Day 1
Today I set out on my pilgrimage. To be honest, I’m frightened. But, Suane says I should write in this journal to structure my thoughts better. I’m not sure where to begin, so I guess I’ll start by writing about myself. My name is Talim Narise. I just turned 18 years of age. I’ve lived at the monastery my entire life, ever since I was left there as a babe. I’ve worshiped Feywyn for nearly as long, as my way for giving back to the clerics who have raised me. Now that I’m of age, they’re sending me out into the world to learn more about the divine. So, I’ve decided to head to the Silver City and see if there’s anything I can learn there.
Day 10
Today I arrived in the Silver City. Even though I had heard the stories, I had not expected it to be so beautiful! I could see the glimmer of the buildings for miles. There was so many people, so much noise, and so many smells, that I became a bit overwhelmed and I decided to try to find an inn to stay in for the night, but nearly all the inns were full! After searching for quite a while, I came across what must have been the last open inn in the city. It seemed rather run down, but I certainly wasn’t about to complain. Inside, the inn was quite a bit more comfy. It even reminded me a bit of sitting around the fire at home. However, I had just sat down when a guard burst inside asking for adventurers to go out and inspect a village. To be honest, I’m not entirely clear on the details, but they somehow convinced me to follow them. Perhaps I can learn more about the area by traveling with them.
Day 14
A lot has happened since my last entry. Two days into our travels, we heard snarls approaching and were soon beset upon by a group of vicious kobolds. I had never seen one before, but they were horribly gnarled and scarred and smelled quite foul. The adventurers dispatched them fairly easily, the half-orc swinging his warhammer so hard that he instantly turned one of the foul creatures to mush! I’m ashamed to say I wasn’t able to help them much; my hands were shaking so fiercely that I wasn’t able to hit anything with my sling. Perhaps I should have listened more when Suane lectured me on my martial studies.
We continued onward, but soon we saw smoke in the distance: The village was burning! Some of us set to putting out the fires, while the others searched the village for signs of the villagers themselves. Unfortunately, we found them when a woman burst from the barn, screaming. Inside, the tiefling found a zombie, the remains of the woman’s husband, and several half eaten horses. I tried to help him fight off the festering, unholy remains, but he dispatched it easily with an odd, smoking weapon. Afterward, the woman told us that the villagers had been blessed by a passing priest and that all those blessed soon changed into the undead.
Everyone quickly spread out throughout the village to discern if there were any more of the foul creatures about. The village was a mess of burned wood and the pall of death hung thick in the air. I felt something particularly unholy about the house in the north-east, but before I could investigate it fully I heard the cries of children and the sound of combat being joined.
I don’t remember much of the fighting, but I don’t think I was that useful. I rushed over to protect the children and I must have been hit from behind, because the next thing I remember, I’m waking up the next day, stiff, nauseous, and covered in blood. The others had apparently prevailed and the children were safe. Apparently, the woman and the two children were the only survivors. I felt sick and weary all day, unable to even help bury the remains of the fallen villagers, so I was forced to sit and watch as my companions did all the work.
We agreed to escort the woman and the children back to the city, as it was clearly not safe for them to stay in the village any longer. However, our ordeal wasn’t over. As we were packing to leave, a group of goblins, likely attracted by the smoke the day before, stormed the village. The barbaric creatures seemed to sense our weariness and charged, hoping for an easy kill. Thankfully, the adventurers proved themselves again and the fight was over quickly, with no one permanently injured.
The rest of the trip was blessedly uneventful, for which I am eternally grateful. The survivors made it safely to the city and we were given some gold for our troubles by the town guard. Unfortunately, my fever has continued to rise and I fear I may not recover on my own. I plan to take my meager savings and visit a healer tomorrow. After that, I may see if this group will still have me along. It’s obviously far too dangerous around here for me to be out on my own.
Day 18
Today, I came back to the inn after spending a day in the city, wandering the stores and seeing the people, to find that we had another job. Earlier, the town guard had approached a member of the group - a white-haired bard called Farrah - and requested that they check the sewers of the city. They immediately went to investigate but were rebuffed by swarms of vermin and were unable to finish the contract. I felt guilty for not being around when needed and I offered my meager services when they wanted to reattempt the job. We left soon after.
I’d never been in a sewer before and I never want to experience it again. Gods, the smells were thick and pungent. They stick to me even now, after a thorough washing. The sewers were filled with vermin and the foul water floated with vile substances. We weren’t exploring long before a pair of giant spiders attempted to ambush us. I tried to help, I truly did, but the footing was treacherous and I missed the beasts entirely. Thankfully, the rest of my companions were far more capable than I and they soon dispatched the spiders.
We continued onward, the smells only getting worse. After several more minutes of wandering the tepid tunnels, the water began to churn. I looked around for the source, but I wasn’t looking for long as some sort of elemental rose from the depths. It was formed of the very substance of the sewer itself, the smell that rose with it was so poignant that the memory of it still make me nauseous. The disgusting thing went after Farrah and the rest of the party assaulted it bravely while I prayed for their safety. Feywyn must have seen our plight, because they defeated the creature with only minor wounds.
We moved on faster, now, and I could sense that everyone wanted to finish the job as quickly as possible. We rounded a corner and found steps leading downward, leading to a small chamber. As we got closer, several zombies rose to meet us. This was clearly the reason the guards sent us here. The horrors shambled towards us with surprising speed, attacking in force. The tiefling, who I’ve found goes by the name of Barnabas, leveled his gun at one of the fiends and a glow surrounded him and his weapon. I have trouble describing what happened next, but I think it can only be described as some sort of divine intervention. They both glowed, their features distorting into the form of some distant, exotic god. The weapon fired with a thunderous blast, disintegrating the zombie it hit in a shower of gore. Seeing this, our spirits were bolstered and we found ourselves fighting with renewed vigor, tearing the abominations down.
We searched the chamber and found a symbol of Nevron, which we returned to the town guard as proof of completing our work. After getting paid, we headed back to the inn, where we all promptly went to try to bath away the stench. Later on, I caught sight of Barnabas and Farrah talking in an intimate way, but they would often break into arguing about some point or another. I’m beginning to think this has been put in front of me as some sort of test, by Feywyn. I must help them realize their feelings for each other. Perhaps I will try to talk to Farrah tomorrow.
Day 20
I realize now that I haven't been writing about my other companions in much detail. There are five of us, now, including myself, Barnabas, and Farrah. However, there are also two arcane spell-casters: an arnian man that goes by Caius and a human woman named Juniper. I don't know much about Caius, since he keeps to himself, other than he likes to drink and only seems to appear when we have work.
However, I have got to know Juniper a lot in the past week. Right from the beginning, she has been the friendly to me and done her best to try to make me feel as if I'm not some strange outsider who forced her way in. She's a tall, thin woman with stark white hair and beautiful green eyes. I often see her staring off into space and I wonder what she must be thinking of, but on certain subjects she becomes so intensely focused that its quite startling. I find that I enjoy her company.
Day 21
Today was awkward, embarrassing, and wonderful. Juniper asked me to sit with her by the fire and I began to notice the scent of her, the feeling of her closeness, the kindness in her eyes. I felt so comfortable that, after a while, I ended up dozing there with her in the corner. When I awoke, Barnabas and Farrah had returned from a day in the city and saw us together and Barnabas began asking leading questions in his lewd manner. From there, things spiraled out of control and it ended with me at the bar, trying to drink away the embarrassment.
I don't think I can hold my drink well. After only a few glasses of wine, I found myself next to Juniper again, drawn to her like a moth to a flame. It’s embarrassing to write, but I ended up kissing her right in front of everyone. One thing led to another and we ended up in my room, in my bed, together. She sleeps there even now as I write this quietly, hoping not to wake her. Thinking back on the day, I don't regret a thing.
Day 23
Feywyn forgive me, for I have made a giant mistake. Emboldened by my relationship with Juniper, I approached Farrah yesterday and talked with her about her relationship with Barnabas. She admits to loving the man, but she asked me to not interfere any further. I wish I had listened. Instead, thinking myself experienced in relationships after only a couple days, I approached Barnabas today and tried to convince him to settle down with Farrah.
The conversation quickly turned sour. Barnabas disappeared upstairs, returning minutes later with all his traveling gear and talking about whether crossing some faraway desert. As he tried to leave, he tripped, causing him to fall forward onto his gun. There was a loud blast and the sound of metal tearing through flesh. I stood there in shock, paralyzed by my own failures, but thankfully Farrah returned in time to tend to her love. Unable to watch this catastrophe any longer, I rushed upstairs, where I now write this entry.
I don't know what to do. I've nearly split two lovers apart when I was trying to bring them together. I'll spend the rest of the night praying to Feywyn, maybe she can fix what her worthless cleric has done.
Day 25
Today I woke to find a surprise waiting for me: I was going home, to High-haven. Apparently, while Juniper and I were asleep upstairs, the group was approached with a job to take the symbol of Nevron to the monastery in hopes of tracking down the cleric who has been causing all this trouble. I did not expect to be coming home so soon and I hope Suane will excuse such a quick return since it’s for a good cause.
Nearly a day's journey from the city, we reached the High-haven River. Unfortunately, I hadn't crossed at this section on my way to the city itself, so I didn't know of any nearby crossings. Luckily, this section of the river was narrow enough for us to leap. Everyone else made it easily, but I took my time, since I knew I wasn't that coordinated to begin with.
I had barely made it across when we heard a loud roar; we had disturbed a river drake! It was a majestic creature, in its own way. Its scales sparkled with the sunlight and it moved with a grace that you wouldn't expect from a creature of its size. Unfortunately, I didn't have long to enjoy the sight, as the creature quickly barreled down upon us, spitting a foul, caustic substance at Farrah, Juniper, and I. It clung to me, burning to the touch and tangling my limbs. While I was distracted with trying to remove it, the party had slain the beast. We bathed in the river and set up camp for the night, exhausted from battle. Tomorrow, we continue onward to High-haven.
Day 29
I'm beginning to worry about Barnabas. Shortly after setting out this morning, he began complaining about the relatively uneventful state of our trip since the encounter with the drake. The High-haven Mountains were in sight and within a day's travel; at least, until Barnabas became completely impatient.
All at once, Barnabas turned, drew his weapon, and fired at a creature off in the distance. The creature bellowed, turned, and charged. As it got closer, it became clear that the creature was in fact a large bison covered in matted brown fur. Spittle flew from its mouth, its eyes wide with rage. The creature ran down Barnabas, injuring him heavily and Caius took to the air, pelting the beast with spells. It tried chasing him, but was unable to catch him as he stayed far beyond its reach. Juniper helped though her own magics while Farrah watched over Barnabas. Through their persistence, the poor animal was felled.
Barnabas himself was fairly injured, so we had to stop for the night so Farrah could watch over him and nurse him back to health. Hopefully, tomorrow will end with Juniper and I in my quarters, resting in a soft bed.
Day 30
Tonight I'm writing from a dark, dank cave, my only light being the nearby fire. Farrah healed Barnabas up rather quickly and by morning we were ready to continue on to the monastery. As we climbed the ancient steps, a blizzard started to send gusts of freezing air at us, causing frost to cling to our hair and clothes. The howling of wolves could be heard in the distance, spurring us onward.
Eventually, we reached the monastery and hurried in to the main hall. Inside the party met with High Priest Meruc and requested a divination to find the cleric of Nevron who we had been doing all these atrocities. Meruc gladly agreed to help, lending us his power. He also requested that we search for a young acolyte who I was not familiar with, named Luke. Apparently, Luke had been out in the mountains and had not returned. Because of the blizzard, Meruc assumed the worst and we gladly agreed to help.
We set out immediately, using a scroll provided to us by Meruc to protect us from the cold. We followed the last known heading for Luke, which had us climbing high into the mountains. After several hours of travel, we came to a ridge lined by sheer cliffs on either side. As we attempted to cross, we heard the howling of wolves again, growing louder and louder. At the peak of the ridge, we saw them: not wolves, but a pair of worgs. They ran at us, snapping and snarling. Barnabas held them off by distracting them with his loud weapon while the others finished them off.
We rested for a few moments and then continued on, finding the cave a short distance away. Inside, lying in the middle of the cave, we saw Luke's lifeless body, torn to pieces. Deeper in the cave was an enormous pile of gold and the source of Luke's demise: a white dragon. Luckily, it was sleeping and hadn't noticed us yet. Unfortunately, Barnabas had caught sight of it as well and advanced slowly, a glint in his eye.
Things escalated rather rapidly from there. Barnabas aimed his weapon and, with a deafening blast, let loose a volley. The beast's large, reptilian eyes snapped open and it let out a shriek of pain that reverberated off the walls and caused my ears to ring. With that, the dragon hurled itself at Barnabas. Somehow, he managed to break away from it, firing his weapon while scrambling backwards. Caius summoned his own beast to fight alongside us, while Farrah supported from afar. Suddenly, the dragon sucked in air and let loose a chilling blast that froze the very air it touched, chilling several of the party to the bone, despite the magic Meruc had blessed us with. The final blow came from Juniper, who slammed some sort of fast moving rock into the dragon, causing it to cry out again before going limp and blessedly still.
My companions rejoiced and went about dividing up the spoils while we made camp in the cave to rest and recover from our wounds. Tomorrow, we return to High-haven with Luke's body. Hopefully, there is something Meruc can do for the boy.
Day 31
We returned to High-haven, Luke's body in tow. Meruc looked so dismayed at the boy's plight; it made my heart break. He bent down over him and began to pray. I could feel the divine strength flowing from the High Priest, filling the area around him with warmth. Suddenly, the boy gasped and bolted backwards in fear, frightened but very alive. The room seemed lighter now, a burden lifted on everyone involved, while we tried to calm him and convince him he was safe, now.
Unfortunately, Barnabas had brought the dragon's head back with us as a trophy. Luke caught sight of it, froze for a moment, and then went limp as he fainted from fright. We pulled him to a nearby pew so he could rest and Meruc pulled us aside to talk. He had prayed over the item we had brought him and found where the cleric now resided: West Corberry, Farrah's home town.
Farrah left in shock and a sullen silence fell over the group. We decided immediately that we would leave on the morrow, head back to the Silver City for supplies, and go deal with the cleric ourselves. With that, we split up for the rest of the day. Barnabas went to comfort Farrah, while the rest of us went to the monastery's library. Caius went to do some research, for what I don't know, but Juniper and I went to seek out Suane, my mentor and teacher.
The conversation went cordially, but I could sense Suane's disapproval. She did not expect to see me so soon, let alone with another woman in tow. She pulled me aside and chided me on my choice of lovers, telling me that I should be focusing on my pilgrimage and reminding me that Feywyn wanted her followers to have children and promote life, something that Juniper and I could not do. I apologized to her profusely and I fear she has a point. But, it doesn't change how I feel about Juniper, who lays in my bed even now. I can only hope that Feywyn can forgive my selfishness for a while longer.
Day 36
We traveled back to the Silver City a sullen, quiet group. The knowledge that Farrah's village was likely dead and walking weighed heavily on our minds. Farrah barely said a word the entire way, her normally cheerful personality withdrawn and replaced with concern and doubt. I would catch her staring off into the distance, lost in thought, her mind elsewhere.
Even Barnabas seemed different, since the monastery. He walked with renewed purpose, striding forward with confidence, a stark contrast to Farrah. There was a sense of something divine about him, though I couldn't quite place it, and I even saw him praying. Perhaps the time at the monastery touched him in more than I thought, or maybe he was simply asking the gods to help Farrah. Regardless, I found myself drawn to him throughout the trip as he led us back to the city. Somehow, following him just felt right.
We're currently gathering supplies for our trip to West Corberry. We leave on the marrow.
Day 38
As we made our way to West Corberry, we passed through a bio-luminescent forest. The colors shined around us, casting strange shadows. From the path ahead, we saw a group of people with a cart approaching us. We tensed as they closed, unsure whether they were friend or foe. As they got closer, Farrah cried out in happiness and ran forward towards the woman leading the caravan. Farrah's family had survived.
We gathered around the pair as Farrah embraced her mother. I could feel the party's relief, a small burden easing off our shoulders. As Farrah told her mother of our plans to stop the cleric, the older woman's face turned into a scowl. She berated us all on our foolishness, claiming that we were surely going to our deaths. I tried to help convince her otherwise, but she turned her baleful glare on me and I fear I may have made things worse.
We left them shortly afterward, Farrah's family proceeding towards the safety of the Silver City while we went to meet the evils ahead. We're currently camped two days from West Corberry and I fear the worst is still ahead.
Day 45
Feywyn, Mother, help me. I don't know how to cope with what has happened. I apologize for my writing; I can't stop my hands from shaking and my tears keep blotting the ink. I think I should start at the beginning, even though the events seem to blur in my mind.
We reached West Corberry on schedule. The town had a decrepit, evil aura that I could sense from some distance. Bodies lay strewn in piles all about the village. As we moved deeper into the village, moans began coming from all sides as wave after wave of zombie pour out upon us. We fought them back, the fiends seeming strangely set on striking Barnabas down. However, he had equipped himself well back in the Silver City and barely any of them could get past his armor.
When the battle was finally ended, we moved on to the source of this evil, a mansion on the far side of the village. We pushed our way inside, fighting against monstrous creatures and devious traps. Undeterred, my companions pushed forward bravely, fighting off each new horror in turn. Caught up in their wake, I became overeager and stepped onto a fake floor, falling to the basement below. My body ached, but the memory burns more with the shame of falling for such a trap. I'm certain that Farrah or Barnabas would have checked the floor before proceeding.
They fought onward, through demon beasts and mummified horrors. Finally, they found him, the cleric of Nevron. He was waiting for us, two large skeletons to either side. He began to spout off his evil rhetoric, calling Barnabas a paladin! I suddenly began to understand what I'd been seeing in him the last week. How he seemed so righteous and divine. Barnabas declared himself a champion Xandrollen and demanded the cleric surrender so that he could be redeemed. The cleric laughed, mocking him.
Without missing a beat, Barnabas snapped his gun upward and aimed its length down at the cleric. A glow surrounded him and I could feel the divine warmth flowing from him, all that was good and holy focused on him and his weapon. He let loose with a thunderous blast, a stream of pure, golden light emanating from the barrel of the gun. It slammed into the cleric, who howled in rage and pain, punching a hole clean through his armor and his chest. Somehow, powered by unholy energies, the cleric remained standing.
The cleric yelled curses at Barnabas, snarling and gnashing his teeth. He placed his hands on his chest and the wound closed. His skeleton guardians rumbled forward, their armor and weapons glinting menacingly in the torchlight. Battle was quickly joined and the cleric charged at Barnabas, attempting to cast a foul magic on him. Barnabas pulled away at the last moment, dancing out of the cleric's grasp.
From here, my memory starts to get blurred. I remember a skeleton barreling down on Farrah, knocking her to the ground with its sinister, red longsword. I tried to intervene, but I dropped my guard like a fool. My last memories are of a flashing, blue scimitar and the bite of icy cold metal burning into my flesh.
I thought that when I died, I would enter the realm of Feywyn, but the next thing I remember is waking up in a temple in the Silver City, covering in cold sweat. There was an acorn in my hand and, somehow, I knew that I had to carry it back to West Corberry, to plant it in that cursed place. Juniper rushed to my side as I pocketed the acorn, explaining that I had fallen in the battle, my throat cut through.
She led me back to the inn and found me a mirror so I could look see what had happened. A deep, ugly scar ran across my throat where I was cut. Juniper calls it "heroic" but I can't stand the look of it. Every time I see it I remember the feeling of that blade tearing through me, of how incompetent I was in combat.
That brings me to now. I'm sitting in my room at the inn, biting back tears while Juniper sleeps. I've become a burden to everyone, most of all to her. I could see the frightened look on her face when we got back to my room as she clutched at me, crying. I'm wondering if I should leave, so I don't cause them any more pain.
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