Memories trapped in a phylactery:

[Xerina]

Journal entry 9360
Trumilt Master wizard of the Nine Roses Tower

After nearly 200 years upon this world and nary a love has passed my way. I am growing old even with my magic and a Talisman of Prolonged Life. My valley must be protected and as I have yet to produce any offspring and the future is bleak of prospects. Thus do I start my research into the forbidden realm of unlife and seek the true ways of the lich. I believe I have found a way to retain my sanity and morals as well as my well-established protection of my valley. I have decided to first place a great many enchantments and contingencies upon the valley and tower in preparation of the ascent to lich hood.

Journal entry 9375
Trumilt Master wizard of the Nine Roses Tower
The valley enchantments have been laid and contingencies are in place upon the tower. Once the ritual is ready and the valley enchanted I will turn my phylactery over to the Rolders my personnel servants and most trusted guardians for safekeeping. Their daughter Lillian shows great promise with martial warfare. Someday she might even surpass her father and command my personnel guard. She is nearly old enough to officially enter the guard. I see great things in her future.


Journal entry 9390
Trumilt Master wizard of the Nine Roses Tower
Today I will ascend and become a lich hopefully my calculations are correct and I will remain the same in undeath as I am in life, and continue to protect my valley and my people.

Journal entry 9427
Trumilt Lich of the Nine Roses Tower
Last week Lillian has joined the guard and is making a name for her self already. Just yesterday while on patrol she was able to single handedly hold off a minor kobold invasion until reinforcements arrived at the narrows. Granted they were kobolds and the narrows is easily defended it showed her true courage and dedication to not run from the odds. If she keeps on this way I may give the phylactery into her care.

Journal entry 9620
Trumilt Lich of the Nine Roses Tower
Word has just reached the tower that a heavily armed horseman has been inquiring of me and the tower in the village and he is headed this way. I suspect the worst for armed uninvited knights usually only search out a lich for one reason. To make a name for them self or promote their religious fervor. Lillian has the phylactery and has been commanded to see it safely away from the tower and out of the horseman’s reach should my fears prove grounded. As I prepare for the visitor this may be my last entry, hopefully the valley enchantments and tower defenses will prove enough.

Journal entry 180
Jericum Rolders Chief Guard of Nine Roses Tower
Trumilt’s fears of the rider seem to be right. He rode up to the gate and launched an attack against the guards stationed there. He is a superb fighter and has some kind of defensive magic protecting him as well. He has so far refused to talk to reason; he just continues to hack his way thru the guards. I am preparing to go out and meet this slayer while Trumilt finishes his preparations. I just hope I can hold him long enough for Lillian to get free of the tower and Trumilt to finish.

*Dreaming of that fateful day*
In an effort to keep the phylactery from falling into the hands of the over zealous undead slayer I took phylactery and tried to flee the tower. As I fled the undead slayer and Trumilt engaged in battle. The slayer somehow unleashed an area of wild magic. The wild magic swept over me and the phylactery causing the magic of the phylactery to corrupt and transformed me into an orc.

Trumilt fell before the slayer, but victory was short lived for the slayer for just as his wild magic artifact had altered the phylactery it altered all the magical items in the tower. As the magic surged thru the tower it twisted into the very thing the slayer feared most. The dead he had slain rose again, and he found himself trapped in the tower as it undead lord, replacing Trumilt. Being the only survivor I fled, and the slayer vowed to see me dead as he watched me flee from the tower window convinced that the phylactery and I held the key to undoing what he wrought with the wild magic.

*An early journal entry from a few months after fleeing the tower*
as time passes I become more concerned with protecting others as Trumilt had protected the valley. Perhaps there is some truth in the slayers reasoning. Perhaps Trumilt at the moment of his undoing recognized the artifact and transferred part of himself to the phylactery that he had carried for so long, and in doing so transferred part of his duty and honor to me.

*Shortly after the above entry*
Today I met some drow. At first I was scared even in the valley we have heard the storied of the drow. I tired to hide but the drow found me easily, fearing death I begged for mercy that they not kill a poor orc alone in the world. Figuring they would be more sympathetic to an orc then a transfigured human. They were kind and helped me to regain some of my strength and told me they were followers of a goddess called Az’atta. They explained that all creatures are worthy of Az’atta’s mercy, if they choose to accept it. You must offer all creatures, regardless of past acts, a chance to accept the mercy, redemption, and love offered by Az’atta. Go forth into the world and use your training and powers to serve and protect those in need in any way that you are able. Do not be passive, but be an active force for good in Layonara. Do not take up arms and armor, unless it is to protect yourself or others from harm. From then on I sought out followers of Az’atta for they were the only ones that even half way accepted an orc. I traveled with them when I was able doing work to earn my way. From Az’atta I have learnt the path to redemption and acceptance.

I seek to protect the helpless and the innocent. I have no mercy on the slayer who has already shown himself to be incapable, ridged, and not inclined to listen to reason but act instead.

I was training to be a warrior to defend the valley and the tower as well as the phylactery. I maybe cloaked as an orc now but that does not change who I am nor does it change my goals.

[Xerina]

Today Lirulzk arrived in Hlint a small town in the center of Milstone.  She dreamed of a dragon calling her to join the fight against the army of Blood. I am proud of her she has carried on the ideals of protecting the weak and defenseless so well that a dragon has taken notice.

Upon arriving in Hlint she set about to prove herself to the population and make friends to help defend the weak against Blood.  She quickly met Ayla, Glokk, and Drake, together they gathered supplies and setoff to the Sielwoods to gather spider silk and copper.  Lirulzk bought a falchon and shield as well as a sling at the promting of the others who insisted that she have a range weapon for the woods.

Before leaving Hlint they came upon a little goblin who was terrified and Lirulzk stepped up to the wood elf that was terrifying the goblin who was just looking for wood. The wood elf was trying to offer the goblin food, weird I know but it seems that Hlint is a town of diversity and tolerance. After ensuring the goblin was safe Lirulzk, Ayla, Glokk, and Drake set off to the woods.

IN the woods they met Asher, who was also hunting beetles. With Asher they gathered some silk and copper from a near by cave full of kobolds. Before returning to Hlint to split up the recovered gold and copper.

After returning to Hlint Lirulzk set off to meet many of the towns prominent citizens and try to prove herself to them by helping them and generally being useful. No job is to small or tedious for her to use to prove herself.

[Xerina]

Today Lirulzk arrived back in Hlint or at least the vicinity. Cautious and unsure if any would remember her after so great an absence she approached the city gates. Within Lirulzk found little had changed of the town itself, it had a new group of adventures however all the important city figures still retained their posts. And with small effort they remembered Lirulzk. After checking in with the bard Lirulzk found her still in need of assistance. Lirulzk quickly set about proving her self again to the town people and her fellow adventures.

Lirulzk made several run upon the crypts of Hlint eventually besting the shadow beast in the depths. She also met fellow adventurer who has no recollection of her past though she seems to be a formidable pugilist, most likely a monk of some order. Kira I believe her name is assisted in the recovery of the bard’s property earning Lirulzk the right of staying in the inn and not having to sleep in the forests around Hlint.

Lirulzk has found mining to be quite popular and has begun assisting the mining party on their journey and providing protection. Especially against the ogre of Haven. Recently she ventured to Fort Llast and has begun the journey of proving herself they’re as well. She had quite the heroic struggle against a will o wisp in the swamps for a mage of Fort Llast who forgot to mention that only magic could harm the wisp. Stubborn and more then a bit orcish mentality she refused to quit the battle and finally wore the wisp out of magic and was able to repeatedly strike the wisp hard enough to inflict some damage and bounce it off the ground surrounding the swampy water killing it more with will power then her weapons.

Latter returning with the amnesiac monk to find another wisp as well as a witch woman of the swamp. Not all the people or Hlint or Fort Llast accept Lirulzk nor do all her fellow adventures how ever she is making great progress and has an ever widening circle of peers and acceptance. Lirulzk has also recently met a cleric of Az’atta who seemed to be more then a bit shaken but seems a nice chap otherwise.