Chronicles of a Warrior

[willhoff]

*Vrebel taps the empty page before he rights with a bloody finger*

Seems blood is gonna be spillin and lots of it.  Drachs have marched inta Hilm Protectorate and headin' toward the castle.  We are at war.  Finally.  They took out Sundance purty easy as the folk were unprepared fer the assault.  There marchin' on farther and farther in as I write.

I'll do everthing I can ta help fight those slimmy hissers.  Seems Rael has turned his attention away from Lor, at least temperarily, and now thinks the Cults out ta get him too!

I dont believe none of what comes outa his mouth.  

Latest news is Cult hissers comen ta Lor via two ships and four dragons by way of sea from Belinara to the desert near Audira.  Heard some guard talkin bout it in Lor.

That the only way I hear things recently bout anything.  All were gettin is bits and pieces from that  Council.  Tried ta get involved and sit in and her greatness, Daniella sent me and Andrew away ta go find scouts in Wolfswood.  I went cause it was important but I knew she was shewin me out before they started talking bout tactics and such.

All I can say is they better know what their doin cause they aint envolvin' no one in this thing.  Ya cant win a war when all ya do is keep things ta yerself and babble about religion and politics all day.

Lance seems ta have lots on his mind, and rightly so.  He's a good leader I just hope he dont try and do it all himself.

Trainin goin' good and I'm able ta learn all the circles of scrolls now with some help.  Soon I'll be readin' em secon nature.

Time ta close this and get back ta trainin'.  Heres ta a free Hilm and Lor and death to the Cult.

*shuts the journal spilling his ale as he does.*

[willhoff]

*Vrebel ducks into a dark stoney archway and closes the small wooden door.  In a rare moment of calm Vrebel sits and leans his head against the wall, a small window sheding the late evening sun into the room. A shaby excuse for a room but it is his only refuge from the choas looming all around Fort of Last Hope.  He opens his small journal and tries to write, his hands bloodied and rough from battle*

South wall has been decimated by Ract what ever his name is.  The lizard said we have one month and then he'll come back and destroy us all if drachs havent over run us yet.

I've been commisioned as a captain of the North wall by Commander Daniella.  I'd never thought I'd ever have a title and never looked fer one.  I'll take the commision as this fort needs leadership if we're gonna come outa this siege on top.  Not sure what I'll do with it after, but it does sound kinda nice.

Drachs have tens of thousands outside on all three areas of the Fort.  So far were still holdin but the West wall is in bad shape and of course the South just collapsed.  Good thing is we killed all three of their dragons with the help of Argali's balista's and dragon killin projectiles.

I dont know how much longer I can take bein held up in here.  My troops on the wall impress me more and more each day.  Its amazing, they arent stone bound yet they fight with a feirlessness that has inspired me beyond belief.  Most know they will die but they do what they do because they understand that its better to die fightn for freedom than surrender and become a drach slave or worse some specimen for experiments or what not.  They fight for their families, and the hope of a better future for their grandchildren.

I think we take the fight to em.  We got an opportunity now.  The dragons are gone and Racta whats his name is gone for a month.  We have ninethousand plus elite soldeirs in this fort waitn for the day.  I'd say we take the fight outside to the Cult while they are preparin the south wall.

I dont know why the big lizard gave us a month.  Like Captain Argali said he coulda finished us off yesterday.  Hes given us some repreive for who knows what.  He dont like the cult but is usin them for his own gains.  I cant figure it out now its too much to deal with.  Maybe he wants the cult and defenders to weaken eachother enought that who ever wins will be easy pickens for him later.  I dont know.  I do know that we cant wait for somethin to happen.

Trainin is complete for the most part.  I can read all of Tray's scroll even when in battle.  Weapon train' is at its peak now.  The drachs we are going against seem ta be gettin tougher and tougher.  Each fight new ones more improved ones emerge.  I'm battered adn bruised but through it all I have become one with my greatsword and it with me.  Although some drachs ya cant flank, I have succesffuly merged my skills in blade with my ability to find an angle, any angle, in battle and deal crippling blows to the enemy.  Its all timin' and bein in teh right place at teh right time.

Anyways, best get to the wall.  I wonder how Sasha is doin in Lor.  It'd be nice is she was here but oh well.  I bet she'd be purty surprised that I got this commission.  Maybe I'll live ta see her expression when I tell her.

*He closes the book and rests his head back on the wall.  As he closes his eyes the noises of battle start up again.  The all to common dull thuds of the drach boulders hitting the north wall resume, each time raining dust and soot down on his head*

[willhoff]

*Vrebel takes a breather outside sundance to jots some thoughts down*

Well we kinda won.  A strike team that included yours truly went down into a cave near Stormcrest hollows and took out the Broken One.  Its a dragon or was.  The blood pool that Molvaren was using to make the drachs actually was the dragon if you can figure that one out.  Commander Jennara brought some kinda cure to stick inject in his blood stream.

All hell broke loose when Molvaren tomed in to figure out who was messin' with his toy.  A feirce battle ensued between our strike force and him.  We would have brought him down but everytime he looked to be on his last legs he transformed inta somethin else even wickider.  He managed to escape but so did we.  Whole place blew up and left a crater the size of corax lake.

Molvarens forces retreated from Hilm castle back ta Kuhl and now I'm charged with others to take back what he ran over in Hilm.  Right now its Sundance tommorow maybe Briardusk and then others.

I've met the mother once more.  This time in the deep.  Demon pit near a waterfall.  I keep tellin myself ta get some sleep and dont go inta fights when you can barely keep yer eyes open but such is the way of a warrior.  Never sleep never wash always be on yer guard and be ready fer battle.

Sometimes the hardest losses are the greatest learnin' moments.  I'll chalk this last one up to stupidity though.  My trainin' is almost complete but I feel like I can still dig some more power outa these old arms.  First I need to learn ta stay alive.  Duck and weave duck and weave.  Stick em' were they bleed.  And all that....

*He closes the journal and looks over at a demolished water pump house and grumbles as the tainted water flows around his feet*

[willhoff]

*He dusts off the old book after finding it in under some old training dummies in storage.*

We are still tecnically at war with Molvaren but for now he is "contained" in Kuhl.  The rest of the world has retreated back to thier respective countries and are dealing with a massive worldwide famine not to mention loss of lives from the war and the toll it took on the various countries who contributed soldiers and supplies.

As for the famine, I dont know what to think.  Is it natural?  I hear rumors it has been started by dark elves or milara or all sorts or crazy notions.  I hear the druids are the cause of the famine in Hlint.  But they Hlintites blame everyone but themselves for everything.

I need to do more but I for the first time have no direction in which to go on this.  I will give it more thought.  If someone or something is truly behind this then we need to put it down.  I fear it is harbinger of things to come maybe a weakining of our defenses for a future war.

On a bright note I have taken on a pupil.  Her name is Dot and she wants me to train her as a blade master.  I started her training to learn to be one with her bastard sword.  I've got her picking up coins and she is to never let her grip off her sword, ever, until I say so.  I'll give her a few weeks that should be enough.

She has much spirit and I am hopeful she will see it through.  I do have my worries.  She is a bit abrasive and seems to enjoy the killing more than I did but she does want to learn and seems to have a good heart.  Hopefully I have chosen someone who will continue the art in honor and not use her talents for evil.

Time will tell.  For now I train her and through it all I learn more about myself and my own sword.  We will grow and become stronger together.

[willhoff]

*During their journey down into the depths of the Rift Vrebel allows Dot to take point so he can monitor her stance, swing, thrusts and battle prowess. He barks out pointers during battle but for the most part takes mental and written notes on her progress. The notes in his journal are hastely written and brief as most are scribbled down during battles.*

Good listener...complains too much abrasive at times.

powerful swing but not precise enough.

She uses her arms to swing too much. Stance is good but not consistent.

She has suprisingly not let her grip go of her hilt since I told her I had a special glove I'd strap on her if she doesnt stop dropping her blade.

Much progress in her sensetivity with her blade as she has let few coins slip off her blade and has balanced maces and other loot on her blade as well.

*Vrebel closes his journal and looks to the future months where he can give her proper training as his war room in Mask.*