Roy Aynsworth

[bytor]

Black smoke was rising into the sky, twirling and twisting in the wind, until it finally blended with the storm clouds above the plains. The wind, its every gust stronger and more aggressive than the previous one, was blowing in his face, the smell of burning wood mixed with sickening stench of scorched flesh it carried assaulting his nostrils. And as if it hadn't been enough, it also conveyed muffled, yet still distinctive noises of the happening in the plains; battlecries, orcs' grunts, women's pleading and children's cries...     The sky was as dark as the darkest of the nights, with heavy storm clouds covering pretty much all of it, with the exception of the piece above where he stood. There, it seemed, an eye of the storm had formed, and the sun was pouring through it. But it wasn't a soothing light; far from it, actually. Almost searing, it was unnaturally bright and sharp, like only the sunlight just before the storm can be. Across the plains, just above the horizon, majestic lightnings were flashing, illuminating the distant mountain range surrounding the plains. And there was fire...     He stood there, as in a dream, his eyes transfixed on the burning village. Most of the houses were burning, their inhabitants either dead or fighting the vain battle with invading orc horde. It was a grotesque, even surreal image; the plains lit by the fire, by the lightning flashes and the sun, all the light reflecting off the snow that was covering the plains. And then the whole image was bizarrely mirrored in the lake; the flashes, the light, the dark of the sky contrasted by the white of the plains, which was, before his eyes, slowly being turned into red...     He stood there, unable to move, unable to scream as his eyes set on the last standing house. Its doors would open ajar, and a man and a woman would rush out, facing the orc horde. The man bearing a sword and a shield that would have a certain magic gleam to them in the grotesque light, and woman carrying a staff that seemed to have been drawing energy from the stormy sky itself; she was clearly shouting something.     His heart sang as he saw the first group of orcs meet the blast coming from the staff, the surviving ones meeting their end at man's blade. In spite of pain, he felt pride and hope as he saw second group faring no better, nor the third one. And yet, there would be a shadow of fear in his heart as he glanced at the sky that was getting even darker, as he felt the strengthening wind gusts, bringing him a promise of fury and destruction being unleashed.     A shadow of fear that grew as he saw the orcs rally, as he saw the last two people of the village make their stand, back to back, in anticipation of the final onslaught. And for a moment, it seemed as if the time had frozen still, and suddenly, it seemed to him as if he was standing next to them, seeing their faces clearly. There was no fear in their eyes, maybe a trace of remorse, but there was a lot of determination, and even – relief?     The moment had passed, and he found himself on the hilltop again, at the brink of the forest, facing the plains and facing the massacre from the safe distance – yet so close. And he saw orcs charge, and he saw the man and the woman fight back, knowing their fate, yet standing firmly in the wake of destruction. And they fought, taking down many of the orcs that seemed so tiny, so frail from where he stood, until their sheer number swept them away and left their bodies lying battered amidst the rest of the villagers...     And then, the sky closed, and there was nothing but black and void...

[bytor]

“Roy!” the voice, clearly belonging to a boy, was echoing across the hilltop, bringing a boy that was standing there back to reality. “Roy?! I know you're here!” He blinked and took another longing gaze at the sun that was setting behind the mountains that were stretching behind the far edge of the plains. Not again. He sighed. Stupid dreams... He shook his head, yet his eyes remained fixed on the plains. Ever since he had the nightmare for the first time, the vision wouldn't let go of him. Every time he looked out there... He had felt the plains, the mountains, the forest and whatever's beyond calling to him before, but now... It was hard to explain, but in spite of pain and repulsion he felt every time he glanced out there and went through the nightmare again, the call of wilderness had never been stronger, more alluring. As if everything was beckoning to him...     He found himself staring out in the distance again, and moments later, he was found in similar condition by the boy who had been calling his name earlier. “Roy!” The first boy blinked, and slowly turned to face the newcomer. He slightly shook his head to get some of his brown, messy looking, hair out of his face, then settled his dark brown eyes on the boy behind him.     They were of same age, both on their way to finish the transition from adolescence to adulthood, and they were of similar build, with the exception of the second boy looking much stronger. There were other differences between them, and a good start would perhaps be the fact that the second boy was blonde-haired and blue-eyed. He also had different facial features, more like those of boys' father (though, to be honest, it didn't make him any better looking... nor any less, while we're at it). And it wasn't so much for their physical differences (after all, nature sometimes works in mysterious ways) rather than their characters that made people swear those two couldn't have been brothers.     To put it short, the second boy, as many good qualities as he had, had turned out to be somewhat a bully, of quick anger and thinking that everything and everyone could be made see things his way after having met a club or a wall for sufficient amount of time. This is not to say he was evil or anything, it's just that sometimes he got carried way... especially when booze was involved...     And, as the one that had been referred to as Roy observed, he was drunk. Very drunk. So very drunk, in fact, that Roy was wondering how he had managed to come all the way there, but, as he gazed into those blurry bright blue eyes, he decided to leave that mystery unveiled for some other time. “What is it, Butch?” Butch (that, of course, wasn't his real name... but everyone who had pleasure of meeting him had found themselves thinking it was somehow fitting) blinked a bit and after short reflection (which mostly involved fighting the dullness that Old Bert's Brew had brought upon his mind and after that fighting the urge to stumble back to Bert's and have another pint...) his face twisted in anger. “I had a talk with Annah, y'know?” as if simple statement, combined with question tag, explained it all. Except that it didn't, though Roy had to admit it narrowed it down, at the very least.”Said she talked to Lisa, y'know?” His eyes flashed dangerously at Roy, who suddenly felt very weak. One of the few things that remain... “Said Lisa likes you better...” he added with certain disbelief in his voice. Roy sighed. Lisa was a girl both he and his brother fancied... But that was before the nightmare, before the call... It wasn't that he loved her any less, but with the world calling to him, he found himself even less suitable for her than Butch. Sometimes, he had to admit, doing the right thing didn't feel good, didn't feel good at all.     He could see where the whole thing was going. There was a silly custom in the village (the whole region, actually) that involved two men duelling over a woman. According to popular belief, the custom had persevered because a) men were hulking brutes who needed to prove their strength on every possible occasion, and b) women enjoyed that sort of attention. (On a side note, it's interesting to observe that there's mutual agreement on the former, whereas the latter point was fervently being denounced by the woman part of village (regional) population).     The way Roy saw it, Butch had had a pint and an encouragement from his buffoon friends too many. As it were, the results could be very unpredictable. Once you get the boulder rolling downhill, it's hard to stop it, Grandpa Huyghes would have observed (and, Roy figured, he probably had, upon seeing Butch staggering out of the Inn). He had no intention to fight his brother, though. If nothing else, it felt wrong; there were other things than could have been taken care of that required one's fighting skills... And, the best battle is the avoided one, Grandpa Huyghes had once said, before he was brought pint of Bert's and lost himself in rambling about the epic battles he'd witnessed as a mere lad...     “Sooo...” Butch looked between Roy and the hilt of his sword with stunning accuracy. “You can have her, Butch.” Roy said quietly, uttering the words with difficulty. “Think she'd be happier with you, anyway. Good luck” He forced small smile, which contrasted the collapsing feeling in his chest. It took a while for Butch to comprehend the situation (after fighting the effects of Bert's Brew and the urge to get more). “T...thanks?” he stammered and uncertainly looked at Roy, who nodded again. “Yeah, think she'd be happier with you...” Roy repeated again, as if trying to reassure both of them. Butch paused, thought, gave a satisfied nod, then gave in to the urge and wandered off to get another pint of Bert's Brew.     Roy stood and watched him leave, feeling as if he were dying inside. He felt bad for lying, and even worse for letting the woman he loved go this way. But, as he glanced at the setting sun, he knew where his heart was. And, he reflected, he hadn't really lied to Butch. And he felt slightly better about it – the curing power of the human reason...

[bytor]

“Roy, we need to talk” the words of the man he had known as his father were still ringing in his ears as he was leaving the place he'd always known as his home.  Soon after Butch had taken his leave, a young girl and a man came hurrying towards Roy. “Roy!” the girl began crying. “I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have told...” her voice trailed off. Roy turned to face them, then forced another weak smile. “Don't worry, Annah... it's settled.” “Did you two...?” “No.” “You...?” “Yeah.” “Why?” He slightly shrugged, not even fully knowing the answer himself. He turned towards plains so she couldn't see a tear forming in his eye. “Annah, go back to house.” their father gently patted the girl on her shoulders. She began to protest, but he gave her a rather stern look, which he rarely did, so she left them.  They both stood in silence, watching the sun set. “Roy, we need to talk.” said the man, putting hand on boy's shoulder. “I'm sorry, Da'. I swear, I meant to do all the work you gave me, but... it's every time I look out there...” the words came out of him like an avalanche, but were stopped by man's gesture. “It's not about the work left undone, Roy. It's about what you see...”  And he told him; of plains, of village, of orcs. Of the man and the woman, of their fight. The man listened thoughtfully, and Roy could've sworn he saw the man's eyes moisten. “I guess it's the time, then...” the man muttered in hoarse voice.  Seeing the puzzled expression on boy's face, he inquired. “The plains, Roy. Do they remind you of anything?” The boy shook head, having been asking himself the same question over and over again. “I... don't know... They... they feel, familiar, and much like ours here. Even the lake, and the mountains. But... it's different.” He helplessly shrugged. The man nodded thoughtfully. “Look like as if you were standing far across the lake? At the brink of the forest you can see over there? Facing the mountain peaks behind us from the distance?” He glanced at the boy whose eyes widened as he turned to look behind them. “With the forest having spread over the hills over there during past twelve years?” He added quickly and saw the boy's jaw drop.  That was it! That's why it seemed familiar, yet different. But how...? He questioningly looked at his father. “You see, Roy,” the man cleared his throat and looked at boy “twelve years ago, there was a village over there. It was burnt by the orcs on what seemed to had been a doomsday. Horde of orcs poured out of nowhere, and caught everyone off guard. I... I believe it's what you see...” The boy nodded; yes, it made sense. But still... “There's a house, Da'. And two people. A warrior and a sorceress of a sort...?”  His father had sad smile on his lips. “Roy, you know how people always joke you and Butch can't be brothers?” Roy blinked, caught off guard by the unusual question. Then the puzzled expression on his face slowly faded away to give place to the one of bewilderment, as the truth came on to him...  Noticing his expression, the man nodded. “Sasha and I aren't your real parents, Roy,” he said simply, not being the man who'd be found beating around the bush. “Ryan and Alex were.” He paused a bit, letting it sink. “It was already too late when we arrived to aid. We fought the orcs off, but there was nobody left. We... we found you nearly frozen in the snow at the brink of forest, in safe distance from the village and the orcs. You were in shock, and the healers who fought for your life said you most like wouldn't remember the events you had witnessed... So Sasha and I took you in. We thought Ryan and Alex would want us to. You see, we were old friends; grew up together, then, when we were your age, we set off together for adventuring...” In spite of all paying heavy toll for all the information received at once, Roy's eyes widened. “So... my dad... was a ranger? And my... mother... was the other bard? From your stories?” The man nodded and smiled a bit. “Aye, the best Sasha and I have ever known. Hmm... now that you mention it.” He reached in one of his pockets and handed a leather pouch on leather cord to the boy. “This was your father's. He'd want you to have it, I imagine.” Judging by the the weight and the shape, there was a stone inside the pouched. “It'll keep you safe.”  Roy nodded a bit, then both glanced out at the plains bathing in the twilight. So many things made sense now. The yearning... why in addition to everything his siblings have been taught, he was also sent to train with the local rangers...  He turned to his foster father. “So... where does all this lead me now?” The man thoughtfully looked at him. “Your destiny is your own to write, my boy. I'd be more than happy to see you stay here with us, even marry one of my daughters.” Roy considered this. But they both knew... “But I suspect you're too much of your father's son to do so before travelling the world far and wide.” The accuracy of the observation made both smile. “Know this, Roy. You're always welcome here. Listen to your heart, and it'll guide you, for you have your parents' blood flowing through your veins. Sasha and I taught you all we could, all we thought your parents would want us to. But in the end, choices are yours to make.” They gazed at each other, both knowing that the choice had already been made about an hour ago when Roy let Butch win. “Thanks, Roy.” the man said and the boy slightly nodded. “Hey, maybe she'll change him. Like women tend to, according to Grandpa Huyghes' ramblings, eh?” They both smirked. “Thanks for everything... Da'” the boy smiled a bit, but there were tears in his eyes. “I'll go pack my things.” The man nodded a bit, and as they strode down the hill, he couldn't to notice how much of his old friend there was in the boy. “Ryan and Alex would be so proud of you, Roy...” he said because he simply had to, and they spoke no word from then on, for the though of leave taking brought sorrow to both, even though they realised it was unavoidable.  And so, after packing his meager belongings, saying goodbye to his (foster, even though he still regarded them as real) family, promising to write every now and then and coming to visit someday, Roy left.  He didn't turn around anymore for he knew it'd only make him want to stay, and he could feel he was not meant to do that just yet. No, he would keep his pace steady as he strode along the road southwards, towards the town of Hlint; the same road along which, unbeknownst to him, so many springs ago a band of four adventurers strode, a ranger, a fighter and two minstrels, one of which also also skilled in the ways of the Weave – his parents and his foster parents.

[bytor]

Alright, finally managed to put together enough gold to buy myself a book to write into. Why'd you want to keep a journal, you might ask (I assume you somehow came across it, and even though it's clearly a private journal, took liberty to go through it. What goes around comes around, as Grandpa Huyghes would put it, so you better watch your back. Well, he'd also mutter something about sarcasm, but let's not stray off the topic, eh?). Well, one could come up with many reasons:

• It's harder to lose your thoughts and memory if you put them down, in case you get really drunk or hit on your head. Not that I plan on doing either, but it keeps the possibilities open, right?
  
• Ma' and Da' (I kinda have no idea how to else to call them, now that I know they aren't my real parents. But still...) went through a lot of trouble (and I mean it) to teach me how to read and write, so some exercise wouldn't hurt.
  
• It keeps you distracted on those long, lonely evenings
  
• It makes you think over things twice, so you might get better understanding and see them clearer
  
• Guess if something should befall me, I'd like my folks back at home know where I've been and what I've been doing...
  
I won't go on here with who I am, where I come from and so on, this being my journal and all. Suppose if you want to know, feel free to ask; and if I'm not in the condition to answer, I guess at that point it wouldn't matter anymore anyway. One of the serious remarks Grandpa Huyghes has made (though, it wasn't all that serious in the context it was made...) was that a man is not defined by where he comes from nor his background, but rather by his present actions and decisions he's yet to make.  So yeah, I'm at Hlint now. The journey south was somewhat uneventful, and seemed to have happened overnight. The only problem being, that overnight is meant literally. The thing is, I had an odd dream (yes, another one...), most of which I can't remember anymore (but think it involved a dragon). Well, either way, when I woke up, I was lying at the temple in Hlint.   I must have been beaten by bandits or something, because all my meager belongings were gone and I had a terrible headache. I found an odd rose in my pocket, though. Maybe one of the bandits was woman and felt bad about what they'd done...? Sounds rather far fetched, so my next guess would be it had to do something with the dreams... and magic. Either way, I don't like it.  Done some odd jobs around here, and the payment helped me replace my missing gear; found that rats can bite awfully hard (we never had rats this big at home), that crypts seem to attract lots of skeletons and zombies and I delivered a letter to a distinguishably friendly lady. Also went hunting for goblin ears, which seem to be collected by local quartermaster. Good thing I had someone (can't recall his name, though) watch my back, because I'm pretty sure otherwise I'd be the one ending up without ears.

[bytor]

Did some more exploring, and been working on the ability to accept blows. Important skill, that. If you know how to do it properly, you'll be able to accept everything life throws at you with a grin, was what Alan and Nyn, the rangers who trained me back at home, always said. Roughly translates into something along the lines of “If you can stand goblin hitting you until you put him (her?) out of fight with solid hit, then you just might be able to crawl out of their cave.”  Nasty business, goblins. There's a cave full of them east of Hlint, and they seem to worship red light. Why they do that is beyond me, and I'm yet to come across one who'd be willing to talk and tell me. Which is pity, because even though their ways seem wicked, I don't enjoy killing them. Or anything, as a matter of fact. One of the things I was taught is that one should not revel in bloodspill. Well, putting the undead to rest doesn't feel that bad (except when they hit you). Came into some gold while poking around, and now I consider myself sufficiently equipped. Then again, haven't really made any longer journeys, except to the desert, but more on that later.  Reckon it'd be a good idea to list all the people I've met so far and whose names I managed to remember. Just to see how bad I'm with names, I suppose. So here it is, in no particular order (though, miss Starbreeze back at home would claim there's pattern to everything; then again, it's said she spends too much time with her books and meddling with the Weave, so I wouldn't bet my life on it):

• Jaleel: a fighter, I think. One of the first people I've met, and he helped me retrieve tax records for the tax lady (what would a ratman do with tax records is beyond me...). Seen him around, but haven't travelled much together, except the other day when Win took us to look for the missing cow.
  
• Ark: no idea what his profession would be, though I suspect it would involve gold. Lots of it. He's the kind of person who'd go and flip dead scorpions over just because of possibility of finding gold there. Fun to travel with, from what I've seen of him (raided goblins' cave once, and travelled to desert). Probably because of constant bickering with his sister, and unique sense of humour. And because he doesn't seem to take things too seriously.
  
• Charlotte: Ark's sister. Fighter, judging from the fact that she was fighting in the first line during the trip to desert. Seems to be always picking on Ark, but reckon it's brother/sister thing, and she cares for him. Nice and friendly. Reminds me of Annah.
  
• Myrrha: Not really sure what to say about her. Has a panther companion that goes by the name of Mahood. Seems to be indulging in Weave, which makes me feel kinda uncomfortable around her (And I am NOT afraid of magic... it's called bad experience). She's alright and nice, though. There's something with her eyes, but I'm not fully certain; on occasions had the feeling she might be slightly blind, but then again... And suppose asking her about it would be inappropriate...
  
• Vladdimur: A half-giant, who's also a caster and fluent in elven. Appears to be aware that it's a bit unusual combination, because he kept asking me if I had never seen one before. Well, now I have (and it was actually first time I've seen a half-giant). Has a mephit with peculiar manners, especially after eating goblins.
  
• Eghaas and Essan: Pair of casters (yeah, I know... lots of those); that being said, they are alright, and I've been hunting with them on several occasions. Rats, goblins, went to crypts with Essan (and barely came out crawling, due to misjudgement on my part), while Eghaas was with Jaleel, Win and me when we went to look for missing cow.
  
• Win: a brownie (and she ain't even brown... tends to give you a dirty look for bringing up the fact, though. Suppose I still have much to learn). Also thinks I'm an ox thief... alright, I did say her ox'd follow me if I asked it to (ranger training, and all), and she's been giving me mean looks ever since (on a side note, oxen are rather loyal and don't follow anyone but their master... guess I'm not meant to pursue the career of an ox thief). She's also a caster. Turned out to be alright when we were looking for missing cow, though.
  
• Freida and Bee: two more brownies; the first one's calling herself a barbarian (and somewhat acting that way, too), with him (Bee) following her around. Went after orcs, then lizardfolk. They were fun to travel with, even though Freida kept insisting she didn't care much about anything. Barbarian thing, or something.
  
Managed to figure out what the pendant Da' gave me (and which belonged to my real father) does; seems I can summon a wolf, Claire, to my aid. Doesn't like goblins much nor the undead, and all in all seems to dislike everything hostile to me. Nice trait to have in a friend... Saved my hide more than once and has been really helpful when poking around.  With the aid of undead (though with severe lack of cooperation on their part), I managed to raise enough funds to get a crafter's license. A piece of paper that allows me to use the public crafting house. Expensive, too. But reckon in the end, some skill in different trades can prove to be useful.  Been to the desert; a man named Tarradon, unit captain of the Knights of the Wyrm took Myrrha, Charlotte, Ark and me with him. Been rather long and tedious journey, and the encounters we had had proven to be rather hard. Wouldn't have made it if it weren't for Tarradon. Then again, in that case probably wouldn't have gone there in the first place. Suppose it's nice to realize where your limits are, and the trip was beyond mine. It was a fine journey, otherwise, also fun due to all the banter within the group. However, just at the end of it, Ark fell; we had hard time to convince Charlotte to leave the place... It turned out, though, that his time had not yet come, because we came into him at Hlint. Suppose gods do watch over us after all...  Some days later, Jaleel, Eghaas and I went with Win to the continent of Rilara; I had been asked to deliver a letter there, and Win said a farmer there would need help with a missing cow. Turned out it was the same person I was supposed to deliver letter to... On the way there, we got nearly killed by a gryphon that was preying over the plains, but in the end we managed to defeat it. And it turned out that off its body Win picked a collar that had belonged to the missing cow. So much for the rescue party. Farmer was grateful, though...

[bytor]

Got another companion to watch my back; Claire and I were exploring the woods and came upon group of ogres that were surrounding a wounded panther. As we attacked, the panther sneaked up behind the ogres and helped us defeat them. She's been following me ever since; not sure if it's not because of the pendant, but I suppose it doesn't really matter. Named her Nalee.

[bytor]

Rather uneventful couple of days, mostly because of rather severe that resulted from getting too brave. Suppose I need to be more careful in the future; my life's my own to risk, but Claire and Nalee... they'll follow me everywhere, and they shouldn't get hurt by my folly. On a more positive note, made some progress with my woodcrafting skills, and came across nifty looking bracers.

[bytor]

Met some new people, most notably Karn the bard and Lalaith the elven warrior maiden and an arcane wizard. Been mostly hunting with them these last days. Great company, those two. He's a bard, a sailor and Xeenite; with decent sense of humour and sarcasm that surpasses mine. The kind of person I don't have to worry about trying to make jokes at, and can always count on getting some witty reply back. Lalaith's nice, too. Somewhat arrogant and moody at times, but otherwise alright. Somewhat flirty, too, judging from my limited experience with women (which, unfortunately, mainly consist of Grandpa Huyghes' advice to be careful with them because they involve lots of jealousy). We were mostly doing the tasks that needed to be done around Hlint.  Delivered another letter to Rilara, then was asked by the farmer there to look into scarecrow problem in his field. Awfully unpleasant things, those scarecrows. Had some hideous magic to them, because Claire, Nal and I got scared of them for some reason. I mean, why be afraid of bunch of sticks and straw stuffings (aside from the fact that they move and hit hard)? Luckily managed to get away...  Saw Essan again. Did some more exploring, and came into possession of another pair of gauntlets. Got the first pair identified by Karn, and they seem useful; allowing to cast camouflaging spells in addition to offering some protection. The enchantment seems a bit too strong for me to handle yet, though. The second pair looks awfully similar... Also found a walking stick of some sort. Need to get someone to look at it, because around here, everything and everyone seems to be either magic or dabbing with magic. So why not the walking stick, too?  Met a beautiful woman named Aylse in the crypts (I meet lots of people in the crypts...) and together we cleaned the place. Said she was just a healer, but was full of tricks; from turning undead to protecting your mind against evil spells. Gave me idea how to get vengeance upon those scarecrows; find a caster and get my mind protected against fear. Karn introduced me to miss Rhynn, who went with us to those fields and helped us deal with the scarecrows. Actually did most of the work, to be honest. That's why I think outcome of the encounters depends much on the luck; once you figure out your skills are pretty much matched against those of your foe (or, if you're really out of luck, outmatched), you're lucky if you had brought along someone who can deal with it and save your hide. Of course, sooner or later you run out of luck, and then it doesn't really matter where and when... He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword, said Grandpa Huyghes; that's why he's chosen to live by the ale.  A man I've met and hunted with on occasions, Celith, has shown me how to make raw parchments. Now I can try making sandpaper and try improving my woodcrafting skills. Been also working on sewing (well, gotta keep the armor together, you know) and some cooking. And fishing and some occasional gem crafting.  Busy days, all in all.

[bytor]

Met a whole bunch of clerics (seem to be as numerous as the casters around here... sometimes I wish there was a fellow ranger or a druid around; you know, just so I wouldn't feel that badly outnumbered): Serissa, Sala, Muireann and Dora. Good people to know, clerics; they can make you healing potions (now I know what skeleton knuckles can be used for) and keep you in condition to fight. (Plus, most of them happen to be women.)  Also met Ark again, when Eghaas and I were taking a man named Yoshi down to crypts. Serissa also came with us, so the undead stood no chance (those spells, as effective as they are, take all the fun out of it... and skeletons are one of rare entities I don't feel guilty about hitting...). Was rather funny to see Ark making passes on Serissa, and them arguing about the Golden dragon.  Later that day I met Dora; was at the crypts again (well, you know, to get some practice with my morningstar). We cleared them together; or should I say she did? As she did most of the work... with the spell. Took her to the witch of the swamps, whom Serissa had taken me to earlier and who collects skeleton knuckles. After that, we headed west for Fort Llast. Serissa also joined us.  We thought of going to look around Grey Peak mountains, but Serissa said it would be a suicide and went to the temple. Was thinking of going fishing (had to buy some dried rations earlier, and gods they taste -bad-), but then Dora said she'd be going to the mountains anyway. Was one of those things that seem awfully bad idea at time (and even worse once you get a chance to think them over), but what was I supposed to do, let her go there alone? Nal, Claire and I already nearly got killed there... So we went to push our luck together, and we actually did quite well; up to the point where a bear showed out of nowhere while we were fighting the ogre, and after some running around I finally managed to calm it so it helped us defeat the ogre. Figured I had used up all my luck for that day, so we went back. Was a nice journey, though, and I find Dora a very good travelling companion (even though she seems to have a strong dislike for fishing).

[bytor]

Seems my good luck has betrayed me; how else to explain the recent events? Met Dora (and no, this isn't a bad thing and I'm going to whine about this) while collecting some cotton and hickory. The day before she showed me her new sword, and I said I'd be interested in buying a similar one. So she introduced me to the man named Quilus, who sold me the sword for 1800 gold pieces.  Were in the middle of discussion about possibility of getting an iron morningstar as well, when  some other adventurers showed up. Apparently, they had been defeated by ogres, and had to reach their tombstones... Went with them, just to find an awfully lot of ogres there. But luckily, Quilus has been secretly following us and took out most of them.  After that, Dora and I joined them and some more experienced adventurers on a journey to Haven mines. Full of ogres, too. We actually fought well, as a group I mean. Stuck together, hit together, and all that. Took the head of the ogre leader to local guard...  Even more ogres after that; went to Blood desert. Again, interesting experience. Came across an eerie temple on the way back, and nearly got killed by something that looked utterly evil and was wielding a schyte. Made a mental note about the location of that accursed place, so that I don't wander in again by mistake at some point in the future.  So far, so good; went with Dora back towards Hlint, and in Fort Llast we met Essan. After arriving to Hlint, I had to get some rest... and this is where it begins. Had my ox's pack full of knuckles, so I figured I'd get rid of them. Nice trashcan being conveniently placed next to the road, and all. Except that in the rush, I somehow managed to toss in my new sword. Yeah, imagine that. What kind of idiot would mistake a sword for a knuckle anyway? Note to myself: fully wake up before doing something like that in the future. Must've been a magic trashcan, because the sword disappeared immediately (...and then tell me magic doesn't hate me?). Oh well, if you can grin at your own stupidity, you'll be able to live through anything, grandpa Huyghes had said. And awfully right he was.  Met Dora again and showed her where spider silk can usually be found. Once we returned to Hlint, we came into a man who introduced himself as Garath. Said I definitely looked like a ranger (well, you certainly can't mistake me for a bard in that brown armor, can you?) and that he was one as well. As we began to talk, I learnt that he was also from the High forest... and imagine this, his village has been burnt down by orcs as well. Good gods, that did bring back memories, and pain, and I could almost see that accursed vision again... I have been able to get rid of that image, and been sleeping rather well recently; reckon it was because of moving around and doing different things. But when I was talking with Garath, it was like the whole thing had caught up with me again. He said he has been tracking the orc tribe that had destroyed his village and that his way has led him to Hlint. Was about to go with him to stalk orcs north of Hlint, but then Dora came back (suppose she got bored by our talk; I should have thought of that before...) and said she was going mining. I figured it might have been a distraction I felt I so badly needed, so I went to get the ox; Garath also joined us.  All was good until we reached the lowest level; after mining some copper and moving further down the cavern, some goblins crept out of nowhere and killed my ox. We had to carry all the ore and minerals by ourselves...  After that, I spent my time honing different tradeskills, just to keep busy and keep my mind off the orcs and home and everything...

[bytor]

Learnt a bit of tinkering; now I can make arrowheads. Might try fletching, too. Bought a new ox, and named it Tay. Will make sure this one fares better than the previous one. Went to goblin's to mine some copper, and ended up with so much of it that both Tay and I had to carry it. Suppose now I know how he feels... I swear I'll never put too much burden on him.  Been told that Karn prefers men. Hehe, wonder what the poor sod did to Muireann and her friend that they spread such rumours about him. Muireann insisted he told her he does, though.  Doesn't really matter, I guess (though, I thought that odd taste for colors and that hat were actually part of being a bard...) To each their own, whatever that might be. Figure if it's true then more women are left for the rest...   Went to swamps with Muireann. She's a cleric of Mist, but considering what I've been told of that particular deity, she was rather nice. Asked if Ark was really as much a ladies' man as he seemed to be. Also told me a bit about herself and her past. Went fishing after that. All in all, she turned out alright. Reminds me to try refraining myself from making judgements based on stereotypes. Not that I'd consider myself zealous and prejudiced (well, except maybe against magic...) or something; I do follow Katia's teachings, and Alan and Nynn taught me about her enemies, Mist amongst them. But on the other hand, they taught me to live with the nature and defend it, but in the way that makes my following of Katia more due to the dogma and my personal views than because of the goddess and her divine relations per-se. So I'd rather not go hostile on anyone just because of their religion, unless they give me a good reason for it... (And even then, where does one draw the line? Like the other day, when a deer was struck down while it was standing next to me, calmed and trusting me to protect it; I told the person who did it not to attack it when she asked me if she could, and it felt like I betrayed the animal and its trust when it got killed. Reckon it's hard to explain it to most of the people though... even harder to make them understand)  But I have strayed off the topic (yet again)... Muireann said she thought Ark's trying to win her heart, and she wasn't sure he really meant it. So she asked me for an opinion... Well, to be honest, I'm not really sure what to think when it comes to Ark. I mean, when I was with him and Serissa and others at crypts, I thought he was making passes at her. Though, it seemed more a joke than anything real. Just like that joke about two hundred women. I definitely hadn't bought that one... To draw a bottom line, I've never really needed to judge people from this perspective, and I'm rather bad at judging people's personalities and intentions anyway. And I don't even know Ark well. So guess it's for Muireann alone to find out what his intentions are.

[bytor]

Seems Muireann and Karn have been busy getting into fight with Jaleel. Gods know what it was, but I bet it was something stupid. Apparently Jaleel has called Karn aberration. Silly elf probably had a laugh at his expense with one of his flirting jokes, from what I could gather. Yeah, he told me he loves a man who's out in the sea somewhere. As stated in one of previous entries, to each their own. But I should make a note that just because I find something hard to believe doesn't mean it can't be true. Should save me lots of trouble in the future.  Jaleel and some others were setting off to look for the oil miss Juanita had lost – a task I was given as well. Karn was rather mean, wishing them pain on their journey, and such. Never seen him like that before. He wasn't really working on improving the situation with his comments... Later went with him and Muireann to Jasmin in the swamp – they had knuckles for her. Muireann said Jaleel was publicly announcing her as a woman of loose morals, or something along those lines. Don't know... from what I've seen of the man, he's a good person. But I suppose different upbringing and different customs might have heavy impact there... I mean, in all honesty, first time I saw her I thought her outfit was rather... loose... too.  Powerful force that, customs and views that one gets bestowed upon as a child. Like when Muireann asked Karn and me if we wanted to go dance naked in the rain with her. I mean... Alright, I understand it's a way of experiencing her Lady's blessing and it doesn't have to do with anything else. But then, it does sound tempting. And ultimately, nobody's immune... And she has said she's seeing Ark now. So it's one of those situations where moral bounds and principles kick in, and the whole thing just feels wrong to me... Don't ask why, I probably couldn't figure the answer even if my very life depended on it.

[bytor]

Stupid. Stupid. STUPID. Got Essan killed when Karn and I went mining copper with her. I should've said stick to left, we're going into left tunnel, not in the big cavern where two groups of savage green buggers usually lurk. So before I realised the mistake, the archers already took their aim at her... There's a thing with goblins; no matter what the odds, they'll stick with their original target. So who cares if Karn and I come running upon them with swords; no, they'll keep shooting at the first person they saw. And then there was a flash of lightning bolt, but I thought it was hers, because the goblin went down. Only that once we got the cavern cleared, she was lying dead there at the entrance. That's why Alan and Nynn always said it's for the person who's supposed to be leading to walk in first; so that little pricks would have shot and tossed their spells at me. I don't care what Karn says, it feels like my fault. Someone once said seeing your friend go down like that is far worse from it happening to you. Couldn't agree more...  Then back at Hlint, Tay started acting odd. Gods, almost gave me a heart attack. Jumping around like mad, probably much to the amusement of the crowd there. And once again, I could do nothing. I swear, there's nothing more frustrating... A woman named Lee helped me calm the poor animal, and she's really good with animals. A follower of Katia, too. I suspect someone was lurking around and scaring the wits out of poor Tay, but then again, could've been anything.

[bytor]

Been keeping myself busy with trying to make arrows. It's good for practicing different skills, and it keeps me busy. And distraction was what I needed to keep my mind from thinking about failing to protect my friends... Also went with Jaleel and some others to mine topaz (and fight ogres... these seem to be everywhere); didn't mine topaz in the end, because Beli, who was organising the journey, had to attend to something else. But did get to fight ogres. And lots of them... Good to know where the mine is though, might take Tay there one day.  Had a rather long talk with Muireann, about Ark. Not going into details here, because it's really none of my business, much less yours. In the nutshell, I think she cares more for him that she'd like to admit, and she's afraid it might come into conflict with her Lady's interests. I guess it's something for them to talk about and sort out... As I left her by the lake, I came into Karn and told him he should talk to her... Figure he's better at the whole talking thing than I am. More convincing, too.  Because in the end I figure I'm not really the one to be discussing these things; after all, who's away from his home, striding his path all alone? Who left the woman he (thought? he) loved, to follow the call of wilderness? Sometimes I wonder if it wasn't just plain running from it all... So yeah, relationships and women aren't really my field of expertise. Plus, I guess Butch was right when he called me naive and always trying to look for good in people. But it is funny, how much easier it is to look for good in others, to believe they can change for good, to believe things will sort out for them. At the bottom line, I guess it's easier to do that for others, because when it comes to yourself, you pretty much know what you're stuck with...

[bytor]

The New Haven, I

Well, that was... interesting.  After that talk with Muireann, I met Quilus and bought new sword. I swear, if I manage to lose this one as well... Been wandering around Hlint a bit, then came into Karn. Said we could go look around the swamp, and having nothing to do, I agreed. Came into Dora when we entered Hlint, and she said she'd come with us as well. Also picked up a mage, Animous, on our way through Hlint. Said he was looking for Wisp's essence... Nothing really special about the trip, except that I've never seen so many lizardfolk in the swamps. Seemed they were just pouring out of nowhere... And there was lots of bickering between Karn and Animous. Casters...  After returning to Hlint, Dora suggested we go wandering. Fair suggestion, that. So we went, the two of us. Karn and Animous didn't follow. Suspect they might have killed each other or something. Turns out she was thinking of visiting Port Hampshire. Fair enough. Except that it was via Leilon. Yay, boat ride for me. My favorite... (though, I guess it's safer than running from the griffons... in spite of me getting seasick every time).  There was some talk of unrest in Port Hampshire, but it looked quiet and peaceful. So we went sightseeing. Rather nice place, for a city. Lots of trees and all. Figure if you think out all the houses and cobblerstone, you might even mistake it for a forest... I got a bit distracted by it, and managed to take a wrong turn. Yeah, I'm a ranger. Getting lost in a forest would be silly, but getting lost in a city is excusable (except that I tend to get lost in both, but nevermind that). So I headed back towards docks.  Came into a clerk and group of people there (out of everyone there, I could recognise Ami and Lee). Figured I should check what was going on, so I got closer. Turned out they were signing up for going to some new community. Well, seeing new places is part of what I left my home for, so I figured, why not. What the clerk was promising sounded rather too good to be true. A community with no crime, no violence, with everyone being happy and well-provided for... heh, sounds a dream come true. Of course, it would involve lots of hard work and nine tenth of everything one would produce would go to the community, it being non-materialistic society and all. So far, so good (except it sounding rather impossible for various reasons).  When clerk asked why we were interested in this New Haven, it seemed most of people around me were looking for new start, or a better place to live in. Ohwell, let's be honest. It was sheer curiosity on my part. Never even heard of the place before. But, it didn't seem to bother the clerk.  We signed up for a tour to the island; we'd get to take a look and decide whether it was the thing we were looking for, and in turn, 'they' (whoever that was - 'the community'? (whoever that was)) would decide if we were what they were looking for. Kinda odd, if you ask me, considering there would be no questions asked about one's past. The clerk said mutual trust... We asked questions then; they were mostly centered around arguing that such a community was impossible to exist. I found myself agreeing with those who argued this way, but we drew the bottom line that the place was worth visiting nevertheless, and seeing it with our own eyes.  So we boarded the ship (yay, would be second boat ride for that day... Har!). Captain said we wouldn't leave before dawn, so we waited... and waited... and waited... and suddenly, there was a girl in the water. Some swam towards her to help her, but it turned out she was actually trying to run away from the ship. Lee intercepted her at the docks and calmed her down. She's as good with kids as with animals...  Turned out the girl (I'd say she was about twelve) was indeed running, not wanting to go back to the island. Said all her friends were 'old'. That they sent them to school, where they do boring things... hehe, Butch and I never went to school. Didn't have one back at our village. But yeah, we did find some things Ma' and Da' were teaching us somewhat boring. So can't blame the girl for not wanting to be there, where there's so much of the world to explore...  Except that the whole thing seemed deeper than just that. In the end, it was established that „they were all the same“, men, women and children on the island. That "they think all the same". Suddenly started to sound awfully like a mind spell to me (and no, I'm not paranoid about magic). Lee seemed to think the same. So she offered the girl to stay at her place. Sounded a nice place for a kid to stay at...  But it kinda figures. You can't have a society without crime and violence. People are people. Especially when one's background is irrelevant. While 'bad' can change into 'good', it can go the other way around, too. And there's bound to be jealousy, even though everyone's provided for. As Grandpa Huyghes would have put it, where there are women, there's jealousy... Joking aside, the only way to really make such a community work would be some sort of magic manipulation...  While we were talking to the girl, our ship had set sail. Well, we'll board the next one. And we'll see what it is all about. Meanwhile, it's good to know that the girl has a nice place to stay at, normal peers to play with and caring people looking after her.

[bytor]

Been mostly doing things I'm terrible at lately; giving advice on relationships and stalking ogres. Had another long talk with Muireann, the kind of talk at the end of which I really had no idea what my point was nor what it was supposed to be. Despite my best effort, it's beyond my imagination what really bothers her. And as she said herself, she had no idea either. There are things you don't doubt, be it either because of past experience – you learn that you indeed won't be getting any other food until you eat that spinach... Or in this particular case, because of the way it's told – she looked dead serious when she said she'd kill Ark if her Lady demanded it (that's when I thought she was afraid she'd be giving Ark preference over her Lady... guess not). Another piece of information I was better off not knowing. (Note to myself: If you absolutely must fall in love, try to make sure it's not with a priestess...)  Met a Queen and High druidess. Must've made a fool out of myself, too. But that's kinda bound to happen (even Alan and Nynn would understand that on such occasions, in spite of their lessons, one simply forgets who Hierophant is). She was really nice, though. Insisted I called her Bris and said there was little room for formality. She hunted down some ogres with me and cleared the road to Fort Hope of deadly vines that were lurking there. Wish I met more people like that...  Almost went fishing with Dora. Now that I think about it, she'd probably go only so she could say she tried it and found it boring. And I'd have to come up with another thing to annoy her. So in the retrospect, was it a bad thing we never really went?  Bought some magic trinkets; between dislike of magic and dislike of being clubbed/axed/hammered down, I'd go for the lesser of the evils. Oh, and I learnt how to summon another animal to watch my back – a huge bear, whom I named Bytor. Went stalking ogres together, honing both fighting tactics and scouting skills.   Made some progress with my tradeskills, too. Suppose there is light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to gem cutting. I'm pretty sure I'm about to master every possible wrong way of cutting greenstone and malachite. A new approach; instead of trying to cut it correctly (which is somewhat hard and can be frustrating when bad luck kicks in), I'll try to learn how not to do it. More chances to succeed, and if bad luck kicks in, I actually end up with cut gems. See the brilliance of this reasoning? Well, after putting it down this way, neither do I.

[bytor]

* The following excerpt is written on a page that is not bound in the journal, but rather just put between the rest of the pages. It would seem that while its time of origin is about same as of the rest of the entries, it doesn't necessarily fit their chronological order... *
   

The New Haven, II

Land ho! Finally arrived in New Haven. It wasn't a very long ride, but still... There's something about boats and sea that I just can't seem to stand (though it seems to be getting better), and knowing that there's at least one potentially angry Mist priestess out there who might call to her goddess to sink a ship at random just for the sake of it, well it doesn't really help much...  Left all the weapons at customs; well, fishing pole, skinning knife and chisels don't count, do they? After all, if I was that intent on killing somebody, I might start picking up rocks and throwing them around. It took a while before we passed the customs, though – ten people, with some having already wandered off to talk with children that were nearby the docks. I guess if it had been an official anywhere else, we would've been shipped back to where we came from with the first boat available. Not here in New Haven, though. People here are... different.  We were kindly asked to behave appropriately and in accord with Law while visiting, then Lee asked some questions. Seems there's little religious practice here on the island, even though there is an abandoned Mist shrine near the docks. As said above, there was a group of kids nearby – studying weather. To each their own, even though I wouldn't expect kids to be doing that...  There was no guide or anything; we were free to roam around and see what we wanted to see. Some talked to people around docks, some to the guards in front of town hall. I guess those versed in magic were looking for signs of the people being manipulated... Having absolutely no idea about that, I just poked around a bit. Found nothing, except gallows. First thought – they're lying about this being no-crime community. But upon closer inspection, it turned out the gallows were old and unused, probably like that Mist shrine just a leftover from past, from days before the island became the promised land...  School started for children and some of our group went to see what it was like; in the retrospect, it might have been interesting to see that. Alas, I remained outside with the rest of the group. Lee said this wasn't a normal farming community; Ami agreed that something was amiss, but she was convinced it wasn't a spell. As we were waiting outside the school, we heard an 'ouch' coming from down the hill. Turned out that a calf had stepped on farmer's foot – no bones broken, luckily (wish I could handle the pain with just an 'ouch' all the time...). We talked with him a bit, and he pretty much confirmed what we had found out already – that there was no laughter, play nor joy among kids, simply because there was “no need for it”. They were content, as were the rest of the people – content with their simple lives, simply wishing nothing more.  Asked him if his son was laughing and having fun before they came to island; he looked puzzled as if having hard time to remember. Unfortunately, his attention shifted to others' questions, and I was left wondering if maybe their memories haven't been altered. Back at home, there was a proverb, that a bird raised in captivity doesn't yearn for freedom (though whoever came up with that clearly hadn't spend that much time around animals)... In this particular case, since nobody had been born on the island, I suppose having their memories altered would be a possible explanation. Was proven wrong, though – after everyone left, I asked him where he was from, and he was able to answer that...  Went to town hall after that, where we met Father Ignatious (cleric of Roferein from Pranzis, as Cym had told us) and, later, mayor Parsathan. There, the mystery was unveiled a bit – it's all about mental discipline and emotional control. 'The Gift', as mayor had put it. Seems those who decide to stay on the island receive it through a ritual or blessing or something along those lines. And it all seems to be voluntary, more or less.  There was a question asked, whether the Gift involves losing one's emotions. It was followed by Father Ignatious' quick 'Oh yes!', whereas the mayor said they don't really see it that way. Father was given a sharp look, and shortly afterwards (not immediately, though, that would be suspicious...) they both left us to have a short 'talk'. Not before inviting us to dance and dinner that'll be held tomorrow, though... We talked a bit among ourselves while we waited for Father to return; the discussion was mainly about whether parents can make a good choice for their kids, themselves being happy with their 'simple' and 'unburdened' way of life... Kymar's case clearly shows that it might not always be so. Then Father returned and told us the Mayor would expect us tomorrow midday, and we can continue the discussion. He also confirmed the dinner and dance invitation. Yay, free food. And dance. I hate dances...  Waaaaait, a dance? Why would people who let go of joy and happiness and laughter need to dance? (And while we're at it, if there are no emotions left, do they just marry and have kids out of duty?) Might be interesting to see... And dangerous, if it proves to be a trap. It seems many members of our group are interested in seeing the ritual of Gift giving, so we could learn more of it. But since we are the latest group of possible new citizens, it inevitably means it'll have to be one of us. That simple fact has been pointed out, but it hasn't been fully addressed yet. I suppose we'll deal with the issue when it comes to the time? We'll see...  And now, staring into campfire and writing all this, I cannot help but wonder... People I talked with, they look happy. No, happy is not the right word... content... yeah, content. Because clearly if one was to get rid of one's negative emotions, one would have to let go of the positive ones, too. But, is that too high a price? To be finally free of the nightmares, to be able to close my eyes without fear of seeing orcs and my home burning? To be finally able to leave past regrets behind? And fears, and contempt of oneself? Isn't that what I had been told to achieve? The state of being at peace with myself, and with the world around me?  On the other hand, aren't those exactly what drives us? The memories that remind us who we are? The need to better ourselves so that next time same mistakes are not made? To prove ourselves that we can live up to our expectations? Ma' and Da' always said it's the journey that matters, not the destination...  So should I choose to receive the Gift and stay, would all that be gone, too? And if so, what would there be left to live for then?

[bytor]

Not much has happened since the last entry... Alright, I'm lying; lots has happened, but I'm lazy and don't feel like putting everything down. In the group of rangers Alan and Nynn belonged to, they had a man whose responsibility was writing the reports. I suppose he had drawn the shortest straw when the chore had to be bestowed upon someone... Either way, he used to say that nothing's worth reporting unless it's so serious that it kills you. In which case you wouldn't have to bother writing up the report anyway...  Seems Muir has a new guy following her around, who goes by name of Donnchadh. A ranger who follows Mist. So yeah, I guess it kinda makes sense he's around her all the time; people spending time with cleric of their deity, and all that (incidentally, how come there's no cleric of Katia around?). Wonder how Ark's taking it, though? If it was me, I know I'd be jealous. But then again, I'm not the strongest of persons... Haven't seen Ark nor Muir much, but Karn has told me they finally got everything sorted out.  Met an elf druid lady, Ranewen. Went with her, Serissa, Gruwlz and woman named Corba to Rilara; Ranewen and Corba had letters to deliver. There was really fat (and even that's put very mildly) griffon hovering above the plains... managed to defeat it, but it got Ranewen down. Luckily, Serissa prayed for her and brought her back. Note to myself: cleric is always nice to have around in case something like that happens (unless she's follower of Mist - in that case I suspect it'd make little difference (at least for me)). After coming back to Mistone we went to mine some topaz.  Travelled more with Ranewen (fun to travel with – seems to be always looking for trouble and has decent sense of humour). Went with her, Dora and Gruwlz to some mountains I've never ventured to before. Fought some strange people in the forest, then reached an eerie valley... turned back after Gruwlz said he'd seen a lady with snakes for hair. And we all know it's better to steer clear from women with bad hair day. After that, Dora, Ranewen and I crossed the desert. Was a nice journey, all in all.
That'd be more or less all... unless you're dying to read about how I bought new chainshirt, how my arrow making skills are finally getting somewhere, and such...

[bytor]

Hmm... time to reflect upon a question that has formed in my mind over the last few days. If there were a male and a female adventurer, both needing help but you could help only one, who'd be given the preference? And looking past the imaginary wall of what I'd like to be and the ideals I've been taught to uphold, what would an honest answer be? Yeah, think it's rather obvious, bar all the thoughts about treating all the people equally... And then tell me again women are not born adventurers.
Though, to be fair, so far everyone that has asked for help has received it. Reckon there's also the that other thing; I'd expect it to be harder for a man to ask for help... Know it applies to me... and it used to get me in lots of trouble, until I got Claire and then also Nal and Byt to cover my back. Or maybe it's just me – aren't really people's person. But anyway...
Went to Haven mines with a group; Rane, Karn, Ne'er, Tahless, Nixx the brownie and her bodyguard, half-giant druid Kargoth. Don't really want to talk about that...
After that, and after licking my wounds, been staying around Hlint for couple of days. Met an elfmaid named Ayslynne; Karn, Ne'er, Eghaas and I showed her around Hlint a bit and helped with the tasks she was given. Mined some copper, and discovered that there's tin in kobold caves (meh, need to start observing better... walked past those rocks numerous times). Managed to assemble together bunch of arrows with bronze and iron arrowheads (after the usual chore of smelting and tinkering...). They are more powerful due to heavier metal (and particularly effective against animals and constructs respectively), but they also fly in a bit different way than copper ones. Will take more practice before I'll be able to comfortably use them...
Nixx has been teaching me some basic brownie words:

• 'nihmmy': hello
  
• 'nihmm': hello without o; also 'dy' means 'to'... so dy nihmm with fragile tools being sold by craft vendor...
  
• 'kyttpuih': goodbye
  
• 'Dnearg uyoa eamm': thank you all; in that word order
  
Might be able to eavesdrop on brownies' conversations one day. Har! (Though in retrospect, might be more useful to learn elven phrases? Seems to me 'specially elves love to talk elven knowing some of us can't understand a word. Hmmm... might ask Karn about some basic phrases, too).
Joined a large group with Nixx and Kargoth and went to Berhagen mountains. Never been there, and feel absolutely no remorse for that; huge constructs, giant tigers and whole horde of rock-hurling giants. Luckily we had a host of experienced fighters with us, coupled with competent casters, so in the end we prevailed. Also, learnt that Cym is really good cleric. Suppose after this journey, some of that dislike for magic of mine is gone; being replaced by dislike for flying boulders. Alas, complaining against magic remains... have to live up to people's expectations and all that.

 
After returning from mountains the group scattered; those who remained visited topaz mines. Heard about undead lurking around before we went to the mountains, but found no such things. Just more ogres...

 
What else has happened... oh, Muir said Ark was threatened by someone named Kiva. Turns out it's the hooded one whom I've often seen sitting around Hlint. Sometimes with Muir, too. She said he's a friend and was threatening Ark because he had seen her upset because of him... but later a man named Jareg gave her a smirk when she brought the topic of Kiva up, so I figure she didn't really tell me everything.
Went to Krandor crypts and recovered ashes for Nikki; with Tash, a woman others called Fin, Eghaas, half-giant Zug and Cym. Once more been awfully glad Cym was with us...
After some striding around, I came into Jaleel and Ark on the road to fort Llast... talked about Kiva and Muir, and just as Ark was saying that she had told him she had little to do with Kiva nowadays, she showed up. In the retrospect, it was rather stupid to stand in the middle of the road... Seemed in awfully bad mood, too. Poor Ark... Argument ensued (in the middle of the road), with people coming by and watching with interest. Poor Mercas stopped by, and got snapped at by both Muir and Ark... decided to leave them and sort out whatever they had to sort out...
Tried meddling with alchemy a bit, then met Ayslynne who had letter to deliver to Rilara. Having nothing better to do, I went with her... passed Ark and Muir on the road (still arguing, or so it looked...), then stopped a bit at fort Llast. Met Karn who went with us to Leilon, then Hampshire, and finally Point Harbor. I ever mentioned how much I hate boats? Lost Karn somewhere in the Dinin forest (bloomin' bard in bloomin' nature...), but made the delivery nevertheless (and in spite of griffon)...
Been mostly staying out of trouble after that...

[bytor]

Har! Brownie and ranger saved the day (well, actually... make that ranger with bardic knowledge or the other way around... and no, it wasn't me). Woke up at Spellgard (the city south of goblin bay... not entirely sure what I was doing there in the first place; think I travelled with a group then decided it was time for rest...) and went back to Hlint. And there, by eastern gate, I met Nixx and Bee.
Nixx said she'd like to track down a wounded hawk she'd heard. So the three of us went north, towards High forest. Must have awfully good hearing to have heard a hawk from there, I thought, but then again, there were stories Ma' used to tell, about voices being carried with the wind... Found nothing, though. Asked at Katia's grove, and were told we should look further in forest. Which we did. Came across a bear, which indicated we should be looking for hawk in south, around Grey Peaks...   Bee had to attend to something else, so my favourite brownie and I went to the mountains alone. After some looking we came across a well-hidden pass we've never seen before. Had a feeling it's what we're looking for, so that's where we went... Came across some bugbears. After dealing with them, we went further west, and eventually came into a clearing... with a pentagram in the middle of it, and four bugbears standing around it. And in the middle of it, some magic sphere with a hawk trapped inside it.
It wasn't until after we dealt with the bugbears that we noticed a cage... inside which Tahless and another man (who later introduced himself as Gel) were trapped. Nixx set them free with some spell (which involved smashing the lock in many pieces that flew around and hit us), then we looked at the sphere and the hawk inside it, and the ways to set it free. Another hawk was hovering around, apparently trapped one's mate.   After Nixx and Gel inspected the sphere (being savvy in magic and all), Gel started to sing. Male hawk joined in, and the sphere began to shimmer, and turn solid, crystal-like. Once or twice Gel missed a note, and the hawk inside the sphere was hurt, and the sphere itself resumed its former form. We all started to sing then, in hopes we might get the sphere to solidify so we may shatter it. In which we were partially successful. And for the one whose both mother and foster mother were bards, I'm awful at singing... Anyway, the sphere did turn solid, but we couldn't shatter it. Tahless tried, and the sphere shocked him when he did so. And while we were trying to set her free, the trapped female hawk was growing wearier and wearier, and it would seem its demise was near...   Then Gel, while singing, shot an arrow... and he must've somehow imbued the bowstring and the arrow with the notes we were singing (or in my case, trying to sing), for when it hit the sphere, it shattered... And the hawk was free. And guess what? The female hawk turned out to be a winged archer lady! Gel got kissed and was given a magic arrow, then she thanked us all... She said she and her friend were soaring above the clearing, when bugbears pinned here down with a magic arrow.   Good thing Nixx had heard the cries, and good thing Gel figured how to shatter the sphere. Was an interesting experience, least to say.