The World of Layonara
Character Development => Development Journals and Discussion => Topic started by: ChrisP on November 01, 2011, 09:34:04 PM
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I have recently discovered that the world loves irony. Not long ago I completed my clerical training at Toran's temple in Fort Llast and made my final vows to The Great Leader. When a detachment from The Order of the Shining Hand set forth I asked to travel with them until I found the place where I felt called to begin my holy work. When we arrived in Center, I looked around at the few permanent buildings and the many tents, I saw a place filled with everyday folk that could use a hand in rising up and making more of their homes, building a stronger community. So, I bid farewell to the others as they road away and I set up a tent at the edge of town. Before I even had a chance to meet many of the residents, I had the blessing of making the acquaintance of one of Toran's great leaders, Daniella Stormhaven. She led me and another young man, William through the crypts in Center. William was very terse and soft spoken. Something horrible weighs on his soul. I did not pry since he didn't seem ready to talk but I believe his parents were slain by undead. I told him that when he is ready to talk I would be happy to be a friend.
Oh yeah, irony. Seems like my mind will be a bit of a wanderer. I will need to work on a bit of focus. Anyhow, here I was, setting up in Center, preparing to beging Toran's work, when Lady Stormhaven asked me to join her taveling back to Fort Llast to join a quest. I finally found where I wanted to start and went all the back to the temple. There was no way I was going to miss an opportunity to see the Order in action, so I agreed to joining the quest. We ended up destroying an undead threat and gathering some eveidence to help establish who was behind the menace. Well, I guess I should say they did. I am pretty sure that I was ineffectual. I did little besides try to stay out of the way, throw a couple of cure spells and watch the back of another student. Actually, I tried to mess that up too. In the tense moments down in the hold of the ship I swung my sword at her! Luckily we were so well warded that I did not hurt her, but I shiver to think what my panicy move could have done. I don't think I am ready for that kind of work. I need a lot more practice and real world experience before I risk causing damage within a group. I am actually rather disappointed by my performance in my first real mission. I will strive to do better in the future.
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What an interesting day. I made a new friend, and what an interesting friend. I had just finished an expedition into the crypts under Fort Vehl. As I went through the gates into the city proper, I almost hit an elf with the gate. Since his his hood was pulled up and his face in shadows I didn't notice a lit of details. I did notice however, that he was injured. I asked if he would like me to bind his wounds. When he accepted my help, I got out some bandages and set to work. As I was bent over completely at his mercy, I noticed the wounds parted ebony skin. This was no ordinary elf. I had just met a dark elf! I was nervous and backed away from him, hand on the hilt of my sword. He kind of chuckled and said that he wouldn't kill me, not even a little torture. I talked to him a little more to gage his moral perspective. I asked him then if his promise not to kill or torture me was special deal for me or a general principle. He laughed at that and ended up telling me he was a follower of The Redemptress. We travled together for a ways and struck up a bit of comaraderie. He tooke me to his home and looked around for old adventuring gear that I may be interested in. Being that I have little money, we struck a deal where I would help harvest spider silk for him to earn the gear. So, I guess I have mad e a friend and business partner.
It was a great treat to meet one of the rare dark elves that turns their back on the cruelties of their society and walk away to be something more. I sense a longing in him for a real friendship. Being a dark elf, he is probably granted few chances to make a true friend. I hope that by befriending him I can help show him how to contribute more good to the world and by doing so maybe earn the trust of more people. If nothing else, maybe I can sway his heart closer to good rather than simply turning his back to evil. At the minuimum, I can show him trust and companionship. Something lacking completely where he came from.
I look forward to shining Toran's light upon him.
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I am not sure where to start with this. What I experienced last night was so creepy, so surreal, so disturbing. If it weren't for my experience with the Order of the Shining Hand and the "meat locker", I am not sure I would have been prepared to face what I did. Let me go back to the beginning.
Having heard about the opportunity to gather various resources for Angels Guild to earn credit, I decided I could not pass up the opportunity to do some fairly safe work and earn credit with which I could purchase better gear to survive the tougher work, such as getting to spider silk to fulfill my business agreement with my new friend, the dark elf Ayndell. A few hours at Windjammer Bay and I can dig up a good ammount of sand. Onerous, boring work for the master craftsmen at the guild, but simple labor for a man like me. Anyhow, at the guild shop, I met another follower of Az'atta, a man named Markus. He said he would show me around some areas to the south I had never been to. So we traveled down toward Fort Vehl, to the Gloom Woods. As we arrived, a serious storm seemed to grow, winds howling, rain pelting against my armor and shield. We set forth into the woods.
How do I describe the place? It was gloomy, could almost feel the despair. The ground looked as if blood had soaked it for centuries. As we cautiously advanced into the woods we found group after group of undead. Disturbing ghouls that complained about "the meat fights back." I was being called meat! How repulsive and horrifying. Soon we took shelter in a mercenary fortress. A merchant in the camp asked for my help in slaying a beast called zamin or something. After agreeing to help him, I joind Marcus and a couple of the mercenaries at the fire for some warmth. It turns out that one of the men from the camp was hauled off by the wendigo - some sort of ghost that grabs a person a drags them off into the night, racing and racing until the friction from the dragging legs set fire! What kid of force brings such obsenities into out world? Anyhow, despite the fact that the man was most likely dead, we set out to face the wendigo and at the very least, end its reign of terror.
Standing on a hill, surrounded by ghouls, I spotted the wendigo flying by in the distance, dragging a man behind it, the legs aflame. The screams were horrible. Eventually, we came to the wendigo and the zamin. I faced the zamin in combat while Markus took on the wendigo. Just as markus took down the wendigo, the zamin struck a telling blow on me. As I tried to cast a healing spell, the zamin broke my concentration and struck me unconsious. While I was unconsious, Marcus finished off the zamin and cured my wounds. I think I nearly died. After finishing patching me up, we gathered what remained of the mercenary and returned him to his people so that they could care for him after their style. It seems that undead are a bigger, more dispersed problem in the world than I realized. I will have to work on my skills at destroying them. A good thing that came of this, another new friend. Thanks to him and Az'atta's power, I live to contiune Toran's work.
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I met another interesting friend today. Growing up my whole life sheltered in the temple and Fort Llast, somehow I had failed to realize what how much diversity there is among people. That how so-called simple people have a lot to offer. Today, when I was getting ready to go dig sand again, a large man walked up to me and asked what I was doing. After telling him, I asked what he was up to, he said hunting. This man's name was Tane. Judging from his large size and what little I saw of his features inside the hood, I am pretty sure he was half-orc. Being half orc, he was rather simple in his speech and his focus. That being said, I think he was a lot more complex in his heart. I decided to go hunting with him. We eliminated the threat of some marauding orcs and a large group of gnolls. While we were in the lands controlled by the gnolls he led me up a long climb and led me to a beautiful area with a tall waterfall, singing its song. Then he led me even higher and showed me an old watchtower. The view from the mountain top was spectacular. When I thanked him for showing me such an amazing view he smiled. I think he was genuinely pleased to hear my praise. I can still picture his smile.
Anyhow, we traveled a great deal and he showed me a lot of interresting sights. I wish I could remember where it was that he showed me a real pretty, green, serene patch of forest. Anyhow, I thanked him again for taking me to such pretty places. I told Tane how much I liked that serene bit of woods. Again he smiled that smile of his. He seemed very pleased that I appreciated it. He told me that it was his one of his favorite woods. When I see him again I will have to ask where that was. I just can't help thinking of how I would have missed all of that if I had been quick to dismiss him for his orcish heritage.
One more note before I put this journal away. As he was leading me back up to Fort Llast, we came upon a house. It reminded me of the house Ayndell invited me back to and I told Tane it looked like my friend's house. So, we went up and looked at the nameplate on the door. It was not my friend's house.... The name on the door was Daniella Stormhaven! In an instant I was transported back to the day I met her. I was picturing her smile as she introduced herself to me. Such a beautiful woman and yet so strong and self posessed. She was so open and helpful, not so self-important as many prominent people can be. And to top it all off, she gave a holy symbol. Not that she went and bought or made one for me! She looked in her pack and pulled one out! I am using a holy symbol that once belonged to Lady Stormhaven! I can almost feel the warm rush again that I felt that day when she handed it to me. For that short time I held her attention. She made a kind gesture to me. I can't believe I forgot to discuss this in my previous entry when I mentioned meeting her. I must have been to busy berating myself for my performance in the quest she recommended me to. But that moment, standing in front of her door I was right back to that day I met her. Seeing those deep blue eyes, that warm smile, her scent carried to me on that light breeze. The commanding presence of such an important and stunning woman. Suddenly, I realized how foolish or obsessed I would seem standing in front of her house with no reason for being there. I told Tane it was the wrong house, not my friend, just an acquaintance. An important woman and then I hurried away. I don't know which was stronger, the warm rush of excitement I felt or the fear of having to explain myself to her if she saw me there. What would an such an important woman think if she found some young, inexperienced kid standing on her doorstep? Great! Another kid loitering on my lawn, hoping to catch a glimpse. Terrific, another young cleric thinking I should help him with whatever little crisis seems so important! I practically ran from there.
Wow. What happened to me there? I am usually so much more self possessed and confident. I can't let myself get so unnerved. Time to go and meditate and pray. Maybe I can revisit this once I calm down a bit.
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Ok, now my whole world has been turned upside down. I recent days I learned that not all born to the evil races are evil themselves. I met a dark elf that didn't threaten or torture me. In fact, he made an agreement that was mututally beneficial, not slanted to his benefit. I also met a half orc that appreiciated the beauty of nature rather than trying to subjegate or destroy it. Further more, he smiled in appreciation of the fact that I saw the beauty as well. He wasn't a simple, violent brute.
All of that being said, I just saw the disappointing reflection of that. Not everyone born to the good races are good themselves. Today I traveled to Lake Dantuc for some quiet reflection. Before I could arrive at the shore I was assaulted by two halflings led by a dwarf. I was always taught that dwarves were stalwart, trustworthy warriors that could always be counted on for maintaining honor. This was no such case. He led those halflings to attack me ruthlessly without provocation and without offering me a chance to simply walk away from what they percieved as thier land. Simply put, it was attempted murder. More like the all out raiding one exepcts from orcs and the like.
I guess I have learned not to take anyone at face value. I need to judge each book by its content and not the cover that binds it.
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Today has been wonderful and horrible both. I was delivering a message to Farmer Part who lives along the Thorn River. Since I had only been in this area once before I was a little uncertain as to how to get there. As I was walking through Mariner's hold trying to figure out where I needed to go, I came accross a beautiful woman outside the Silver Buckle Inn. As I was taking in her beauty, I missed her saying Hello. Since I didn't reply, she said something like, "Strong and silent type? I like that." I was quite embarrassed, both by the fact that she caught me looking her over and that I had failed to answer her greeting. If I hadn't had my helm on she probably would have seen a very red face! Anyhow, I finally greeted her and she asked if I needed help. I told her that I was looking for the Thorn River. She said she would lead me out there. As she went back in to her room in the Silver Buckle, I was doubly excited. Not only did I have a guide to help me deliver the letter, I was going to be going walking with a beautiful woman!
After I delivered the letter, she told me that since she was already out of the city, she might as well collect some herbs, that she really likes peppermint. Since I wasn't ready to lose her company I asked if she would like me to come watch her back while she went about her collecting. I humbly pointed out that I wasn't all that skilled, I would do my best. She warned me about the dangerous snakes and not to try to fight them, we each cast some protection on ourselves and headed out into the countryside. Things were going well until we walked into an ambush. Arrows kept coming and we tried to get away, just before I could heal myself I was shot to times in rapid succession. As I lay on the ground, losing consiousness, I saw her collapse as well.
When I returned at the stone my soul is bound to, I was crushed. Not only had I died, I failed to save her as well. I am so disappointed in myself and my failure. I have now returned to the Silver Buckle and I am sitting on a bench as I write this. I am waiting for someone to help me find out if she has returned or not. If not, I will have to find some help to go looking for her. I don't know if the Soul Mother claimed her or if perhaps the villians that assaulted us captured her not. I hope Miss Jane has returned. If so, I intend to apologize for failing her and ask her if there is some way I can make it up to her. If she did not return, I need to find her to know she is truly gone or find some friends to try to rescue her.
If only I had been more vigilant! I have failed her and I have failed Toran. I have failed myself as well. What was I thinking? Letting myself get distracted by a pretty face. She deserved better than that. I will sit here and pray for her safety while I wait for someone to try her room for me.