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Dark Tidings
Winter- It is a strange thing to be dead and yet be granted the chance to watch the living. Stranger still to be assigned to watch the very group with whom I once adventured.
It has long pained me that they mocked my memory and did not understand me. I saw them summon a celestial the other day and though it killed many, they did not make the connection. It seems their new wizard, Toglard, is about to show his true colors and leave them high and dry while he, having avoided direct conflict, remains unharmed. I do not think this bodes will for him or the group and, to be honest, I can't wait for him to pay the price for his treachery.
Midsmer 10- We came upon a ruined village today. It was attacked by ogres. We've helped the villagers as best we could and now we're going to go put the ogres to the sword. Our actual intent is to use the poisoned crossbow bolts of the amazons in case they're working with the ogres. With luck, we'll be able to weaken their alliance. I should have more to say this evening, once the ogres have been dealt with.
Midsmer 7- At last we have made landfall and have joined the rest of the Princess' retinue of more than a score. We're travelling overland to Bistal. Cutter continues to amaze - he is from Bistal and seems to care but little that his liege may be dead or his people suffering.
Lowsmer 30- I do not like boats very much. We've been on for three days and expect to go another seven. It is very confining and there is little to do but sit and wait.
Lowsmer 27- After last night's entry I tried to get some sleep. I had a strange dream where a faceless army marched through a wooded area destroying things as it went. I hope it was not Mykyll. I might have known more save my dreaming was interrupted by a knock at the door and I was summoned to the council.
I met the other five who turned the tide of battle against the women yesterday. We were commended, then asked to go with Princess Jena to Bistal to restore order. Cutter asked a number of impolite questions. His arrogance is truly amazing.
Following the meeting, I took another look at the skiff. My plan to copy the symbols worked and I soon knew what they meant. I sent for Olownuin and the two of us tried out the skiff and made it work. It was faster than any ship I've ever even heard of before. I think even O was impressed.
This morning we had breakfast with the General. Afterwards we attended the ceremony and now I'm aboard the Weeping Winds. We sail for Bistal in the morning.
Lowsmer 26- It has been a very trying day and I fear the weeks ahead will be even moreso. Like many others, I came to the Isle of Paruv for the Festival of Peace. I thought it would be a great thing to have witnessed the announcement and then lived to tell my children and their children about it some day. As it happens, I have a more exciting, but less happy tale to tell.
I was part of the throng awaiting the official announcement when I noticed something curious. Fion went to check on it and reported there were three flying machines heading towards the island. As they drew nearer it was clear they meant to attack the peaceful crowd in the square.
I was not the only one who noticed their evil intent and they were quickly grounded by a combination of my magic and that of others. Their crews were put to sword and claw and the battle was done quickly. A second battle had broken out on the dock.
The crew of the Weeping Winds was fighting them, but after their initial cannon volley wiped out two boats worth of them, the women had landed and were now making it a melee rather than a cannon battle. The Winds continued to fight and they were joined by several others, myself included. The battle ended when some elf, whose name I do not know, conjured a giant oak tree (I'd love to know that spell) which fell taking the enemy (and part of the docks) with it.
I surveyed the council chamber unseen and found that it too had been attacked, though far more successfully. Not wanting to be thought part of the attacking force, i joined those on the pier. One of the warriors was bringing up the dead women and the rest were dividing the bounty among them. Much of it was taken by official forces.
I managed to retrieve a single crossbow bolt and had it analyzed. It was made of crystal and the red fluid was, in fact, poison. I've commissioned an alchemist in town by the name of Maydor to create an antidote, but he believes the best he will manage is a way to slow the poison. Even that is better than nothing. I've paid him two hundred gold for his efforts so far.
I tried to speak with the oak elf, but had no success. His shipmates claimed not to know where he was, though I suspect they were protecting him. While at the docks I attempted to use magic to read the glyphs on one of their sailless boats, but it didn't work and the spell was absorbed by some strange black crystals. Luckily, the airships appeared to have no such crystals.
Tomorrow I'll try to speak with the elf again and perhaps copy/trace the symbols and cast the spell elsewhere. Perhaps that will work.
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