Registered Member #24916
Joined: 2:58:00 pm GMT 01/23/19
Posts: 604
Whoooooooooooo!!
Guess who held the line in Hammersong! We did! We effing did!
It was at a cost, though. We lost so many of the lads, and the general. I honestly had no idea who he is, I never saw him before that day, but it was a huge loss for the dwarfs. They had such respect for him and they cared for him greatly. Sure, we won, but now it is time to grieve the fallen. I did what I could, and even Hammersong's head priest let the king know that. He thanked me personally for all I had saved, and all of us who came to Hammersong's aid were given the knives of Hammersong's Royal guard. It seems the dwarves acknowledge it too, as last time I went to Hammersong, the portal guard saluted me, and the lads at Hammersong's entrance now straightens their posture when I walk by.
The feeling is just amazing, but I can't let it get to my head. Sure it feels nice, but I really just do what feels natural to me. It reminds me of what being a Keeper means, and why we look for people sharing the "Keeper mentality." We don't do it for the glory, we do it because it is what we do. We do it because it is natural for us. We can't forget that.. If we do.. We aren't really being good Keepers, are we?
I wouldn't be a very good Lily either...
But anyway. I thought I could FINALLY have time to do my next "all drinks paid" evening. I even prepared the paperwork to hire a damn ship! I even found games for us, and set us up with cannons and everything, but NOOOOOOOOOOO. The freaking Iron City is on the warpath and decided they would go trough Hamley! Ugh, and they freaking approached Teron about "diplomacy" and there was no freaking way I would let him go alone. I know what devils are capable of, so I went with him. I didn't let him walk trough a portal to their city either, so we spoke in a cave. Apparently they wanted Hamley's permission to walk trough the city. If only it had been that easy. The whole damn thing is just a pain in the ass and seems more like they want to brag about their sausage size. Yaaaay.... Of course Hamley wouldn't freaking go with that, and the devil pricks made it clear they will go trough one way or another. Yay. A gods damned war, just because someone has a huge need to swing their **** around... Sigh.. I freaking hate this island..
But... No time for complaints. While us Keepers were working things out, it was announced that Hamley will NOT allow them passage. Not really a big surprise, but some warning would have been nice.. Now we have to hurry like hell to ensure the safety of the people. As if we didn't have enough on our hands.. AND SOME BREATHING ROOM WOULD BE NICE! YOU HEAR THAT, DEVIL FREAKS?! **** YOU!
Ugh.. Chopping them down again might actually be nice... It will be nice to let off some steam once the people are safe... but something really doesn't feel right here. Colonal Darienne said she saw a darkness in that orb of hers when us Keepers came to talk to her about it, and I can't stop worrying it is the same darkness the paths things have warned us about.. Ugh, why did they have to be so damn cryptic..
Anyway. People. I took the devils threat letter to dad, and he told me all of their threats are credible. He would know, he used to do them himself..But what I worry about now is that the Empyrean will be too arrogant to take it seriously, and not guard the farmlands.. Shit, what will I do then..? Hmmm.. Maybe... and I can't believe I am saying this... but maybe the Bloodguard will listen? They are apparently aiding us, so maybe I should pay them a visit?
Registered Member #24916
Joined: 2:58:00 pm GMT 01/23/19
Posts: 604
Well, the attack happened, and it was stupider than I could have ever imagined. The Iron City just wanted to break the contract, but didn't want to be the one to do it, so they kept a piece of the wall on them and waited for us to attack... Yeah. I swear, I am not making that up. There is not enough alcohol on Thain to make me think of something that dumb. It is... Provoking how damn stupid it was...
And I had to chat with them and just go with whatever they were saying... first to stall for Sollis, then for the Bloodguard.. A gods damned stupid conversation that could as well have been had with drunk toddlers... I swear, this whole battle.... UGH!
So, the battle itself... Well, it happened just as they said. They attacked a farm, and one of the outlaying villages.. Lots of flames, so much property damage... Not nearly as many fatalities as I had thought, but the fact that the Empyrean wanted the battle to happen... Freaking idiots, they were talking like their home ground is a good battlefield! LIFES OF INNOCENTS ARE NOT WORTH THEIR PRIDE!!
And I know Sollis announced a war before they made it to our borders.. But I also know he wouldn't have the balls to do it by himself. Someone higher up must have approved it. If I find out who, I will have their teeth. I lost a lot of respect for Colonel Darienne during this too. To even fight before we got anyone evacuated, what the hells was she thinking?
And what happened in the meantime? Steinkreis got attacked by the gods damned void! While I was busy patrolling Hamleys outer farms! How freaking nice! I wanted to be there for my friends in the city! I wanted to be at the Opera house, shielding Nicolette and Deayn, but NOOOOOOOOO... I was stuck in the north because an unstoppable bunch of shits met unmovable pride. UGH! To make matters worse, I heard Deayn even fell! And Sae had to use his life to recover her! I should have been there helping her!
AND THEN RENN WENT DOWN!! Grfzigdgmn....graaaah! As if things weren't bad enough! ....the poor guy ended up trapped in his own personal hell kind of thing.. I spent as much time as I could by his side.. holding his hand, and talked to him... hoping he would hear.. Seeing Renn like that was just... soul crushing.. But at least I got to help out when we went into the darkness filling him.. Even if we had to sacrifice some part of him.. Memories, I think. I was strongly against it. REALLY strongly against it. Memories make up who we are. Our experiences shape us... Without them... Is he really Renn? ...well... I am not happy with the outcome, but we saved his life... and for the first time, I saw Renn smile. He seems... at peace.. Somehow.. and that is good and all, but I worry about the effects of this that we don't see..
So... What will happen now? Well, the ones who turned down Renn's idea of attacking the Iron City while their main force is gone are now for it.. But that would leave Hamley wide open, now that they won the battle against The Watch. We will have enemies on both sides, and Hamley won't survive that.. It is probably too late to advance anyway. It has been too long since the battle in the Watch. They have likely marched home already.. So now I fear for Hamley.. I need to finish negotiations with Hammersong and Greenvale, for I fear our people will be lost.. The battles are definitely NOT over.. More will come.. and before we are ready for them... Then people will be caught up in it... and the Empyrean will do something stupid... and.... the north may be lost..
Registered Member #24916
Joined: 2:58:00 pm GMT 01/23/19
Posts: 604
Well.. I got a letter from Renn the other day, asking me to meet him in Lumenshire of all places... Weird place, but hey, the guy needs help with anything, I'm gonna be there for him. It turned out some others were helping him too, after some great hunt that earned them the right to see a fey lord of beasts. A first I thought he wanted to see Malar, so naturally, I thought he was insane. Turns out it was a different beastlord.
This one sent us out on a chase to find his friend. He did not say what his friend was, but only that there were a lot of others partaking in a hunt.. in the beastlands.... I think..? And that there would be places where we could find clues... Oh, and everything there is intelligent and wants to hunt us. Really reassuring, right?
Honestly, it was amazing. I really had the time of my life there. I got to fight elven hunters, fiercer than anything I have fought so far. We fought dire tigers, and Nicolette even picked up this adorable cub! I really hope she keeps that. It was just the cutest little thing.. Oh! And the friend turned out to be a bear! That charged at us! And I wrestled it to submission! Haha! Me Lily! It was amazing! So much fun!! It was everything I needed!
Really, the last.... I don't know... The last months? Year? ...way too long! The last way too long has been such a pain, a good fight, and just.. having a chance to just be me again was just... It was the best relief I could ask for! Oh yeah, we.... huh.. What was the reason we went there again? Uhh.. Well, we got a sword that he will allow us to use once against the void, so yay?
Not as yay when I went to Steinkreis after and saw Deayn... She looked horrible.. Like bring out the bottles and huddle by the fireplace bad..
So I got a bottle and we went down to do just that. Blankets, a fireplace, and bitch about how shitty things are...
Deayn had every right to do it, but even then, she let me moan away first.. Even if Nicolette had left, Sae is back in his egg, and she clearly carried something extra on her shoulders... and I ended up being the one moaning... Sigh.. That girl needs to put herself before me sometimes.. She said we would talk about her problems the next day, so she went to bed after I wented about the north..
Then when she left, there were these lights.... And the freaking phantom came out of a gian jar! I thought that guy had moved on months ago! But as he pointed out, he was left in the hands of two necromancers... Yeah. I should have seen that one coming.
Anyway, I asked him if he knew anything regarding the rune boulders, and he told me there was one in his home, so I am off to Vangottstein. I have absolutely no idea what I will find, but I probably need someone who knows the old language.. Wait, did they have an old language? Or do they use modern day trade tongue? Uhhhh... I should probably find out before I go.
Registered Member #24916
Joined: 2:58:00 pm GMT 01/23/19
Posts: 604
So..
The whole mess with Renn and Nico's trial.. That was a headache and a half.. At least things worked out well for Renn.. Kind of troubling that the mess happened in the first place, but.. Eh. It worked out. I'm glad he was cleared of his charges. That could have gotten nasty.. And I would probably do something that would have gotten me banned from the city too.. Heh. Actually, that could be pretty fun. Just throw a huge bitch fest, punch some people in the face. Storm out, followed by a rain of arrows.. I'm really tired of humans now anyway. All the nobles making the court case about them being pissy about Nicolette pretending to be a noble. It wasn't so much Kallista, no, it was them being offended someone pretended to be a member of their secret club. Pretend all you like, it was clear as day it was all it was about.. So glad Jaqiel saved the day.. Still pretty damn tired of humans, after them, and the Empyrean making the conflict up north about pride..
Ugh.. I still have to worry about Hamley too. There is no way things are going to remain quiet. We now have two enemies on each side with stronger ties than ever. One wrong move, and Hamley is more bonked than... Yeah.. We need to be extremely careful. Things aren't over like some seem to think it is. It is the quiet before the storm. I still need to secure the safety of our people..
Sigh..
I followed up on the Phantom's tip, and boy was Morton right about his warning.. That place was worse than hell.. Nothing but the tormented spirits of the fallen, and lingering evil.. But at least we learned what happened to the stone down there. It was taken. Like the Phantom said, "fat load of good it did.." Poor guy.. Though knowing what really happened won't help him much.. I can just do what I can do, and bring the one soul I managed to bring, to peace. Though that requires bringing him to every rune boulder on the island. Not that I mind, but... I can't exactly get to all of them.
Though maybe I will meet Ateryu again.. Getting some answers from him could be nice. He seems to be the only one that can really give me answers for my quest.
Speaking of answers, I finally went below the Crater Lake fort office.. Holy shit.... Just.... Holy... shit... I still can't completely wrap my mind around what I saw there.. Maybe I should talk about it with Renn.. He might help make sense of it.. I'm not sure how many days I spent just thinking about it.. And.. Well, it was a pretty welcome distraction. I wasn't able to get the last moments of the Vangottstein knight out of my head, and I couldn't even talk about it without getting drunk.. So yeah. Blew. My. Mind.
I should get down there again, though. There might be records of anything regarding the boulders. Maybe Lily knows something too. Think I'll bring her a book or two.
Let's see, what else is there..
Oh yeah, that new guy Sollis is squiring. Ugh. He did not sit right with me. Maybe it was his poor approach to that other girl, or it was him just seeming like an overly friendly slimeball. Guy seemed like he was one minute away from asking to trade a goat to see my boobs. Ugh, you really know how to pick them, Sollis. Guy was wearing the armor of a unit no squire has any business joining. A rookie should not be there irregardless of his rank where he came from. One who hasn't even been around long enough for me to meet him should not be assigned to such a group. This is just a disaster waiting to happen.
But bleh.. I'm just ranting today... Let's see, there has to be SOMETHING positive!
Oh yeah!
Hammersong opened their war crypt, and holy shit, it! Is! Amazing!
It is so big and glorious and pretty and double glorious! The lads would be proud to see it! I know a lot of them buried there too. Chances are I was the one who dragged them from the field. I know they would be proud to be buried in such a grand place.
But speaking of.. I thought maybe we could do something to save the fallen of Vangottstein if we were to restore or bring them a new boulder, got really excited too, but... Yeah. Mors and Morton struck down that idea. It's a no go.. Sheesh, that was a bummer.. People seemed to be really excited about helping too.
At least I can help the one guy I have in his sword..
Registered Member #24916
Joined: 2:58:00 pm GMT 01/23/19
Posts: 604
How long has it been since I just sat down and had a beer? Gods know I deserve one..
But Thain is being Thain, and there is no way it is going to let me.. So much happening..
There is this whole mess with the darkfey. Those bastards came back, showing just how right Renn was in that we need to hunt them down. Now they have an army of frost zombies.. And not just men. Giants, and now spiders. One has to wonder how Kallista fits into that. Maybe she went undead to gain power. Seems right up her alley....makes me feel sorry for Nicolette though.
But at least there has been some good in all the bad. The guy residing in my sword has finally moved on. Turns out his wife was still alive in Feywood. It was a tearful and sad reunion, but I am so happy we made it happen.. Didn't get us any closer to earning more about the stones, though.. Maybe if.. Hmm.. The demons were huge.. They might have literally taken Vangottstein's boulder.. Perhaps a quest to find it might be in order... Insane as it is.. A move like that will take all the best mages and fighters I know, and it is quite frankly crazy.
But it might be something that needs to be done. The souls bound to it needs to be freed.. though they might have been devoured ages ago.. And there is a chance to learn why it was taken. The demons might know something about them too.. Not that I intend to negotiate. Hells no. No way. All info will be taken by force.
But between the darkfey in the north, and the threat to Feywood, how the hell am I supposed to find time for everything?!
[ The Island of Thain ]
Daughter of black - Lily's reflections