s been stored away on account of looking a bit creepy, but I like it. I feel like my life is finally going to begin.
Love, Nell
Erhivor's Thoughts Before Leaving For The Wall
"I've spent all of my life among the great woods and
rivers of Seale'de, and now everything that I ever knew
of life is probably going to change. I can not say that
I am particularly joyous about that, but I can certainly
say that I am anxious. I do not know what to expect.
My elders have told me a few things about the rest of
the world, and I have read quite a few books that speak
of the world and adventure. But I've always felt that
for everything I learned I only had more questions.
More recently, my questions have been about The Wall. I
suppose it is now my turn to learn first-hand a few
things about the rest of the world, perhaps about
adventure as well, and definitely about The Wall.
"Now that I have come of age, my elders feel that it is
necessary for me to go out into the world and learn
about it. To learn about what makes the rest of the
world what it is and have most of my questions
answered."
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
"You ask why I go? Is it not enough of a reason that I was given the great honor of serving my family by going to the Wall, to represent my people? What if I told you there was a scourge upon the land, that the cold harsh lands where I have traveled harbor horrors beyond imagination. Would this give you insight as to the reason I must go? I must aid in the struggle against the plague which defiles the wilds I love and must protect. It’s alright; I don’t expect you to understand. You must think the world extends no further than the gentle hills which surround this village. But unless I go, you will not see the beautiful green of the forest, but instead the howling madness of the Orgosh descending upon you, and hear death upon the wind. I do not claim to be a hero, nor do I claim to know the answer for what has and will soon happen, but I do have a plan. The rocks, trees and animals sing to me. They whisper secrets and knowledge, asking that I stand against the creeping death that crawls across the land. You look tired; do you wish me to continue what must seem myth? Well alright, but just a few minutes more, I don’t want your mother to be angry at me if you have nightmares again. What is this you ask? It’s just a simple talisman passed down through my family, a simple jawbone which is said to aid whoever knows its secrets. I know your parents and the other elders disapprove of all my time spend in the wilderness, especially near the rivers, but they don’t understand that these are the places we must understand and protect if we are expected to survive these dark times. Oh, I seem to have lost you to sleep. Well, I must be going anyhow. They will be expecting me by sunup to ready for departure."
- Conversation overheard between Brom Macaula and his young nephew Cale the night before Brom's departure.
- Conversation overheard between Brom Macaula and his young nephew Cale the night before Brom's departure.
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