Thoughts on the Dark Peaks....

[Pibemanden]

*Storold sits in his study smiling a little to himself after having visited Spellgard. He takes out a piece of paper and starts scribing it into his journal.*

[indent]Protected by an age one predates the other and in this then one must consider the magicians work the original and alone stable at least as much as any thing is.

They are now interwoven so that the catastropic closure of either is bound to effect the other and to what extent I can only guess without a proper examination.

It is therefore then essential that one picks slowly at the disruption as has been the case so far, and that both are prevented from sudden one complete fixing. Indeed it is a prime example of where it is better to accept disruption that to proudly fix it one must continue to move slowly and this then is our primary duty, and perhabs contrary to that which we once believed

*Underneat the text is a writen key to translating the text from the encrypted version to a readable common version of things*[/indent]

*Storold leans back after having writen the text carefully into his journal. He hums a little bit looking at some papers before he starts writing again*

I am greatly honored with the trust that the system has shown me so far. I never imagined that one could go from being a mere strandbound to tactical leader of something as important as this. I have so far only recieve a few letters from some researches who has traveled there before and who were planning eventual return to the Peaks eventually. However so far I have not recieved word from anyone who wants to go directly to the peaks, and Lucifer seems to be moving slowly as the document translated suggested he should. So this does not burden me much, however it made me the star of the week at the protectors headquarters because I was trusted with this important task...
Anyhow I will keep my eyes and ears on the ground and try to figure out what kind of action the Toranites are planning when they reach the lair of the lich as must I try to get some support from my friends

*Storold sighs a little as he writes this and puts the quill away not really in the mood for writing any more he puts on his armor and heads towards to forest...*

[Pibemanden]

*Storold sighs picking up his journal after getting the children back from Hempstead from a visit to some of their aunts.*

So far my work with getting some more information from the toranites have been useless, they seem oblivious to the concept of mutual sharing of information, hopefully I will be allowed to turn over some rather useless information to them and get the small bits that could prove useful to us. At least they trust me enough to show me the way but beyond that I am on my own it seems.

*Storold looks a little worried around in the study before putting the quill to the paper again*

I guess something fueled my lack of trust of the church again, I have been feeling less and less secure about it after recent events but thankfully Trier was able to convince me that I should seek the answers within the church and not look outside for a way to bring it down. Hopefully my fears are without reason but sadly I do not know for sure and the uncertainty is bothering me a lot.

*Storold sighs heading out into the forest to hunt some deer for the comming days.*

[Pibemanden]

*Storold sits in his Spellgard office replying to some letters from various sources as he comes about a letter in the pile.*

[indent]Storold,

One need never apologize for taking time for one's family.

Thank you for the information on the Dark Peaks. I do have some further information for you. I hope you will find it useful.

Regarding the dark elf Council, I am quite aware of their part in the past and their exploitation of this unique area of our world. Perhaps it is some small consolation for you to know that the threat posed by the Council is no longer an issue. The war that waged silently as a result of their schemes has ended. I would offer you further details, but regrettably, I do not have them myself. It is likely fortunate that confronting them will in all hopes not be a necessity.

I have taken some time to visit and observe the rift in the Dark Peaks.  It is a place of terrible chaos as you know and it was fairly tiring to spend much time in such close examination.  However, I did confirm the state as you have described it.  I hope my observations will be of help to you.

The second, smaller disturbance seems to originate from beneath the old wizard's tower in that area.  Further, it seems to be the result of a spell of some power and most certainly seems to be controlled.  However, as the two have become linked, the resulting rift, as you have observed, is even more unstable as a result.  The best analogy I can give you is what happens to a smooth-flowing stream when it encounters an obstacle.

I regret that I have not been able to observe anything more.  As I said, such close and detailed examination of such a thing is taxing, and I could only spend so much time before I needed to seek rest.  I do strongly agree with the assessment that the two disturbances must be dealt with together, though if I were to start somewhere, I'd seek the origin of this second disturbance.

If I can further assist with this matter, please ask.

In Faith and Magic,
Connor

----------------------
[/indent]

*Storold smiles to himself copying the letter into a journal and places it on a shelf taking out a private journal*

Seems that a little progress have been made in this matter, hopefully this will help the Peaks grow into the normal flow of the Weave again, instead of what they are now. I do not know however where to go from now but I will try to keep informed about the happenings within the Peaks. Hopefully the tower being reffered to in the letter isn't the same one as the one the Toranites are fooling around with. If so Wayfare and the lands around it might be in great danger, as the Toranites have a things for stopping powerful magic and keeping all the power with themselves locked up in some dungeon.

[Pibemanden]

*Storold sits in his Spellgard office humming a bit to himself as he writes in his journal.*

Well I guess the toranites was up to fooling around somehow. And of course they got into bigger trouble than they could handle. They can only be happy that we are watching the Peaks and that Lucifer didn't want them stuck up there. After a long an silly argument I decided to only go with the circle and Sala. I guess that is just a sign of what is in store for me since it seems that my friends aren't to be trusted when I ask for help. Anyhow this was a great succes, that sadly most toranites forget when they go spread the word about their great great deeds, without the lucindites there would have been no toranite heroes left.

[Pibemanden]

*Storold sighs to himself and sets himself down at his Blackford office after a long journey to North Point*

Some of the foul magic of the king Essanraptor has been undone. Some information about the Peaks have been found, but all in all it was a great failure. The people of Beyor Kingdom was saved but what of the Al'Noth? It continues to suffer and our fickle attempt failed. We will need more than old relics and hazy old magic. In the end some great power will be able to break it down and leave the Peaks undefiled, maybe once that the Lady wishes it she will break down this giant king and make sure that something like this will never be allowed to happen again.
The Dark Peaks here on Mistone continues to suffer and not much progress is made there, so far I have been able to keep people away, at least people that I know of. If someone went there without damaging anything and without letting their presence be known to anyone. So I can't complain about that area, only be sorry that things aren't moving faster and the cure isn't found sooner than it will be now.

[Pibemanden]

*Storold sighs to himself and seats himself at his desk in Spellgard taking out a journal writing down the latest developments*

Well all that I have tried to gain is slowly falling appart. All due to a researcher who didn't make the publishing of his works public enough. However now I am left with the choise I made to focus all my life on serving Lucinda. And serve her i did, sadly that ended the lives of too many people in Mariners Hold, but again the Al'Noth flows free in another destination. I haven't felt this since I just started as a protector and cured the area outside Hlint.
However everything you get for doing what you are supposed to is blame for the mistakes of others. I can't do anything to prove that the accusations against me are wrong other than hope that people are reasonable an not as silly as it seems at first. I guess I made my own Leringard but I made it to serve and not because I was foolish enough to follow a betrayer. However it seems that betrayers are judged lighter than the people trying to make a difference instead of sitting in Spellgard doing nothing. I don't know why, but this has certainly sparked my disbelief in the purpose of staying here, hopfully I am wrong but my time here seems to be running short as the political power of the progressive people are running into the hands of stagnant people who do not believe in the constant change of the Al'Noth and the need to actively protect it.

[Pibemanden]

*Storold walks into his Spellgard office and starts packing all books and papers in some bags. After a while all that remains is his journal and a letter. He opens the journal and start to write.*

All my faith in this place is lost. They promised that everything will be worked out, but did it become so? No, they failed their promise and they have shown their arrogance and half bits of informations to my face for the last time. I will go back here once more to hand over the letter to Trier once I have calmed myself enough to look him into the eyes without shouting to his face what kind of lier he was.
All of this have left me with a bad taste in my mouth, I really hope that in time the wounds that this period in my life has brought on my mind and soul will mend and that I once again can lead and show an example to the people. But for now I leave as a broken man, broken by a reality that doesn't leave room for people without razor sharp elbows and lots of political friends.
I know Lucifer, Samantha and all the others will probably be disappointed, but I have simply had enough of this circus. They use all their time on their own plots and forget everything about you once you have sworn to serve. Actually it is best if you just ignore all of it and stay out of their sight unless they summon you for some mission.
And look what happened to Tristan, who can ever trust them to send you anywhere and then not lift a finger when you don't come back. And betrayal, well that is really the trade of the people here, no one really bothers to check up on people so everyone can just do as they please and sooner or later all of the church will be supported by enemies of the faith and then the town will fall yet again.
Pity that a wonderful goddess such as Lucinda will have to live with an organization so rotten to the core but I can only hope for a better future and more people realizing what is wrong with Spellgards way.
For now I have to seek out Tristan and prepare him for serving the Lady to perfection, maybe he will become the person Spellgard need to change, maybe not. For all it is worth I put my trust in him to see what is wrong and get the bad apples out before the whole batch is lost.
I hope that there are other places in search of a mage with fighting skills, not because I don't want to serve the Lady, but because I need something to do rather than sitting idle. I would continue my search to make the Al'Noth less wounded and heal what is needed as is required of my by the promise I made. And I wont throw away my relationship with people like Sala, who deserves all the help they can get and protection from harm in the name of the Lady.

*Storold sighs to himself and closes his journal placing it in his bag as well leaving the letter on the desk as the only bit of paper left, its label reads "For Trier". Storold closes the door and tacks up a notice outside "Not in - Wont be back the next long while"*

[Pibemanden]

*Storold hums to himself and walks back into his office carrying huge stacks of books. After a while of putting stuff on shelves and getting the note on the door down he takes out his journal from a shelf and places a letter in a drawer.*

I am back, I don't know for how long or why really, maybe I just want to believe that my church has turned around. Tristan, Connor and the others still believing well they helped a lot too, Lucifers offer.. Intriguing indeed, and the lecture, I am a little afraid about that.
I am just not sure what kind of change the Lady has in store for me now, maybe for the better maybe for the worse. Only time will tell now...

*Storold closes the book and looks around the office before starting to write some notes for his lecture on a piece of paper humming to himself*

[Pibemanden]

*Storold sits in his office in Spellgard after his lecture has finished.*

Another interesting request from Lucifer has come to me, a membership of the Committee of the Hammer. A committee on the recent fluctations in the hammer of gods spell. I have been asked to take care of the field work, investigating things out there while the others focus on researching in Spellgard.
The committee might not be a huge step but I truely hope that it can achive something great so that we can understand magic better. For now there isn't much to do since I am waiting for some papers from the committee but I am sure that it will keep me rather busy in the coming months.

*Storold smiles to himself and closes his journl taking out his tome to return home*

[Pibemanden]

*Storold walks into the room as the first arrival and starts to organize his papers. After a while the whole committee is gathered. Representatives from both the tower and the temple all of them have brought paper and seems to be interested in the pile of paper Storold has in front of him.*

"Dear colleagues, faithful of Lucinda, mages, priests and sorcerors. I bring to you some collected suggestions for change in the church. Not all of them are my own, that I will admit and not all of them are defined enough to be implemented, but they are ideas."

*Storold slides a paper beneath the pile and start reciting from the top paper*

" The Al'Noth is life, for it is my body and my soul...

Promote The Al'Noth in all its forms and guises, for those who touch The Al'Noth touch upon me...

Channel The Al'Noth for it is my gift to you, use it for your purposes but do not attempt to control the whole, for I am the whole and endless change is my nature. Use me as guide and the path will remain clear...

Use all of my gifts to benefit The Al'Noth, and through it others. The Al'Noth is life and without that we are lost. Share your gifts with others freely, aiding where you can...

Tolerate no harm to come to me or mine, my gifts freely given to those who follow used in defense of my body in The Al'Noth and my Soul in the Coran arta i' Tha vair maen. For as surely as that which takes from life takes from me, that which takes from me takes from life...

These are the words our Lady has blessed us with in the Coran arta i' Tha vair maen, or the guide to the blue Al'Noth path and I believe that we should work towards following them and not so much to make a huge and inefficient hierarchy and too many people looking more out for their rank than the work they should be doing."

*Storold takes a deep breath and looks over the committee*

"Harsh words about our church, however we should not forget the good it has done. We stand victorious after attacks against our Lady, faith and town. We continue to spread the wonder in the world...
But we shouldn't let ourselves sleep while the world passes by. The way of the Al'Noth is the way of change so should the way of our church be. Some parts of the church has almost frozen over, our mage tower has lacked a grandmaster since before I even joined the church...
I do not believe that the highest offices of the church are to be blamed for this, but the middle levels are right now a mess. I believe that with a much simpler system for the church will surely benefit us all. I do not believe that we need as much of a hierarchy as we have now. More we need an administration that lets the people know what the other faithful are doing after they have proven themselves worthy of carrying out the Lady's blessings to the world..."

*Storold starts to flip a few pages looking a little nervous over the committee*

"Now... One of the more interesting ideas I came about on my search for what the more outgoing part of the clergy and arcane users wanted. The arcane users have had a more... Withdrawn role in our church.
They have so far been affirmed into the church showing their true colours to both to us as a church and of course to the Lady we serve. I believe that the best way to continue along our path is to set all users of the Al'Noth who choose to worship Lucinda equal.
I will of course not force anyone into the clergy, or say that the clergy should feel less worth with more people there. But the truth is that the words of our Lady speak about all users of the Al'Noth who will follow her words and do his or her best to ensure that the Al'Noth will forever be seen as good and be used for good ends."

*Storold flips another page looking rather content as he goes on*

"This is of course a rather long term goal, a change in our organization like this will likely need many years to go down. But I am happy that we start to see more who focus both on arcane and divine magic in our clergy. In time I am sure that we will be closer to the words of the Lady than we have ever been, not that we are far from them now. But I believe that we with some adjustments could make things better both for our Lady, the Al'Noth and our church.
One of the other things I would like to bring before the committee is that we should open up our town more to those not of Lucinda, to show the wonders of the Al'Noth to even more people than we do now. I am not saying here that we should explain all our secrets to them or let them know all that the mages, sorcerors and clergy knows. Instead we should give them a taste of what the faith and magic as a whole means to us, maybe more will convert that way, but surely the view on the Al'Noth from the common man might be better with more spreading the Al'Noth with love."

*Storold flips some more pages looking smiling over the committee*

"Now those are all long term goals which I want you to think about when we continue our work. I do not believe that such a change will come in my lifetime, but I can always hope that it does. For now however I will address some things which are important in the times we live in now and some request I would like to make to the temple myself.
First of, we have a big problem on Dregar, a betrayer dwarf who believes that he alone can control the Al'Noth with his mages behind him. This as we all know is of course not true, but sadly it isn't so easy to see for the common man. I do not believe that a confrontation is the way to go with this dwarf, and I would be foolish if I suggested we declared war on him and his blasphemic views. However I do believe that if we strengthen the bond between the citizens of the other kingdoms on Dregar with Rael we could at least hinder that his views will spread across the continent.
I have two suggestions to further our influence on the lands, the first is to allow the shrine I have build to Lucinda in my own house, a little west of Point Dart, but still close enough to the city, to become an official shrine to Lucinda. This will give us a good base in the Boyer Kingdom and with time and dedication we can spread the word to more in that town. Further more I would request that some of the skilled conjurers would help create a portal link from the shrine to Spellgard, just a one way link to our existing portal so that the clergy can make a faster pilgrimage to Spellgard, although they still have to take the far way home.
Another place where we could help is Lor where there are beginning plans of building a new mage tower, we could aid here with spreading the wonder of the Al'Noth to this small state which doesn't approve entirely of Raels views. It is a dangerous place to aid, but it will be worth it I am sure.
If the church decides to aid either of these places I can make arrangements to make it happen, given that I own the house and that I know one of the Diets of Lor. However it must be made clear that the second suggestion doesn't hold any promise of a direct presence of our Lady as of now. However I believe that we could reach some sort of agreement with the Diet about maybe a shrine to our Lady inside the tower in exchange for our help."

*Storold looks down at the last paper in the pile of untouched subjects and smiles to himself*

"Now that was a whole lot of ambitious stuff which may or may not happen right away or which may take a lot of work and heavy decisions to get done. I have one last request which isn't as hard to support I believe as this one. I have recently found myself involved in the construction and running of a mage tower in Hempstead, while we already have a strong presence here on Mistone I would like to ask the church to help this effort. Not with the mind on getting a place for our Lady there, but simply to spread the wonder of magic to the people of Hempstead too. The tower is completely without any religious base or any rules of the use of magic, but I do believe that we can benefit from a few more just hearing the word from people who likes sharing the wonders of our Lady.
With this suggestion I will like to close the meeting and give you a week to get back with your views on my suggestions and suggestions to improve them. I hope that these suggestions have started a process of more suggestions and even better more solutions to the problems we face will be found and applied to the church...

May the Lady bless you all and have a pleasant time with magic till we meet again..."

*Storold packs his papers and shakes the hand of each member of the committee before leaving. Letting them know that the next meeting will be in a week where the suggestions will be treated again plus the suggestions which has been gathered through the week will be presented.*

[Pibemanden]

*Storold sits down in his office frowning to himself as he writes*

So I am creepy, because I have ambitions beyond a bunch of mages who run around saying that we love magic without doing anything about it. I am really offended and saddened by that view, people don't know that love requires dedication...

*Storold just stares blankly at the page for a while then snaps the journal shut and disappears*

[Pibemanden]

*Storold calls for another meeting in the commitee of change after having helped solve the problem of lacking teachers for the final year of the wizard school in Spellgard, and having finished his repport about the anormality in the Rift.*

"My dear friends and collegues I have worked quite hard the past months and haven't have much time to dedicate to the committee work, yet here we are again.
I have only recieved one more suggestion from one of my friends and not much else have been heard the last few months.
However I bring to you now, mostly changes that I will suggest for my own order, but also some other concerns that I have come about on my travels.
First and most dire is it that one of our temples along with the town it was placed in has been razed. This happened while I was researching the anormallity in the Rift. So there were plenty of help to get, although it got a little delayed due to conplications. My suggestion is to relocate the clergy who survived to the shrine in my house which I would gladly donate to the church to maintain our presence on northern Dregar."

*Storold hands out a paper to the other members of the committee*

"Now to turn to a more light subject, a letter from Tristan Demoyer. His suggestions are rather simple so I believe that you should read the letter and consider the points he is making."

*Storold gives the committee time to read the letter before he continue.*

Dear Storold,

As per your request I have put together a collection of thoughts regarding the organization of our beloved church.  I am very happy to see that these thoughts that you have had over the years are finally taking voice, and being heard.  I will try to keep this brief and any further clarifacation can be sought out personally.

1. The heads of the various wards, schools and orders should not be for life.  There should be a constant change in the face of our leadership.  This is the true nature of the Al'Noth, and I believe it is what Lucinda would want.

2. There should be less co-mingling in the upper echelons between the affirmed of Lucinda and her priesthood.  The priesthood is concerned with the divine, miraculous, and mysterious facets of the Al'Noth and as such our wisdom picks up where the knowledge of the Affirmed leaves off.  There should obviously still be communication, but perhaps on matters of church policy the priesthood could take firmer stances.

3. On a missionary level, obviously our nightwoven will determine what is of prime importance to each ward, but I feel that the Protectors should play a bigger role in executing our church's missions.  We are the errants, along with the dawnwoven, and are perhaps best equipped for the challenges and dangers of the wide world.  That being said, I believe all missions should try to include at least one protector, one priest, and one affirmed, forming a cadre that, if need be can be supported by other lay followers of Lucinda.

These are all the matters that concern me mostly.  As I said if you need clarification, then please contact me by whichever means is expedient.

Your in the service of Lucinda,

Tristan DeMoyer, Protector of the Al'Noth, Chapter of Change

"The first suggestion is rather interesting. I am not even sure that the current situation is so it would be interesting to make it so that people can be put out of office for good reasons. Like someone being able to do their job better.
However we should not let the problem that he addresses in the second part influence this. As I said before the fear of beuracracy and even more favoritism amoung the politicians here in Spellgard is still high amoung our traveling clergy. Some are aware of the oppotunity but doesn't really care because they are more bound to worship than the heiracy here at Spellgard.
What I want first and foremost is a strong and flexible administration who can guide the clergy to carry out the word of our Lady in the world. I know that many might want less control from above, but I believe that it will help us stand out stronger than our enemies and those who seek to harm us. If it weren't for our strong network of the Cerlyn Wethrina we would not know about many of the dangers which may have broken us. If it weren't for the strength of the few protectors and the others who seek to defend the Al'Noth with sword in hand Spellgard would have fallen during the trouble with Aeridin."

*Storold clears his throat and looks through some papers next to where he is sitting a short while*

"That asside his last suggestion links heavily with the chapter of the church I am part of, the protectors of the Al'Noth. We are as it is now part of the church for the reason of protecting the priest and mages when they are out and about. But we don't have an active role in the church besides that. I believe like Tristan that we should think about making the use of the protectors more than that so that we can all benifit from a larger base of followers who spread the word.
However, we cannot remove the protects of the Al'Noth from their objective of protecting the Al'Noth, the town and the people. And as such I have a proposal to make which shouldn't alter the role of the Protectors too much, however I would like to still have Tristans third proposal in mind for later meetings.
The Runic blade was all destroyed back when Pranzt fell to the deep dwarven Al'Noth hater. This was a very strong chapter of our church which helped out in a great deal of things but sadly they are no more. Their skill in the Al'Noth shouldn't be forgotten though. They had the powers to use the Al'Noth to enhance their weapons on the battlefield. A skill I believe that the protectors of the Al'Noth should adopt amoung their ranks. That be it all the weapons which our Lady favors of course. Maybe we should even allow some of the members of the chapter of destruction to focus their powers on imbueing arrows so that they can combine a deadly bow with the powers they already weild in the Al'Noth.
It would be very interesting if we could make this idea come true and by that maybe also open up the Protectors for those less inclined to magic but more to the combat side of it. They could focus less on the spells and more on the skills they could use to make their weapons stronger. I don't know if this idea will be approved by the temple management, but I believe that it is a good idea to try it out with them."

*Storold starts a discussion with the others and makes some closing remarks in the end of the meeting. After that he uses his tome to teleport home to Clover who has prepared dinner for the two of them.*

[Pibemanden]

*Storold sighs to himself opening his journal in a private moment in Amandas house in Haven*

So much time has passed since I have writen here, and I feel more frustrated and angry than ever. The hearing was one long joke and display of who are the priviliged and who aren't in Spellgard. Demisra, never have I met a woman so bound to her own beliefs and only her own. Instead of taking my perspective she just sat there and kept telling me that I should improve, after all that I have done for them she dares doing that. The possition I hold in the church now is a joke and everyone knows it, the joke is on me, so I hope they are having a laugh.
Acacea, I can't even begin to describe with words who much that stupid halfling disgusts me, she has everything so why not just point that out to everyone and also to the ones who has never been given anything but empty promises. Who was it that stood up for their orders when the tear were to be returned, and who was it that reported about the Cult long before they even cared.. Fools, that is what they are, every single one of them.
But I will let them rule for now, let them make their mistakes and laugh behind their backs, I have lost all my respect for them after what they put me through and even more as the experience gets further and further behind me. Some day I will be the one standing in Spellgard holding a hearing against Demisra and her puppets, but for now it will just be me speaking against the wind of fools who live there trying to make them understand the great error of their ways.

[Pibemanden]

*Storold takes his journal out of his drawer in Spellgard and blows the dust off its cover*

It has been a while since I have looked into this.. Partly I have been busy doing other things... And partly I have been wanting to forget.

But how can I ever forget the things written here, the things that happened in Spellgard, their words about me.. The grumbling in the corners back in the day.. The grumblings hiden from me now.. The meetings, the anger, all of it.

I am a lucindite of heart, but my mind roams more free, as the mage I started out as back before Blood, before all of it... My ambitions of power to oppose my enemies and make sure that justice was done to all.. Did that help me? Did that help anyone?

I am getting too tired of wandering the world looking for adventure, I have seen it all, been beyond our world several times. I have seen horror and beauty, but I never really saw myself in any of it... I have done good things and horrible things...

Killed thousands, saved a few... Gained faith, lost favor, gained favor... Then lost the favor of everyone who could ever help me do anything but survive with a bit of my humanity left... I feel complete as a man, but scattered as a mage and champion of my faith...

I have a wife, I have children, I have lost both once and fought to regain some of it... I guess that is what keeps me going, family... Friends as well, I still have the pleasure of seeing a few of the old faces from the times long lost now and again...

That is what keeps me going now... Through the endless waiting in Spellgard, walking through snow and marshes looking for small disturbances that the rapier can mend... I am a tool of the Lady, but not of her people...

They will never accept what I have become, and I don't blame them... We hold no feelings for eachother... Passion, hate or anger... It all doesn't matter anymore, they are there and I am here... Stalemate, they can't get rid of me and I can't get rid of them...

I still don't know why they didn't just claim the artefact and gave it to someone else... Why was I chosen for this, why do they keep me around and what does this prove...

*Storold sighs to himself and stares out the window for a long while before turning back to the journal with a little smile*

Connor joined the Reaching, I see this as a fitting step for him.. He has done a lot and with his latest deed I have trouble seeing why he shouldn't be part of the Reaching... Demisa welcomed him, in an event that Sala and myself feared would be another trial showcasing the relationship between Spellgard and the people who spend their time outside town...

I am glad on his behalf, and I can only imagine the great things he will do for both the people of the Reaching and the Lady herself from where he is now... His powers aren't much unlike the ones people ascribe to me, generated my an outside influence...

Is that all we can ever dream of? Merging with an artefact to further our power? Is there no way to hold the power to do great things within yourself and use it at will?

I feel useless from time to time.. Then another person walks up and tells me of somewhere where the Al'Noth is hurting and off I go... Out of Spellgard and into the world...

I guess being human holds the disadvantage of never seeing further than the next year, the next month and the next week.. I can't imagine my life ten years into the future... Nor could I imagine what drove me ten years into the past...

As for what drives me now, two ladies and a wish that some day I can redeem myself... But as time goes by now, I doubt more and more that it will ever happen...

Amanda seems determined to find a way to prolong my life.. But which life... I am not really sure what to tell her if she succesfully creates the potion.. It is a worthwhile course for her, but I am not sure she understands the workings of the human mind... There is a reason why it is the elves and not the humans who live for centuries..

*Storold sighs quietly to himself watching the page for a while*

I want to stay here with Amanda.. But I am not sure I am ready to pay the price for staying... I will wait for her word on what the cure might be and decide then...

[Pibemanden]

After Amandas death, I have not really felt any connection to the church or the society I live in. My friends are all but retired and the people I see from day to day are busy with their own projects.

My own project lies scattered as Demisa and Jimman raised their armies to fight for the enemy of the Lady, the false god Toran. Hopefully they got what they wanted, I on the other hand are none the wiser. The church moves along its own path and so do I. Floating further and further appart with each passing day.

My connection with the Lady is strong as ever through all of this, so I figure that she either embraces the disharmony this break has lead to, or that she sees all as followers of her faith, organized or not.

I still hope that with the passing of years Spellgards power will either deminish or change hands so that I can again join forces with the majority of Lucindas followers. As it is now I only have a connection to priestess Sala, who follows me more than she will ever follow the word of Spellgard. Simply because I showed her what togetherness in faith meant, while Spellgard have only taught division.

I did end up traveling to Kuhl, how odd that it might seem. But this was solely to serve Lucinda and gather as much intelligence as possible. That my path intersected with what the church needed was more a coincidence than something set in stone. Afterall the ranks of those I care for besides my family have been greatly reduced after the death of Samantha. One of the only people who felt the connection to Spellgard strongly and didn't annoy me without end.

I am bitter about the outcome of this, and I do not believe that without a very strong apology from Demisa, or a resignation, will I ever be able to accept her as the leader of the church here on Layonara. Which leaves me without purpose other than carrying the rapier given to me so long ago.

Maybe if my words about the church strikes the right ears there might be a following of Lucinda forming outside the bounds of the church. Outside their wrong ways and untainted by the wrongs of the past. Untill that happens I remain without a purpose beyond serving the Lady, as there are no one with a connection to the church, except Sala, who are worth helping out.