Journal of Rodlin Serim

[twidget658]

*Lifting the bow in his left hand and marveling at it's simplicity and it's power*

This simple piece of wood with a taught string attached, that I have made with my own hands, is the difference between life and death. My arrows are straight and sharp. My aim is improving. This simple weapon protects my companions and me. Ultimately, it will be used to destroy evil.

*Lowers the faithful bow to his side and ensures that his quiver is full*

*Lowers head in prayer*

I pray that you, the Prince of Wolves, will continue to aid me in my crafting skills and blesses every weapon that I make and wield. May the weapons that you provide me be used to protect your nature; your animals that aid me, feed me, and cloth me; your forest that shelters me; and the companions that journey with me. I will walk in the path that you lay down for me. May it serve your purpose; I am your servant for your cause.

*Raises head with a lightened heart*

I am but a single elf of low significance at this point of my new life. In order for me to be able to help the land and to better destroy evil, I need to find a way to improve myself. A way to improve my abilities and hone my archery skills.

Adventuring has taught me so much since I have left Voltrex. I have met some humans that are tolerable and that have taken me in. They are different from the stories that I have heard about humans. However, the arrogance part is true. I will protect my new companions faithfully and will accompany them wherever they go. Will they be my new family? We will have to wait and see.

*Thinking about his companions Yar, Kavil, Esimon, Rawkwin, Emerald, and Dorax*

[twidget658]

*rips the page out*

[twidget658]

*Recalling what was witnessed at the Gnoll Watch Tower, the Sword Rust Mountains, and the headquarters of the Gnoll's Viper clan*

I have seen the powers of the arcane archer. The power was displayed by Talan, who I have not directly talked to yet. I had the pleasure of shooting my bow in battle at his side. His accuracy was stunning; his strikes were hard; the amount of wood delivered to the bodies of the enemy was incredible. I feel that Talan is the source of the wisdom and knowledge that I seek to become such an archer.

[twidget658]

*A sigh of success*

I did it! I finally improved my wood crafting enough to make my first oak bow and bow of the hunter. Grandpa would be so proud. I shall send him a message.

*Thinks about Darthoriadin for a moment*

*Sighs and continues to write*

This is the first step of improvement that I need to help the cause of my companions, the others against evil, and me. I still have not talked with the one named Talan. I will continue to seek him out and spend time with him to gain knowledge about the advanced uses of the bow.

I have adventured almost everywhere on Mistone. This land is no longer foreign to me. My companions, even though are mostly humans, have been of great aid and comfort. They have accepted me as much as I have accepted them. We do have our differences and at times, these differences get in the way. But, we have managed to work through them and have become a strong party. Our skills compliment each other’s, even in our crafting. It has started to take the form of a family instead of just an adventuring group.

There are others who have supported our growth. The one that has done the most for us is Tomas Vambrace, a fighter and healer. Come to find out, he is also one of our neighbors. He proves to be an extreme asset to our party and I enjoy traveling with him. He has great knowledge in combat and a level head. I look forward to fighting next to his side again.

*Closes journal. Thinks about what the future may hold. Dozes off to sending impressive volleys of arrows at the evil ones and adventuring with his ‘friends’. *

[twidget658]

The other day I was running through the Krandor outskirts when all of a sudden *ka thunk* right into the chest of an ogre. What in the heck is an ogre doing in the middle of the road? Luckily I had m bow in hand, and after a little dancing, the ogre was down. However, he had companions; a lot more than usual. Knowing that I was outnumbered, I ran towards Fort Hope in search of my companions, Yar, Rawkwin, Esimon, Emerald, and Kavil. As I entered in to the Broken Forest, there they were, with the exception of Esimon. Who entered the forest right behind me.

Bleeding and battered, Esimon started telling us in short choppy sentences how an ogre mage held him down and stood on his chest. The mage wanted to know spells. Esimon was his means of getting them. So we headed to our house in Fort Hope.

After a bit of rest, Esimon started telling the story of how the ogres over powered him and held him against the ground. The ogres had a mage that wanted Esimon to teach him spells. Esimon taught them some spells to gain his liberty. We determined that if they were going to mess with one of our party, they would have to deal with us all.

We headed to Port Hampshire so Emerald could get a certain sword from the bank. As we started to leave through the gates, Annun showed up covered in blood. She was tired from battle and running. She commenced telling us about the fort that the ogres constructed in the outskirts of Krandor. There were numerous ogres holding the fort. Between Esimon’s story and Annun’s, we knew we had to act quickly to prevent the spread of the knowledge that Esimon gave unwillingly.

We decided to dispatch someone with the news to the authorities. To parallel the delivery of the report, we headed to the ogre fort to try and eliminate the threat.

As we approached the outskirts of Krandor, we noticed a large number of ogres. We started fighting out way through until we reached the fort. We took out the garrison and made our way inside. Annun found some papers an d other items generated by the ogres. The papers contained the spells that the collected from Esimon. Once all the ogres were terminated, Kavil sent in some fireballs to destroy the fort. All was peaceful once again.

As all this was happening, I realized the power of magic. I look back to when I first met Esimon. A leaf could and would knock him to the ground. But as he grew in experience with his magic, his endurance grew as well. His magic became more powerful and better controlled. He became wiser and more stead fast. So I thought, with the power of magic combined with the authority of the bow, what a powerful weapon that would be against evil. I need to learn the ways of the wizard to add the influence of magic to the ability of the bow. I shall seek this wisdom from Esimon.

[twidget658]

* Sits on the ground under a massive oak and leans back against it*

     The day started uneventful. I was running around collecting some tin and copper for a little crafting. I received a message from Aralin that he had a weapon ready that I had requested. So, seeing how the crafting was starting to get a bit dull, I decided to meet Aralin at his house in Fort Hope.

* Glances up at the boughs of the tree to notice a squirrel leaping from branch to branch*

     As I arrived, Aralin was in company with Talan. Aralin invited me in to conduct business. As I entered the house, I noticed a horseman arriving carrying large flag. We exited the house and Talan informed us that Leilon was under attack by pirates. Without delay, Aralin, Talan, and I set out towards Leilon to thwart the attack.

* Pauses to inhale the wind that is starting to pick up*

   As we arrived in Leilon, we were met with 20-30 pirates; and they were not all still living. They rushed us from alleyways. After a fierce battle, we all still stood. The blood was running and the breaths were short. But the first barrage was eradicated.

   Shortly after the end of the battle, our reinforcements arrived. Some faces were new to me, others I have met in previous events. *Trying to recall some of the names that were spoken, Plen, Bris, Gul, Cole…and thinking that the names were not fully spoken* We joined forces and headed into the docks. The pirates there were barricaded in. After some scouting and deliberating, we decided to attack and get it over with. We were successful in defeating the pirates and destroying the barricades.

    As the last pirate fell on the pier, we approached one of the pirate’s vessels. We spoke to different pirates to try and gain some information. However, these pirates were prone to fighting, not talking. They all were put to rest.

     Reading over the ship’s logs and reviewing the charts, it was apparent that the ship sailed too near to the Forsaken Isle. There was a seer onboard who was a follower of Mist that tried to get the crew to convert. The once that resisted were turned to ‘killed’, but still were walking.

     The body of the seer was not onboard. It was decided to check the Temple of Mist to try and locate the seer. She was found. The seer was a true follower of Mist and the Healer in the temple would not reason with us about turning the seer over. Seeing how the seer had neither crew nor ship, it was determined that she was no threat and was under the protection of the temple.

     Afterwards, while we were milling about, I ask Talan about the bow that he wields. I noticed that his arrows struck very hard and caused colossal damage. He presented his bow *Wow, Talan’s bow* for me to look at and examine. I have not seen this type of bow before. It had a string that was wrapped around some wheels at the end. I recognized the wood as being mahogany; great wood for a bow. Once again, I got to fight next to the master archer, Talan.

* Glances at the bow laying on the grass by his side*

Some day.

* Stands, grabs the bow, and continues to patrol the forest*

[twidget658]

*Scribbles some notes onto some loose papers from his pack on the lone walk back to Fort Hope from Fort Velensk’s Docks*

   Rawkwin was a target of a crime this day. While he was trying to conduct business with Kobal at the bank in Fort Llast, a rogue snuck in and lifted the property that was going to be sold. An emerald! Rawkwin sent messages to Esimon, Emerald, and me to help with the tracking and recovery of the stolen gem.

*Stops for a second to clear the swamp mud from the bottom of his boots*

    As I caught up to Rawkwin, Kobal was already on the trail of the thief. The tracks were pretty easy to detect due to the walking characteristics of the thief. We tracked him to the Faraway Forest, known to the people on Mistone as the Broken Forest, and was trying to determine which direction he went. A horse and cart entered the forest from the North and proceeded to the South to Fort Hope. He did not stop for us for long in the forest so we followed him to the pawnshop in Fort Hope.

*Leans against an ant mound to take a drink of water*

    Some in the party, specifically Aralin, accused the merchant and the pawnshop owner of hiding information. And even charged them with possibly taking and dealing the stolen good. Needless to say, we had very little cooperation with them after that. Emerald tried to ‘convince’ the driver of the cart to tell her what he knew about the event. It did not work. Found out later that he did not know anything anyway. Well, everyone went into the inn and Emerald and me stayed with the pawnshop owner. I tried to make amends for the unjust accusations. He started telling of that he did see a guy run through to the South that looked like he was running from someone or something. He also stated that the guy looked nervous and even ran with a limp. We knew that was our guy.

*Calls Baloo to his side while to fight off any straggling griffons in the area*

    I told Emerald to inform the others and that I was going to get on the trail. We tracked and followed the trail to Fort Velensk. As we search around the town, I wondered down to the docks. *Baloo targets and takes care of a single griffon as I keep writing* To my surprise, there was a pirate ship there and the crew was on the pier. I let the others know about the ship and we approached. We notice a guy matching the description from the pawnshop owner onboard talking to the pirate captain. We tried to negotiate for the thief, but the pirates would not budge. So we had to budge them forcibly.

*Checks the griffon for loot*

*Rubs Baloo’s head and awards him with a piece of freshly made jerky*

    As we tried to apprehend the rogue, he tries to escape over the railing. He slips, falls and knocks himself senseless. Rawkwin searches the unconscious rogue and finds the gem and a note. The note mentioned something about his sister being taken. We revive the thief and start to interrogate the reason for his conduct. He tells us about the people of his village being taken and that his sister was one of them. He took the gem to try and offer someone the gem to be able to get her back. We offer our assistance and he gladly accepts. The gem recovered and a assignment taken. We need to find out why these people are being taken, where they have gone and can we recover his sister?

*Arrives at the house in Fort Hope for a much needed rest*

*Puts the papers in the chest at the head of his bedroll and doses off to sleep*

[twidget658]

*Lays down on the bedroll in his room of the house*

This seems like a good time to reminisce a little about what I have done when I started here on Mistone; before I started the journal of my experiences and thoughts. I can’t recall the order, but I definitely remember the taskings.

When I arrived at Hlint, it was a very friendly place. It was new and I knew nothing about it. That is when I met Rawkwin, Yar, Esimon, and Kavil. Together, we decided we were going to make a name for ourselves. So, as a group, we started helping the local town folks with their problems.

The local undertaker, Erag, was having problems with a dark soul in the town’s crypt. We encountered many skeletons, zombies and ghouls on the way to the creature. Finally, atop a flight of stairs presiding over a ghoulish horde we saw the dark soul. The dark soul was quite the challenge but we conquered the creature and gathered the essence. As we presented the essence to Erag, he seemed impressed and very grateful.

*Takes a moment to reflect on how tough the beginning was. *

The knuckles that we had found in the crypts were of great use as well. Come to find out, Jasmine the Swamp Witch in the High Moors was always looking for some. We ventured into the High Moors and met some resistance with the lizardmen. They were tough, but we were triumphant. We delivered 20 knuckles to Jasmine. She was not a pleasant sight, but the reward was good. Also, the satisfaction that we have completed another mission was a reward in itself.

Another small tasking that we undertook was helping Florah the Tax Collector. The Ratman of Hlint had somehow stolen the tax records for the town and taken them deep into the sewers. As the pride of the group increased, we gladly accepted the expedition and told her we would get them back for her. Rats were everywhere, threatening to overwhelm us with their sheer number. Spiders were there working on conjunction with the rats. This is when I learned how much I hate spiders. We finally located the Ratman and put him to rest for his deeds. Since negotiations were not an option. We retrieved the records and delivered them to Florah. She was very glad to have them back. And the secrets that were there as well.

Quartermaster Talon was having some problems with the goblin scouts in the Goblin Wasteland. He requested that we bring him five ears from these scouts. That was not that hard of a job, but the goblins shot arrows at us. We managed to neutralize them and collect the ears. Another satisfied customer Quartermaster Talon was for the services of our group.

Then there is Ronus the Wagon Master. Poor dwarf was attacked by goblins and robbed. We were determined to help him and revenge the attack. The quest took us deep into the goblin mines of the wastelands. Lots of goblins were just as determined to prevent us from completing our tasking. But, through perseverance and sheer will power, we came through. We emerged from the underground with the head of the goblin leader. As we gave Ronus the head, he granted each of us a pair of boots, which makes it more difficult for our enemies to hit us.

This seems to be a good spot to stop for now. The battles of the day are exhausting and the sun will be up soon.

*Closes the journal and shortly afterwards, doses off*

[twidget658]

We really stepped in it this time.

There were several of us down collecting silver when the Blue Dragon showed up. Yzyartkadrania apparently thinks that the silver is hers and she accused us of stealing it from her. She was going to torch us all if she didn’t get someone to be a sacrifice for the group. I looked around and decided that I was the most expendable and turned myself over to her. I feel that the lives of my friends are more valuable than my own, so it was not that difficult of a decision to make.

A deal was struck, I would be her offering to Fisterion and the lives of my companions would be spared. The Blue Dragon released me form her clutches and effectively put me in the Great Red’s. I will travel to Firesteep to fulfill my contract with the Lord of Dragons… [to be continued]

[twidget658]

Well, I met the Great Red and turned myself over to him...at first.

Things have changed. I could not and did not perform the first two commands given to me (first-sign a contract in blood; second-to burn the flag of the Longstrider) so the Lord of Dragons had to up the stakes. He gave me three ultimatums:
-   Shed my blood on the altar of Pyrtechon and kill the healer of the Temple of Folian S’pae
-   Find someone that will take my place as a servant to Fisterion
-   Find a worthy offering to fulfill our contract

… [to be continued]

[twidget658]

I have decided to travel to the Forest of Mist to the Temple of Folian S'pae and pray on the issues at hand. I will pray for enlightenment and the next steps that I should take to appease Fisterion and more importantly, his father Pyrtechon.

I am hoping the answer is to find a worthy offering that will satisfy them. This is the least evil of the ultimatums. Then, I will seek the offering and present it to Fisterion … [to be continued]

[twidget658]

Riley, Esimon, Kavil, and Annun, and I went to the temple of the Longstrider to see what needs to be done. It appears that The Prince of Wolves is one of Pyrtechon’s targets. It is basically, the same thing that happened to Shindaleria. Carocsa was killed and Mist gained the upper hand. Shindaleria lost significant power and the sea elves could not stay in the seas.

Now Folian S’pae is at great risk. It was tasked for me to kill the healer at the temple of Folian. If that event had tookeb place, a follower of Folian killing the healer of the temple, the faith in the god would take a devastating hit and other followers would almost certainly disband and there would be very few, if any, new followers. The strength of the Longstrider would quickly fade.

The decision to unite the gods against Prytechon was made. We will be seeking the high priests and followers of allied gods to be communicators to their gods to join forces with Folian S’pae. Also, the high priests and followers for gods that are Pyrtechon’s enemies are sought as well.

The threat: Prytechon will just go after the next god if the Longstrider becomes too difficult to get. He will attempt to pick them off one by one. The gods must join forces to suppress the Raging One… [to be continued]

[twidget658]

*As he searches through his pack for some food, he stumples across his journal*

*as if he has forgotten the book* Oh, my journal. *Takes it from the pack, blows the dust and lint from it and opens it to the last enrty*

*Finds a writing utensil from the bottom of his pack and adds another entry*

My decision to learn the ways of the Arcane Archer has changed. My path is for a ranger. My sword skills are to remain sharp and well as my archery. My talents and skills as a ranger will aid The Prince more if I do not split my focus.

*Shuts the book and places it back into the pack, grabs some catfish for a snack, on goes on about his business watching nature*

[twidget658]

*Takes the journal from his pack. He finds a comfortable overlook of the forest below.*

This is too big. Fisterion and Pyrtechon are too far beyond my companions and I. The god’s will not unite, I am sure of it. That is not the way to go. I will elicit help from the wisest that I can find.

*Closes the journal and puts away in the pack. He sets and looks across the forest as he knows that the Green Ranger is about. Rod thinks that the draftsman of the temple will be the one to help. He then leans against a tree and douses off with the breeze across his face.*

[twidget658]

*Takes the journal from his pack. He sets next to the brook listening to the water trickling over the rocks*

I have spoken to Enzo Reynolt, the Green Ranger. He is now aware of the dangers facing the Longstrider.

I have also spoken to the King of Dregar. Thordan Ironheart was definitely a blessing, as we just happened to meet. His insight and relations with the king were most beneficial to find a resolution to all of this.

Also, the Druid of Mistone would be the next one to seek aid and advice from. I have dispatched, to Enzo and Rhizome, white doves, a symbol of the peace to come from their aid, to set up a necessary meeting with them. Folian is lucky to have such devoted followers.

*Closes the journal and puts it away in the pack. He stretches out on the soft grass next to the brook and falls asleep to the sounds of the water.*

[twidget658]

*With his fishing line in the water, he takes the journal from his pack. He sets on the bank of the lake waiting for the next catch.*

The Vahkar is an active guild. We have a sound set of goals and the need is just.

The temple of the Prince of Wolves is too valuable of a commodity for people not to be able to visit. The guild has decided to negotiate with the Satyrs, that guard the entrance to the temple, so visitors will be able to pass and worship without worries.

The Great Library proved to be vital to learn about the fauns. They are fond of their ale, food, women and playing pranks. This will be an interesting adventure.

With pies, ales, and music we confronted the Satyrs. We spoke with the leader to negotiate some type of deal for his people to let the followers of Folian to pass with little challenge to be able to worship. He is open for suggestions, but first, he must gain trust in us.

*Closes the journal and puts it away in the pack just in time for the line to go taut. As the fish is landed, a quick thanks to Folian breaks through his lips.*

[twidget658]

*As he is headed for the temple of the Prince of Wolves, Rodlin digs the journal from his pack and writes a quick note*

The two state of affairs that I am involved with are some how merging. One situation is starting to influence the other. The deal with the satyrs and the time at the temple along with the ‘hit’ made from Fisterion (not to mention the spy) has caused some strife with the healer; rightly so.

Is the healer who we think he is?

I am going to check into this. I have to employ my skills to aid Folian and try to return to a fraction of what he given me.

Enzo is concerned about the temple and is afraid the maybe it is a mistake, mainly because of situations not in his control. It is not a mistake! It is being targeted because it is ‘right.’ I am also to aid Enzo in whatever he needs.

*Before ducking into the shadows to get around the giants, he quickly returns the journal to his pack*

[twidget658]

*As he sits at the campfire east of Vale, he pulls out the journal that he has been trying to maintain*

*laughs* You are the most neglected item in my pack. *then starts to write*

Eliniawith has returned to his rightful place at the temple. However, there have been some conflicts. Brisbane and Enzo has been at each others throats ever since the spying ranger was flushed from her hiding spot. Brisbane believes the spy and Enzo believes Eliniawith. I sort of believe them both and stepping back and looking at the huge scheme of things, neither of their stories is complete. But looking at the outside factors, they may be working for each other for good and to the benefit of all. Therefore, their stories will mesh when put together.

The Vahkar did it! I can’t believe we pulled it off. Even though the Fauns would not trust us or want to work together, we persevered, excelled, and accomplished our mission. There is now easier access to the temple and we do not have to mess with the pranky, pie eating, ale drinking, non-trusting, singing fauns. And their legs look funny too. *smiles at himself because they no longer matter to him* We are very fortunate that Enzo joined us on this endeavor. His participation and insight was invaluable and we probably won’t have been able to pull it off without him.

This is our first success as a new guild. We have some great things planned and I can only hope that these result in successes as well.

*As he puts the journal away a final smile crosses his face feeling good about the accomplishments of the Vahkar and how we worked as a team and succeeded as a team*

[twidget658]

*He staggers to a soft spot in the grass to land*

*Memories and horrors rushing through his head he pulls the journal from his pack to put them into writing before they are either forgotten or diminished to a point to where they are seem trivial*

*In a shaking hand he write:*

Bad! The deaths were quick and the track was long. A group of us went to the Mosscrypts for some answers. *Shakes his head subtly* We were not fully prepared for what we encountered. Even Thordan and Enzo lay dead. Next to them was Kavil and Esimon. Dorax and I fell a short time before that but was return to the world of the living. *Squints his eyes from the headache caused by the memories* It is hard to write what I truly experienced. It was just simply terrible.

Yashilla continued down into the crypts. She is not the one that I would put any trust in. I have seen her kill an innocent girl a long time ago. I was not here long and was still learning when some people were trying to get the dragons united. There was this girl names Carocsa. I am not certain of her role, but she was very important for Shindaleria. Yashilla, being a follower of Mist, killed her. Right in front of me. I couldn’t believe that she did it. That image will never escape me. As we left that cave and walked the trail along the water and through the water, it dawned on me what had happened. Shindaleria was weakened and Mist was strengthened. The sea elves started leaving the waters unable to return. *then remembers the shark lord and just shakes his head again*

*Getting back to his previous point*

Yashilla told me to stay back. So I did, for a while. She was gone for a stint of time and I thought that she may need some aid. So I went after her. I found her! She was kneeling speaking with someone or something. As she stood and walked towards me, she said we all owed her for our lives. On our way up, we grabbed the bodies of the others to take them out with us. There was no way we could leave them down in that horrid place, especially the honored, Master Thordan. *rubs his lower back and shoulders that were aching from the stress of hauling him out* We stood on some stairs as Yashilla attempted us to pledge or agree to be indebted to her ‘deity’. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Not again! There was absolutely no way I was going too. I would have rather died. I walked past Yashilla and went through the door. We were met with death again. This time, I woke from unconsciousness. I met up with…*fails to recall her name maybe Jilseponie *…and we went back down the stairs. That is when I realized that when the whole party came into the crypt, there were no stairs. So we made our way to the entrance to the crypts and headed out. Everyone was dead except for the two of us. Ha…no vows to another diety.

*As he gathers some strength, he tucks his journal away and crawls over to a tree, props himself against it and falls into a deep, rehabilitating sleep*

[twidget658]

*Rodlin, as he sets in the forest on a bed of moss, he pulls from his pack, his journal*

*He vividly recalls the moments leading up to, during, and after Yar’s death and tries to put them into words*

As we cross through Deadman’s Pass after a good run on gold and minerals, Yar was having difficulty getting through the pass. I yell down to Yar, “You coming?” “Stop fooling around and get up here.”

Kavil climbed back down to see if he could assist Yar. As Kavil and Yar appeared at the summit, I asked Kavil, “You give him a boost?” Kavil grinned and replied, “Of course.”

We approached the area where the bugbears like to stay and I reminded the small group of the bugbears and we rested.

We started to plan our attack. Timothy started by saying that we should start left and work our way up the hill. I jokingly asked, “One or two at a time or rush them?” Kavil responded, “Eh...one or two is better, I think.” Timothy agreed with Kavil. Yar, being the paladin, requested, “One or two, please.” Still in the high spirits and having the feeling that everything is under control, Kavil said, “Have to keep the paladin alive.” I agreed and slightly chuckled. And naturally, Yar liked the plan of keeping the paladin alive Timothy asked everyone in the group if we were ready. After all acknowledgements were in, we started the battle.

The first battle at the bottom of the hill was mostly uneventful. All went well and our group took little damage. We started up the hill…

*Recalls what happened*

Yar and I were up front with Timothy and Kavil close behind.

*Starts having some flashbacks. The writing stops for a moment and a sense of fear washes over him again. The feeling of despair and agony floods his soul anew. Then he starts to write again in a shaking hand. *

For some reason, that we have not yet determined, the entire group of bugbears started charging. They headed straight for Yar. Yar was in a fierce battle, but was holding his own for only a few moments. There were too many and their attacks too numerous. Through the axes flying and the sounds of the battle, I noticed Yar was severely damaged. He was bleeding profusely and was starting to tire. Finally, he fell.

*Loses a little more control of himself at the image of seeing Yar fall. He starts to shake more. *

I tried to get to him before his unconsciousness slipped to death. There were too many bugbears blocking me from him. They wanted me not to succeed in healing him. The strikes to me were no longer felt as I was struggling to get to Yar.

All went dark.

However, I started slipping in and out of consciousness.

I looked over to where Yar was lying. Not more than a couple of meters from me.

All was quiet, the breeze was slight. The battle was over.

My vision was blurry and filled with blood. I could not tell where my other companions were.

My breathing was shallow and labored.

I happened to see the ‘Harvester of Souls’ reach down and touch the chest of Yar, then bow slightly towards the Soul Mother.

Over the silence I heard the ‘Harvester of Souls’ say to the Soul Mother, “Here is a soul that is weak and no longer of this plane, may he serve you well.”

I could see the Soul Mother’s face as she slightly smiled. She bent forward and removed the soul from his chest.

My bleeding stopped and I gathered myself to make my way to the remnants of Yar. It was not Yar. It was only the vessel that carried Yar’s soul. He left with the Soul Mother. I pushed myself up into a kneeling position and prayed over his body. I saw Timothy doing the same.

Timothy warned, “We better keep our prayers short.  The bugbears will want to send us with him.” Kavil sighed, nodded.

I heard the words but could not move. I felt frozen. Kavil yelled back to me.

I stood and gave my friend a final, simple farewell, “Goodbye, friend.” I have never called anyone, “friend,” other than the one that left me when I was so young. The one that I was with everyday during my childhood. The one that left me by dying, as well.

Then I could hear Yar speak. I did not hear it with my ears, it was heard with my soul.
“Safe  - They are safe.  Now I can go.  I'm so tired.”

I left the area to catch up with my companions.

Astonishment and shock just rippled through my body. I noticed Kavil was leaning back against the cliff, staring up into the rain, unseeing. Timothy suggested that we go to the temple of Toran, that we report the news to his brothers.

We started to reminisce about meeting Yar for the first time. He had many seasons on him when we first arrived here. He was our mentor. He was our ‘Hero.’ He will be missed.

*He closes the book*

*He weeps*