Islaryn's Diary

The following is a compilation of diary entries and other texts written by Islaryn Sohnozath during her adventuring career.

## Diary Text

### Letters Sent Prior to Arrival in Nousha

*Dearest Rolmos,*

I must first assure thee that there is no cause for concern for my well-being. I have departed the Protectorate of my own accord, being of sound mind and body, but I know not yet when I shall seek my return. I apologize that I did not inform thee of my intention before I left. I should hope that this is not thy first indication that I had been afflicted with a great uncertainty, but I did deliberately conceal the depths to which this gnawed at my soul for fear that either my family or thine would prevent me from this course of action.

My intention is not to escape our betrothal. In fact, it is our betrothal that requires this of me. I cannot swear the vows of marriage when I have not yet come to understand where it is that my duty in life lies; nor can I swear these vows when I have yet to determine what my life is to become. I pray that when I return from this journey it shall be with a clear mind and a full heart, and that we and our families shall be joined together in the eyes of the gods.

I will attempt to contact thee and assure thee of my safety whenever it is possible; if thou ever needst to deliver a message to me, my uncle will be the surest messenger.

Love,
Islaryn

*Mother and Father,*

If you are reading this, it is because I have left of my own accord. Please do not worry for my safety, and please do not try to force me to return. For all my life, you have steered me toward the path that you wanted me to take. While I hold gratitude for the luxuries in life I have enjoyed everywhere we’ve lived, and while I am eager to serve the Protectorate in whichever capacity I am able, my time in prayer has led me to the conclusion that I am in need of a broader perspective of the world and of myself before I can commit to the path that you have arranged for me.

I must stress that this was not Uncle’s doing. This is something I have decided for myself and done on my own without his knowledge. Nor is this an attempt to escape my betrothal; Rolmos has been kind and caring and had no foreknowledge of my plan as well. Though wrath is within your right, direct it not toward them and only toward me; I shall return in time and face it.

Love,
Islaryn

*Kindest Uncle,*

Though it has been several months since I have last seen thee, thou art the only one I entrust with the fullness of this information. I have gone to the surface to seek employment in an organization known to thee as an ally. I seek the clarity of purpose that thou foundst on the surface all those years ago (though if thou wouldst care to divulge how thou didst find it, I would be able to get home much faster :P).

I cannot simply live the life of a diplomat when thou hast told me that there are many dangers in this world greater than the evil of mortals. I must know if it is my duty to stand against these dangers; and if it is, I must learn how I can do so. I expect that thou wouldst understand, and yet I dread that thou art the only one who would.

I have brought with me the sealed book with which thou entrusted me, and I will continue to treasure it with my life. I will keep myself safe.

I send thee my love,
Iz

### Part I

#### 1 - Mission Failure Resulting in My Capture

Diary,

I may have underestimated the task I have undertaken for myself.

I arrived in Nousha today, with not even a copper piece left to my name and secure only in the knowledge that the Consortium was near. I had come to make the acquaintance of some of the other passengers on the boat, most notably Goro One-Eye, Slavius Maximus, and Viktar.

We were greeted at the docks by a square-jawed man in a blue cloak who I would later come to know is named Reynoldus Basil. Though he describes himself as a protector of the city, he seems to hold naught but contempt for its denizens. He is someone I must strive not to imitate. His disdain for the Consortium is at odds with what I know of them.

I joined my ship acquaintances at a bar, where I watched Slavius easily defeat a champion arm-wrestler, who instead of relishing defeat as an opportunity to learn, opted to storm off in a huff.

We additionally met a young member of the Consortium. I am somewhat confused as it was my understanding that humans matured slightly more slowly than our people, yet she is a trusted operative. She encouraged us to discourage Mr. Basil from his harassment of townsfolk. It was rather amusing to watch him beset by seagulls in search of food.

Having earned the endorsement of the young member, Miss Olivia Smeddwirt, we were accepted at the Consortium. They asked us to eliminate the threat of a gang of grung in the sewers. They supplied us, and we felt prepared for this mission.

We were wrong.

We were not much match for the grungs' poisoned weapons. I was struck briefly unconscious, but I was fortunately saved with the assistance of several healing potions. It is with deep regret that I could not say the same for Slavius. A grung stabbed him straight in the throat, and he was dead in an instant.

I had never seen someone die before. As I was taught, I compartmentalized it, knowing that the fight was not over.

But it was over all too soon, and not in our favor, as our skills and weapons failed us at the worst possible time. No sooner did I see the spellcaster with flaming hands than I fell unconscious once again.

I awoke hours later, bound and captive, with no sign of Goro or Viktar. I prayed that they would be able to retreat safely, and that I would be able to escape from this place.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

#### 3 - Mission Success Resulting in My Rescue

Diary,

By the grace of Odighi, the Unseen Sister, protector of unrealized potential, I am yet alive and free.

I was held at the end of the sewer system, under guard by a large grung, several others like the ones we fought, and one mage like the one who rendered me unconscious. There was a table with potions on it, as well as another table in the corner with green tendrils emerging from it.

I had not much time to collect my own senses, let alone determine the purpose for which I was held captive, when I heard the sounds of fighting from down the sewer. The sounds grew closer and closer, until the grung holding me captive began scrambling around. I watched as Viktar rounded the corner into my line of sight, along with several companions: two shadar-kai, another elf, an orc, and a human.

They methodically defeated each of the normal-sized grung. The big one grabbed the human with its tongue, but he hacked it off with a scimitar and they proceeded to make short work of it.

Viktar unfastened my chains. There were no sufficient words to express my gratitude that he had come back to rescue me, nor were there words to express my grief as he informed me that Goro, like Slavius, had not survived.

I met the rest of the group that Viktar had brought with him. There was Von Synn and Twilight’s Call, a married shadar-kai couple. There was Bloodsword, a human man who was adept with multiple weapons. And there was Narzoll, a soft-spoken orcish man.

We made our way out of the sewers and back to the Consortium, where we made our report to Curfex and another minotaur named River. They were able to decipher the runes on the tendril-clad table, which were made to turn those who found themselves in the sewers into grung. Viktar negotiated additional compensation for this information.

We had shortly had time to bathe, rest, and recover when we were informed that the Consortium intended to send us on another job. They offered us 12,000 gold pieces to retrieve a ship called the Changemaker from Fort Folly in Ostrea. Though most of the rest of the group was eager to take the job for the gold, I asked for the chance to ascertain more information before we committed ourselves.

We were guided toward speaking to the residents of 123 Merry Way for that additional information. We met a firbolg woman named Poppy, who was tending to the flowers. It became quickly apparent that she was a member of the crew of the Changemaker, who had left it there after being teleported back from the continent to Nousha. She warned us of the dangers of the continent, in particular a pair of dragons–one that strafes Fort Folly with breath of fire, and what they suspect is a rainbow dragon who is involved in the production of a drug called Frenzy.

On our way back to the Consortium to formally accept the job, we opted to visit the blacksmith, a well-muscled, dark-skinned fire genasi. I was taken entirely by surprise when, after I introduced myself to him, he began to kneel to me.

Perhaps I have much yet to learn about the habits and customs of the people of the surface.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

#### 4 - Preparations for Departure from Nousha

Diary,

It turns out that the blacksmith was familiar with my family. I was vaguely aware that we were known to some degree on the surface, but I was not prepared to be confronted with that reality so quickly.

Nor was I prepared for the reactions of my new allies. Their bearing toward me seemed to change in an instant. Viktar in particular seemed distrustful. He questioned my commitment, whether I would return to my “posh life” as a “rich kid” if things became rough. I had to suppress a flash of anger, as if it had not been mere hours since I had been held hostage.

I suspect that there is more to his distrust that I am not yet privy too. When we later went to visit the alchemist Farboiler, he marveled at the fact that Synn could speak so directly to him (in response to his own rudeness) simply because she had gold.

I made it clear to the blacksmith that I would prefer it not to be a big deal that I was here, particularly given that I deliberately did not inform my parents of my exact whereabouts. My new allies opted to call me Iz as my close friends do, in order to draw less attention.

Did I mention how much more polite he was than Farboiler? He charged me far below the going rate for a set of splint armor, and he instructed some of his attendants to help me change into it. He was deferential and respectful, whereas Farboiler referred to me as a “tall, fishy lady.”

While the others saw a stylist–recommended by the alchemist’s wife–I went to acquire jeweler’s tools now that I am away from Grandfather Jhinnis and his workshop.

We returned to the Consortium to accept the job, then continued to gather supplies before our voyage. That included provisions, salt, fishing equipment, books, and the latest edition of Moglyn: Hero of Supuru.

I felt that it was a responsibility of mine to inform the next-of-kin to Goro and Slavius that they had been killed in action. I had them addressed to the only places I knew to associate with them: Dustburn for Goro, and Fort Cragg for Slavius. I also left a letter at the Consortium for my uncle in case he is to pay a visit there.

As we boarded, we were greeted by the captain, Skeeas Cross, a man with an unusually wide smile. We did not make not the best first impression on each other, as he and Bloodsword nearly came to blows until Synn could prove that we had a lawful charter for the vessel.

The beginning of the journey was uneventful, and we were able to get a good night’s rest while rotating shifts on watch duty. I took dawn’s watch with Viktar, which became interesting for many different reasons.

First, as we emerged from the ship’s hold, the sky seemed as if it were in crisis, points of light jetting across it at regular intervals. Cross seemed unconcerned at what he termed a meteor shower, even though he acknowledged that one hitting us would probably kill us.

Second, I learned that Viktar lacked an affinity for the sea. He seemed uneasy about the nothingness of the water’s surface and the turbulence of its depths. I attempted to reassure him, but I don’t believe he took it very well. However, he did take me up on my offer to teach him to swim.

Then finally, around the break of dawn itself, the ship came under siege by merfolk. I nearly felt the call of their song pulling me toward the ocean, but with the blessing of Supuru we steeled our resolve and prepared to repel them.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

##### Addendum: Letters Sent Prior to Leaving Nousha for the First Time

Addressed to the family of Goro One-Eye with instructions to send to Dustburn

*To the family of Goro One-Eye,*

*It is my great sorrow to inform you that Goro was killed in action yesterday. He gave his life with honor, sacrificing himself to protect the people of the city of Nousha. I knew him only for a short time, but the courage he showed will never be forgotten.*

*With my deepest condolences,*
Islaryn Sohnozath
Longstrider’s Consortium

Addressed to Fort Cragg

*To whom it concerns,*

*It is my great sorrow to inform you that Slavius Maximus was killed in action yesterday. He gave his life with honor, sacrificing himself to protect the people of the city of Nousha. I knew him only for a short time, but his bravery which I am certain earned him esteem at Fort Cragg shall never be forgotten.*

*I pray that you will forgive this request, but as I am unaware of the whereabouts of Slavius’s nearest kin, I ask that this message be passed along to them if it is at all possible.*

*With my deepest condolences,*
Islaryn Sohnozath
Longstrider’s Consortium

Addressed to Kharnas Sohnozath, written after the events that took place in the sewers of Nousha with instructions to hold at the Consortium in case he stops by

*Dearest Uncle,*

*I wish thee to know that I have arrived safely in Nousha, and that I have made contact with the Longstrider’s Consortium. They have accepted me into their employ, and in fact I have already completed my first job for them. Recalling the stories that thou hast told me of them, I feel a sense of pride and honor that I have been allowed to join their ranks.*

*If thou hast not been informed of the details of the operation, I will not hide it from thee–though I must emphasize first that I am safe and free.*

*We were sent to disrupt a grung gang that had taken up residence in the sewers of Nousha. They proved far more evasive and resilient than expected. Two of the four in our crew were killed, and I was captured briefly. Our fourth, Viktar, retreated to the Consortium, rallied more allies, redoubled the effort successfully, and rescued me.*

*Thou hast many times stressed the importance of being part of a unit that would swim against even the fastest current to rescue even one member left behind.*

*I write to inform thee that I have not changed my mind as a result of this mission. Though the deaths of Slavius Maximus and Goro One-Eye weigh heavily upon my conscience, I am even more convinced now that I must become able to protect myself and those around me, and this is the path I have chosen to do so.*

*Our unit has accepted a new job that will take us out of Nousha for the next several days as we retrieve a ship from Fort Folly in Ostrea. I shall continue to stay in touch with thee however I can.*

*I send thee my love,*
Iz

#### 5 - Arrival in Riport After Defeating the Merfolk

Diary,

We easily fell into a rhythm, as if we had been fighting together for much longer than a couple of days. We steadily dispatched the merfolk; as their numbers dwindled we offered them several opportunities to retreat or surrender but they refused to break off the attack. It was largely to their own detriment, as their spears rarely found their mark.

The tide nearly turned when the ship made contact with an octopus. It reached a tentacle over the side and grabbed Twilight, pulling him overboard and into the water. As he had come to my aid before, I had no hesitation in diving in after him. I pried him from its grasp, allowing him to teleport back onto the ship. The octopus tried to grab me in reprisal, but Char Nellon’s armor proved resilient and impervious to its attacks. With the rest of the crew coming to my aid, we severed the tentacle and made our escape as we killed the remainder of the merfolk.

Except for one, that is. While I fought the octopus, I saw a much more formidable merperson commanding the fin-soldiers. He retreated as we made our escape.

This was not a useful exercise in easing Viktar’s fear of the sea, safe to say.

We spoke about the meteor shower. Twilight mentioned that he had seen a meteor impact the ground, and he had marked its location. We may explore the area on our return, along with a tavern Cross recommended called the Broken Mug.

There were more strange events in the sky during our voyage. It seemed to tear briefly as a loud voice from the west said “No.” Cross seemed concerned, and connected it to a gnome we’d met in the Consortium named Niqnaq Ciceli. We should be on our guard around him.

I am also told there was a dragon spotted to our south, flying east. If the sky is always this eventful, then how could anyone think the sea is more dangerous?

Nonetheless, we sailed eastward and made port at Riport. Bloodsword, Synn, and Twilight stayed on the ship while Narzoll, Viktar, and I rowed to the dock. Narzoll took up some work loading and unloading vessels to earn some gold while Viktar took me up on my offer to teach him to swim.

On our way there, Viktar noted that his etiquette book had told him not to steal, but that he felt a temptation with so many potential targets. He indicated a woman in a blue dress. I did not wish to imply any sort of permission, so I asked if he would like us to inform her that the way she carried her purse put her in a vulnerable position. Before we could do so, she turned to us to get our attention.

It was Poppy…but she had no memory of us and claimed that she had not been to Nousha at all in recent weeks. Viktar and I were not sure what to make of this: she did not mention a twin here or in Nousha, and it would have been difficult for her to arrive here before us. Was one or both a duplicate? An illusion?

Either way, she knew about the Changemaker. She had many things to say about it, some of which she acknowledged were more credible than others. It used to be called the Nebula until the crew we were hired by took it from drug-runners. They changed the figurehead to a half-skeleton, which Poppy heard people say is enchanted and could come back to life. There are rumors it can fly, travel underwater, or trap souls aboard.

She…also mistook Viktar and me for husband and wife. Before I could correct the record, Viktar seemed to go along with it. And then he proceeded not to buy flowers for his “wife.” I don’t think I was supposed to feel as indignant about that as I did, considering he is not actually my husband.

Poppy did, however, recommend the bath house as a place to teach him to swim, so that became our destination. Viktar seemed somewhat skittish at the nudity he was aware existed in bath houses, but perhaps it would distract him from his discomfort of being in the water. It turned out that we were the distraction to everyone else there.

I recognize that I have typically drawn the attention of others, particularly men, all of my adult life. It can become overwhelming, but for the most part I can block out any unsolicited stares so long as no one is overtly disrespectful or fails to take the first “no” for an answer. Viktar took notice of the attention we–I–drew and kindly checked in on me to be sure that I was not uncomfortable. He also wanted to be sure that he did not offend me for not paying that kind of attention to me.

His reasoning stuck with me: he did find me attractive, but regarded me as a friend. Though I did not say so in return, he is someone who’s easy to be drawn to: kind-hearted, loyal, soulful blue eyes, and a certain air of mystery around him.

I of course let him know that I am betrothed and would not be able to reciprocate even if he did wish to pursue anything beyond friendship. He seemed surprised and promised to keep it a secret–I let him know that it was simply not something that had come up in conversation.

He made great progress in his lessons. He has already found comfort in the water and has a basic knowledge of the various strokes. We will have more to work on, but I am certain that he will become a capable swimmer in time.

Did I mention that he has a protective streak? As we exited the water and I dried off and dressed myself, he kept an eye on the other patrons to ensure that no one crossed any lines. It was a sweet gesture.

I don’t know what came over me when I whispered in his ear, “Thank you, husband.” But he turned red as a salmon and that was a far more enjoyable development than I expected it to be.

After we got some chocolate, we made our way back to the ship and met up with Narzoll. But as we tried to board our dinghy and make our way back to shore, we saw a woman in a sealskin coat sitting in it. She requested passage to Endland Pointe, and for some reason she could not simply request it of a commercial ship.

Things quickly became testy. She recognized this as a Cervantes ship and threatened to reveal it to them, though I did not understand why this should be a problem if we are the legal owners of the ship. Narzoll visibly did not appreciate being threatened. And I did not appreciate that she knows who I am and speaks my name aloud. She believed that if I am on the run, I must be well-protected and be headed to somewhere unsavory. And she insisted to the others that I am on the run, which is not how I would describe things but is true from a certain point of view.

We ultimately ended up taking her back with us to the ship: either we will judge her trustworthy and carry out her request, or we won’t and it may be easier to mete out consequences.

I had to explain to the rest of the group that I am not a fugitive, not being pursued, and not in any danger that I’m aware of; in that sense, I am not on the run.

She identified herself as Alliée Guru. She wants to reclaim a business she once operated in Endland Pointe. She has taken up residence in our hold. And if I didn’t know any better I would wonder if she were a selkie.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

#### 6 - Sailing through Sahuagin Territory

Diary,

My uncle tells me that there are many dangers in this world greater than the evils of mortals. We were fortunate to have evaded one such evil as we departed from Riport. I saw a ship in the dock begin to exude a red mist which proved hostile to life itself, shredding a dockworker into fine bits.

We prepared the ship for egress, and our lack of experience with each other could have proved deadly if we were the intended targets of this ship. Several of the occupants dove into the water, and Synn tracked them to a drainage pipe into the city. Viktar identified their insignia as belonging to the Daughters of Mosaba. We had to convince him that we needed to remain alive to deliver a report of the situation rather than risk our lives against an overwhelming foe.

There was one Daughter of Mosaba unaccounted for, so we executed a thorough search of the ship to ensure that we were not at risk of stowaways. We found none. We did, however, examine the cargo hold and found the remnants of an explosion. Cross confirmed that the source of the explosion was a dangerous narcotic known as Frenzy.

We spoke with Guru to understand how she came to identify me and our ship. Apparently, we are both quite recognizable: there are not many ships of this size that do not belong to the Protectorate, and not many triton in fine armor on the surface “slumming it,” to use her words.

The more time I spend around this woman–this selkie, by her own admission–the more I don’t like her. I would not mind acting on Viktar’s suggestion that we throw her overboard: she would survive, to be sure, and she would be massively inconvenienced.

Nevertheless, we agreed to continue transporting her for the fee she offered. Synn seems to have warmed up to her and relayed Guru’s warning that we were due to approach sahuagin territory unless we sailed into Protectorate waters. She warned us that they would attempt to board the ship, push us into the water, and feed us to sharks.

She also continued to inhibit our goodwill toward her by rudely taking Twilight’s pan flute from him because he played a selkie song she objected to. My mother would have appreciated how Synn defused the situation by insisting that he was attempting to compliment her–a transparent lie, but one that allowed all parties to save face. Perhaps it’s because Synn is noble herself that she understands this skill.

We expected the sahuagin to strike in the late morning or early afternoon, but to my surprise they had begun crawling all over the hull of the ship by the time Viktar and I took watch at dawn. Not wanting to tip them off, I asked Viktar to make sure Narzoll has had his coffee, along with everyone else–a plain reference to an incident that made it clear why Narzoll would never wish to have coffee. I was hoping that he would quietly round everyone up and get them to the deck without alerting the sahuagin that their ambush had been spotted. But after several minutes elapsed, I went down into the hold to find that he had taken my instructions more literally than that. I explained the situation quietly, hoping that the sahuagin had not already swarmed the deck. Fortunately, when we emerged, they were yet unaware of our awareness of their presence.

Therefore, when a dozen of them swarmed the ship all at once, we were prepared. Twilight had fashioned harnesses for us during his watch shift, so Viktar was harnessed into the rigging 20 feet above the deck and Bloodsword was harnessed to the mast.

Overall, most of the sahuagin proved clumsy and inefficient. They were at times able to grab hold of Narzoll or Synn, but those who did met reprisal immediately. One chased Viktar into the netting and cut away his harness, but that one met his end with haste as well. As their numbers dwindled, a much larger one approached and boarded. It was a genuine threat with its trident, and only a well-timed distraction from Twilight prevented it from striking a blow at my throat.

Synn kept me standing with a wreath of shadows that flowed from her, somewhat reminiscent of the types of powers my uncle is said to be able to command. I wonder if that is in the book of his I have in my possession…

Nevertheless, we proved more than a match for the big sahuagin. It attempted to flee back into the sea, but Narzoll made it to the ballista and killed it first. Twilight, against all sense, jumped into the water to retrieve its trident. He teleported himself back onto the ship and into the rigging before any sharks could pursue him.

With Twilight tangled up but the sahuagin threat cleared, we continued to make headway toward Endland Pointe.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

#### 7 - Devastation in Endland Pointe

Diary,

We were not the only ones to be assailed at sea.

As we continued onward, we saw a group of fishers waving at us. We initially believed them to be waving in greeting or warning, so Twilight steered the ship to stay clear of them. Instead, they were waving for help, under pursuit by a pod of orca.

It quickly became a rescue operation, a race to see how many we could onboard before the whales could get to them. I crewed the starboard side, pulling up fishers and calling upon the power of the Trio to command the orcas to remain at shore from the ship with limited success.

It was difficult for the fishers to tread across their canoes and nets to reach us, and any who fell into the water were quickly devoured. We were able to save four of the six on the starboard side and one of the four on the port side. Per their request, we escorted them to the safe haven of Greenhut Isle, and we continued onward.

The selkie decided to indulge her curiosity by asking what our business was in Endland Pointe. We allowed her to know that it was not, in fact, our end point, but we did not divulge our aim to reach Ostrea. She made sure to mention that Endland Pointe is lawless, lacking an order of people to protect it. (Perhaps this is why she intends to return there.) She recommended the Rusty Lobster, an establishment run by Ace Tiger.

There was an odd moment when she mentioned seeking a corn supplier. When Narzoll brought up the name of Seatoad Coin, she closed up like a clam and retreated below deck.

Twilight seemed impressed that I could command the orcas. My people learn how to communicate with the creatures of the sea; it’s an essential survival mechanism and not much different from how people of the surface communicate with their pets. He presented me with the trident he recovered from the sahuagin as thanks for rescuing me from the octopus.

I tell him that I am sure he would have done the same for me. I am not sure that either of us would bet our lives to test this. However, my uncle once told me, “Insist upon seeing the best in others, and they will begin to see the best in themselves,” and so I will see the best in all of my crewmates as long as they shall give me no reason not to do so.

The selkie, of course, is an exception to that rule.

The perils of the sea continued to make themselves apparent, as Bloodsword was drawn overboard during a storm. With much more fluidity than displayed in our attempt to quit Riport, we managed to slow down the ship long enough for Narzoll to haul him onto the deck. Narzoll and I helped Cross navigate the choppy waters, and as the storm cleared we discovered that we would arrive in Endland Pointe earlier than expected.

We were not prepared for the nothingness we found there.

The city of Endland Pointe was still and silent, the aftermath of a devastation that had been wrought upon it. We found the remains of bodies in the street, mangled beyond recognition. Synn’s familiar flew overhead, seeing holes in ceilings shaped like people, as if they’d been thrown clean through them. The interiors of the buildings had been torn apart, and some sort of black ooze made itself apparent. And the presence of demonic energy was almost sickening.

The first sign of life we found was at the Rusty Lobster, with its door open and its light on. Ace Tiger was the only one there. He explained that the building was protected by the blessing of a paladin of Usil who had married his wife there. It was fortunate, as whatever creature caused this nightmare had devastated much of the town. It came from the sky, landed on the docks, and touched the minds of people to cause them to go into a rampage. Anyone left alive in the town has gone into hiding.

Like in Riport, the best we could do was to stay alive and get out so that we could make a report. Ace Tiger directed us toward the Purple Flower to resupply, where we were met by the seemingly very paranoid Isaac and–in Synn’s words, the “famous Captain Fanny.” Fanny’s pickpocketing skills deserve fame–or perhaps infamy–but as merchants they were both fair. We bought nets, harpoons, ballista bolts, and grappling hooks. Bloodsword bought a vicious scimitar but paid potentially the highest price of any of us: he promised Fanny a favor.

Fanny identified the demon as a Xokoreth. She warned us not to shake hands with people or touch them, lest it spread its poison to our minds. She is familiar with Cross, though, and expects that he would not have stayed on the ship–which means it was vulnerable, and it could be getting swarmed by those looking to escape.

That is indeed what the case was. We did not have much success in convincing people that they should not board the ship–no matter how dangerous the places we’re going are, it is surely worse here. They particularly did not seem inclined to listen to me, assuming that I was attempting to visit the Protectorate’s jurisdiction upon them. One of them shoved me into a pole as I tried to rush past him. They did not understand that I wanted to resolve this conflict without bloodshed–an opinion not shared by all on their side or ours.

The conflict soon became violent. One of the boarders took a swing at Bloodsword. Narzoll swung in return. Synn began blasting, and Bloodsword began to swing as well. As I reached the ship, an elf–who carries themselves as a leader of the group–pointed a rapier at me. They don’t want a fight; they just want the ship.

May Zayu guide our words and our deeds such that we can resolve this conflict with as few lives lost as possible, and with our own safety and the mission’s integrity intact.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

#### 8 - The Difficulty of Communication and Peacemaking

Diary,

I regret the number of innocent people that died on this day, by our hand. After all, we did share a common goal: we both wanted to escape Endland Pointe. But we could not effectively communicate this to them.

We erred in our initial terms as well, asking them to leave the ship. Should we have been surprised that they would choose the possibility of overpowering us over the certainty of a horrible death at the hands of that demon?

Matters changed instantly when the demon made its appearance on the docks. We quickly hashed out a compromise that we would take the boarders to Greenhut Isle, and we all began working together to get the anchor lifted and wind in the sails. I wish it did not take the prospect of our mutual imminent demise to channel the current to peace, but I suppose sometimes that is our nature as mortals.

Before we left port, Synn sent her familiar to investigate the demon more closely. It seemed almost amused, petting the pseudodragon. As its touch itself is corruptive, Synn had to put it to death–or whatever constitutes death for a being that can be summoned anew.

Though seven of us had made port, only five would leave it. Skeeas and Viktar were not on the ship when we were forced to leave, having gone into town to help those who could be helped. I hope that I will get to see them again, particularly Viktar. I…was growing fond of him. We had the makings of a very strong friendship.

Synn and I ensured that the boarders who had died at our hand received the proper funeral rites and a dignified burial at sea. Many of them were looking to start a new life after being freed from prison for shipping illicit herbs on the Aurora for Pitney Bones. The survivors were not particularly concerned with honoring the dead, but I meant it as a gesture to demonstrate that we were not enemies.

They did not seem receptive to it, or to me in general. They were not subtle about it. The Protectorate has few friends in the city of Endland Pointe, after all. I offered sparring lessons, and they pointedly refused to take me up on it. Their leader, the elf named Kieran Perdan, was not very subtle about asking for payment in order to not divulge my location. I believe I was able to convince him that passage was payment enough, but it is clear that I am too recognizable not to be tracked down eventually.

On this, our second visit to Greenhut Isle to drop people off, we actually made land and met the locals. Their culture emphasizes egalitarianism, and prior to any trade it’s important for both buyer and seller to become equal. We would kneel in front of each other, fill a cup, and pour it into the sand: now they are empty and ready to be filled with whatever it is we desire to exchange.

I watched Twilight purchase a new set of bracers, then helped Bloodsword as he fell over attempting the ritual himself. For my part, I acquired a beautiful necklace and an emerald. The jeweler seemed fascinated by my hair, and she offered me a sapphire in exchange for a lock of it. Touched, I agreed. The gems looked like they’d been recovered from the sea itself, much like the ones Grandfather Jhinnis collects.

There are some things I miss about home.

We continued our course, sailing across the brackish, non-Protectorate waters of the Toad Sea and making good time toward Ostrea. As we drew toward the eastern coast, we found ourselves approaching an eerie fog–a banshee fog, glowing green with danger. Their wails were the only sound that pierced the night, growing ever louder like a siren’s call as we approached each other.

And just as we breached the wall: silence, as Synn’s spell soaked all the sound from the sky and sea. The banshees flailed at us, but we were free from the most exigent of dangers and in no peril for the rest of the night.

In the morning, we reached the Ostrean shore and turned south. The continent itself looked barren; jagged rocks adorned the coast and vegetation was conspicuously absent. Some of the sand looked as if it had been superheated into glass, and even 30 miles north of Fort Folly we could easily discern the cause.

The dragon was in flight, spewing flame, burning everything in sight. And when we approach, we will have to make sure it does not have the opportunity to do the same to us.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

#### 9 - A Meditation on Duty and a Report of Mission Success

Diary,

We should have considered at some point how the Changemaker could have survived for so long in the bay of Fort Folly through all the dragon raids. When we arrived, I immediately feared that it had not, for there was no sign of it anywhere. The only sign of surface life we saw at sea was a houseboat, draped in seaweed and difficult for the eye to perceive in any shape other than flat.

As it turned out, the houseboat was occupied by a man who called himself Crazy Zach. He informed us that he has been living in the bay for 43 years, all without the dragon knowing he’s there. His solitude explains a great deal about his demeanor. It also explains why he has such an affinity for oranges, which he must not have access to out here.

He promised to answer questions in exchange for oranges, but his answers proved to be supremely unhelpful even if they were technically correct. I am no fey, and accuracy is not truth. After a particularly impertinent response, I made a point of throwing an orange into the ocean where his pet walrus ate it. Not my most diplomatic moment, to be sure, but I was not much in the mood for games. Eventually, he relented and unveiled the camouflage that was covering up the Changemaker right next to us.

He explained that there were two beings that came onto the deck: a human and a large bird. A visual inspection of the bloodstain on the deck made it clear that the two had fought before going below decks.

As we began to inspect the ship, Synn asked why those like Crazy Zach and the sailors we met in Endland Pointe dislike the Protectorate. I stayed diplomatic in my response: we’ve been dealing with people who are used to living outside the bounds of authority, and they don’t respond well when authority is visited upon them.

I have never wielded that formal authority myself, but I’ve always understood the need for it. The sea and the surface are wide-open, dangerous places. The threats of nature are great enough that mortals invariably band together to form societies in order to protect ourselves from them. The threats of mortals are great enough that our societies sanction those who would act in such a way as to endanger others. And all of this may as well be practice for the dark days we fear will never come, when threats will rise that are far beyond the scope of mortality. If in Endland Pointe we had continued fighting each other for control of the ship, we would have all died; instead, by cooperating and coming to order we were able to survive.

Most of us, anyway.

Synn seemed fine to leave the conversation there, but Twilight pushed it. He questioned what it meant that I was fleeing my responsibilities. And though I’m certain I bristled visibly, and though Synn attempted to deflect the conversation elsewhere, I wanted to answer.

I made it clear to him that what I was fleeing were expectations, not duties. Duty is what we must do, because it is just and it is right and it is good. Expectations are what others plan for you to do regardless of whether they have your best interests or the interests in the world in mind. He took my meaning to be that expectations are relative and duty is absolute.

I did not voice this aloud, but I need to write this down if only to get this off my chest. Becoming a Watcher is a duty. Preparing myself so that I can stand against whatever threats may come into the mortal plane is a duty. Because my parents would not support my training to that end, it is my duty to find my own training. And if it violates my parents’ expectations that I will become a diplomat and make nice with other nations, then I would suggest that their expectations were misplaced all along.

For now, our duty was to return the Changemaker to its port in Nousha. And before we could do that, we needed to make sure that its inhabitants were not dangerous to themselves or to us. We went below decks and immediately heard Andrew’s voice from behind a locked door. He warned us that “it’s” coming, and that all the blood out there was his. He was not certain why he’s there, and as soon as he begins to believe we’re allied with the original Changemaker crew he promises to defend himself.

Meanwhile, behind the opposite locked door we heard something attempting to escape. I positioned myself in front of the door, trying to keep it in for as long as I can. It bashed against the door several times before it was able to dislodge me and start slashing at me. Synn cast a Headache spell and remarked that it probably didn’t like it–and the bird seemed to understand. It seemed that the bird was intelligent. So instead of fighting it, I asked if it would like something to eat. I was actually rather surprised that it acceded peacefully.

Andrew refused to leave his locked room while the bird was still there, considering that both he and the bird agree that it hates him. He happened to be in the storeroom and had plenty of food, so that proved to be an acceptable arrangement.

And so we hooked up the Changemaker to the Amoirazi’s Revenge, and with little time to spare before the dragon made its return, we were off to sea.

The return trip was significantly less perilous than the way there, enough that I can summarize the few significant events between Fort Folly and Nousha in brief.

In Riport, the Changemaker sustained some damage upon making contact with the sea gate, and we had a shipwright named Elziac Mineview repair the worst of it before we left port again.

The man who pursued the Daughters of Mosaba was watching our ship and beckoned Synn to talk to him. She declined.

We sailed over some rubble and saw a statue of Mosaba in the water about four hours west of Riport.

A storm blew us into a sandbar elemental that made it clear it wanted to eat us. We had no means of going through it and the wind was too strong to push against it, but Twilight was able to enchant it with a joke and force it to laugh its way to the bottom of the sea.

With that, we made it to Nousha where we went to the Consortium. Synn was very kind to Brad, tipping him specifically so that he could take his wife on date night. Brad’s love for his wife seemed to remind her of her love for Twilight.

We were able to report mission success to Leslie. She promised that Andrew and the bird–which we’d taken to calling Bloodbeak–would be taken care of. I attempted to have her clarify that she was not planning to execute one or both of them, and she sidestepped the question. She asked us to sign contracts transferring the salvage rights to the ship over to Seatoad Coin.

And Synn struck an agreement with Leslie to learn from her.

I was reminded of the four words my uncle wrote about Leslie.

Surely no ill may come of this.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

#### 10 - The Kidnapping of Bloodsword

Diary,

The highest duty is to the good of the world, but certainly the duty one owes to one’s loyal companions is among the duties that fall in the upper echelon of righteousness. It is that duty which I expect to define the next portion of my life.

Specifically, I refer to the loss of Bloodsword, taken captive by assailants unknown. They ambushed him while the rest of us were visiting a secondhand magic shop known as Liam’s Loots. Some of these assailants held us off while the remainder dragged his unconscious body down an alleyway and through a portal.

We were fortunate enough that we will have insight into where they may have taken them. We were able to capture two of the assailants. We know the name of their ringleader, Severina Shadowsoul. I saw a dragon in the alleyway, whose presence delayed us from charging in until it was too late. I assume that even Shadowsoul takes orders from this dragon.

And perhaps most importantly, they left physical evidence behind in the form of a note. It is encoded, but even at a glance it quickly becomes clear that the nature of the code is not so complex as to be indecipherable.

I do not know yet what that note will hold, but I know that Bloodsword helped to rescue me from grung captivity. If there is an ounce of breath left in my gills, if there is a drop of blood left in my veins, then I shall return the favor.

It’s not ironic per se, but certainly meaningful that I had another conversation with Synn and Twilight about duty when I had to remind Twilight that I do not need to be “hooked up” considering that I am betrothed. Synn seemed surprised that I would walk away from it–and though it was a hard decision, duty is more important than love.

I didn’t entirely express that I had my doubts as to whether I love Rolmos or not, but it’s something Synn seems to have picked up on nonetheless.

I’m not certain how the conversation had even swung to such a topic, considering it came in the context of our encouragement of a bard named Marcel Gest, who seemed curiously unreceptive to it even though any skill he had was not the result of natural talent.

However, I did learn more about Synn and Twilight in that conversation. I learned that Synn hails from Achelion, living a life of nobility. She inherited her dedication to Imkael from her parents. She became lost during her travels–during which she met Twilight–and she hopes that Imkael will one day guide her home.

Narzoll spent the night on the town, and when he returned he had a new suit of armor on, purchased from Char Nellon, bearing an insignia of jaws eating the world. He explained that as a child, he was given as payment to a mercenary group known as the Worldeaters. He wants to be a conqueror king one day.

That gave me pause, though I did not express it aloud. Those who most wish to be kings are often the ones who are least suited to the task. Would Narzoll be one who felt a duty to his people, or only a duty toward furthering his own power?

I intend to evaluate him over the course of our travels. That would include fighting beside him in an arena known as Knuckle Dusters, where we were quickly and thoroughly routed by a large white dragonborn. Just as I have much to learn about him, we clearly have much to learn about the art of combat.

And we will surely need to learn quickly if we are to save Bloodsword.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

##### Addendum: Translation of the Bloodsword Note

*The traitor Bloodsword has been seen in Nousha. Recover him, and bring him back to the cave in Ostrea. We cannot let him reveal the operation.*

*Sagheos*

#### 11 - The Ends Do Not Justify The Means

Diary,

There are many dangers in this world greater than the evils of mortals, but there are those I have met who would challenge that belief. I must stand vigilant against it no matter what.

At times, it is easy. When we were able to decode the note left behind by those who took Bloodsword, it was of no difficulty to commit to pursuing this lead. It will take us once again across the Toad Sea to Ostrea, to a cave in the south of the continent where the dragon Sagheos has established his base of operations. This is not solely a task of rescuing Bloodsword: we must also defeat Sagheos for its own sake. He plots to deploy a narcotic that would kill or drive to madness the leaders of nations, bringing them to their knees and presumably allowing himself to fill the vacuum. This obviously must not be allowed to come to pass, and we have vowed to stand in his way.

It shall not be easy. We have already seen a demonstration of his power. We interrogated one of the assailants we captured in the basement of Liam’s shop, learning that Sagheos would kill him and consume his soul if he were found to have been talking to us. And as if to prove himself right, the man’s very skin began to contract upon itself. He became stiff as a board. His expiration followed swiftly.

I do not know whether his fate was preferable to the fate of the other man. We escorted him to the Consortium, disguising him as a drunkard to explain his unconsciousness. One of the Consortium’s agents, a tiefling known simply as The Agent, offered to assist with the interrogation. He asked how far we were willing to go, but I was the only one who insisted upon him refraining from torture.

Frankly, it was surprising that this became a point of contention at all. Most civilized beings should consider it simply wrong to inflict undue harm upon a being who is helpless to resist it. Even if it were not wrong, it is highly unreliable. The weak-minded will say anything to simply make it stop, and the strong-willed will resist to the point that their mind breaks into madness.

I attempted to warn them against the idea of the end justifying the means, for it is a dangerous path. The more one relies on this, the more one insulates themselves against the possibility of the existence of other means. The current that takes the most direct path will find itself blocked by land; only the current that looks for the righteous path shall make its way across the sea.

The Agent ostensibly agreed to my conditions, but instead chose to simply kill the man by draining his blood so that he could take the information.

Despite the means of its acquisition, the information appears useful. This man is the one who revealed the location of the cave in the south of Ostrea. He spoke of its defenses, including trained alligators, lizard-mounted archers, and spellcasters. The previous group to attempt this mission destroyed an aboleth, but its influence was replaced by something darker and more dangerous. And there is a guardian at the gate that was repaired and is now in full functioning form.

During the interlude between The Agent’s offer and his return, Synn and Twilight went to see Leslie–who is perhaps an even better example of what I have discussed in this entry, for Synn returned distraught at the idea that she was fed a fairy soul. I struggle to imagine any way that the bargain the two have made is likely to end well for Synn.

We were directed to go upstairs to speak with “the boss,” whose office is at the end of the hall on the top floor. We reported the situation to him and explained our intention to travel to Ostrea to retrieve Bloodsword. Since he is a member of the Consortium and since Sagheos must be eliminated regardless, they agreed to finance our mission. They granted us 10,000 gold pieces as a group on the spot and offered 10,000 gold pieces apiece upon our successful return. Though I would gladly undertake this mission for no financial gain, I must admit that the sums he spoke of were staggering.

He encouraged us to recruit a pair of individuals. One is Eowyn, whom he says is posing as a squire to Reynoldus Basil. He was less informative about the other.

He explained that the path simply to get to Ostrea would be dangerous. If we were to travel by sea, we may have to deal with an enormous dragon. By land, we may have to deal with a woman with the insignia of a butterfly. The land route would also take us through the Central Wall, a politically fraught region that divides the continents of Wresten and Ostrea.

There are few established settlements in Ostrea, and only two ports. We can attempt to land at Fort Folly again, where we must race to reach a tower and avoid the dragon’s strafing while dealing with cyclopes and crabs. We could also sail further north and land at the Dragon’s Horn, about which less is known.

We should expect cultural differences–different differences than the ones I’ve already experienced on the surface. Importantly, we must not lay on the ground unless we first become Wayfinders, and we must not touch the crystals as they are holy relics.

Then, he addressed each of us, his concern betraying either knowledge or observation of us that implies he is more aware of who we are than we knew.

He asked Narzoll about what the Worldeaters want in Wresten, and promised that the nation would defend itself if they attacked.

He warned Twilight of an air of ominous shadows about him, imploring him to be careful not to draw the attention of those who have supplanted his homeland. He implied that they would wish to capture him as the one with the birthright over the Shantara Grove.

He expressed his hope that despite her bargain with Leslie, that Synn will be able to retain her own identity in spite of Leslie’s power.

And he asked me what I would do if the Protectorate were to come for me. I acknowledged that I had unintentionally placed the Consortium in a potentially difficult position. It is not my intention for me to put either the Consortium or the Protectorate in conflict with each other, but he made it clear that they would attempt to rescue me if I were captured against my will–though it would be difficult.

Only after addressing us in full did he give his name as Zutono Sharrez. He released us with his benediction: “May your futures remain as a beautiful chorus in the dissonance of the world.”

This seems but a footnote in what has otherwise been a long and horrible day, but I feel that some levity is useful in such times. Due to the stench of the man we unwittingly escorted to his execution, Reynoldus Basil paid for us to visit the bath house. I appreciated that the staff respected the Protectorate rituals, cleansing the armor with salt and reverence before cleansing me.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

#### 12 - The Addition of the First of Two New Allies

Diary,

This day has been eventful, but I expect it to wind down soon. The principal development of these past few hours was encountering a young elven man named Eowyn. I have yet to learn much about him, apart from the fact that he presents himself with a shy demeanor. He came to us as a squire to Reynoldus Basil. He had no qualm with how Basil treats people; to Eowyn, it’s not his problem.

It was a loyal answer, if not a particularly principled one. It seems odd to me that the man could inspire loyalty in anyone, but perhaps that is simply a limitation of my own understanding of him. After all, Basil was certainly kinder to Eowyn than he is to most. At any rate, I am curious to learn more about our new ally.

We returned to Judith’s shop once again to obtain supplies for the journey. We learned that Judith actually hails from Ostrea, as one of the people of the mountains there. However, her people were persecuted and she was eventually exiled from the land. She expressed no desire to return, having carved a life out here. But she remains knowledgeable about the land. She’s heard of the rainbow dragon Sagheos, calling him the foil of the Ostrean people. He has the ability to merge into the surrounding environment, remaining out of reach of those who would interfere with him.

What, Judith pondered, would such a dragon want with humans?

We also made trips to Char Nellon’s and Farboiler’s shops, though those were largely uneventful.

I learned that surface-dwellers have an unusual gesture that they call a high-five. Apparently, if one is to hold their hand raised, open, and perpendicular to the ground, others are obligated to make contact with that hand with a mirrored gesture.

The Consortium offered us Amiorazi’s Revenge to sail again, but we needed to speak with its proprietor, Samara. She is a privateer, we were told. The less I’m aware of her specific activities, the better it likely is for all of us for the time being. I told her as much when she questioned me. Synn assisted by mentioning that I was no friend of the Protectorate. I am willing to let that be the truth that Samara and the other “privateers” believe if it is useful. Hearing this, she tried to guide me into a back room. I wasn’t aware of her…intentions…until Synn pointed it out to me. I am betrothed, after all.

Samara expressed her hope that we would return to her a moll female, or failing that a moll egg, a dragon’s teeth, or a dragon’s hide.

Last, but not least, we learned a lesson in preparedness. We returned to Knuckle Dusters, where Narzoll and I faced off against a ranger named Nurop. Nurop released an impressive volley of arrows at Narzoll first…only for those to be the only ones he brought with him. Once we closed the distance to melee range, we were able to make short work of him.

I offered Narzoll a high-five. He met my hand with a closed fist.

I still don’t understand this gesture.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

##### Addendum: Letters Sent Prior to Departure from Nousha

Addressed to the Residents of 123 Merry Way, written after the kidnapping of Bloodsword

*Dear Poppy, Seatoad Coin, and the remainder of the residents of 123 Merry Way,*

*I wish to report to you that the mission to retrieve the Changemaker has been successful, and she has been returned to port in Nousha. We have signed salvage rights to the ship over to Seatoad Coin, with Leslie of the Longstrider’s Consortium as our witness. As you indicated, both Andrew and your bird were aboard the ship. Fortunately, they had not killed each other yet. Leslie promised to take care of them–I would suggest that you make contact with her with all deliberate haste lest we find out what precisely that entails.*

*When we spoke, Poppy, you mentioned a rainbow dragon in a cave in Ostrea. I wish to know as much of this as you can spare the knowledge. One of our companions has been taken hostage by a group that included a dragon, and we have found evidence that they absconded with him to Ostrea on the orders of…the decryption could just as easily translate to Sahheos, Saggeos, or Sahgeos, or Sagheos.*

*I would be immeasurably grateful if you would contact us with any information at your disposal. I expect that we will be staying at the Longstrider’s Consortium only a short while before crossing the Toad Sea once again to return to Ostrea.*

*With sincerity,*
Islaryn Sohnozath
Longstrider’s Consortium

Addressed to Kharnas Sohnozath, written after the kidnapping of Bloodsword

*Dearest Uncle,*

*As soon as this mission has brought me back to Nousha, I fear that I must depart again almost immediately. One of the brave companions who rescued me from captivity, Bloodsword, is himself now a captive and being held in Ostrea. I intend to repay what he has done for me in kind.*

*We are departing almost immediately along the same route from which we returned. We’ve been told to land at either the Dragon’s Horn or Fort Folly; neither is presumed safe, but the dangers of the latter are known and the dangers of the former are unknown. From there, we will make our way south and find a cave where the dragon Sagheos has established his bastion.*

*I warn thee that he is dangerous, and not solely to me or my companions. He has a mind toward subversion, toward corruption, toward the destruction of the wills of the great leaders of the world. Thou hast oft told me that there are greater dangers than the evil in the hearts of mortals; this, I believe to be one such danger. I left home in search of a calling of such importance as this, and I have sworn to see it through to the end.*

*I send thee my love,*
Iz

#### 13 - Narzoll, Worldeater

Diary,

I have not yet come to terms with the fact that Narzoll has abandoned his post to gallivant with those who have designs of conquest. It is perhaps something I should have expected to be possible, as he had openly stated that this was his aim, but the suddenness of it and the ease with which he made his decision have left me to question whether I could have done anything differently to avert this outcome. I simply figured I would have more time to attempt to change his mind, I suppose. I was wrong.

Perhaps a future version of myself shall have wisdom that I lack. Thus, as usual, I shall recount the events of the day that led up to this fateful moment.

First, after we concluded our bout at the arena, we were introduced to our latest new ally. She was speaking with the white dragonborn who had so thoroughly defeated Narzoll and me prior; he seemed to take her interest as flirtation, whereas she was seeking advice. We learned her name to be Aila. The dragonborn we learned is Iceberg Sparkle, whose younger sister is named Snowflake.

Aila is someone who wishes to help people, and as such was receptive to joining us on our quest. We learned over drinks at the Consortium that she had arrived in Nousha on pilgrimage from her temple; she is a cleric of Volpus Dignus, whom she attributes as the god of good and harmony and food and feast. She said that he is willing to get along with all gods. I probably would not have pushed the issue had I been sober–a state from which I had departed several drinks ago–but I questioned whether he cooperates with, ignores, or intervenes against evil. I was pleased to know that both she and her god would intervene and protect those who need protection.

After all, I’m open to all of the gods. I believe they should all be worshiped in their own domains. Even though those like The Agent insist they have no need for any of the gods, they are simply a fact of life. There is nothing at all wrong or unusual about becoming dedicated to one god over another, but we will each have need of a broad spectrum of them throughout and beyond our mortal lives.

Before we concluded dinner and drinks for the night, Zutono came to visit us. He mentioned sightings of priests of Ratrava, as well as sightings of Vagrodan–two opponents of Volpus Dignus. As they will attempt to convince her that her truths are not her truths, he offered her an encoded slip of paper to give to Judith to hold those truths in place.

He asked if he could send a message to the Protectorate to perhaps stall them for some time. I ask him to tell them that I am safe, I am here of my own free will, and I can prove it.

And he mentioned to Narzoll that his friends are having great success abroad. Perhaps if I were not inebriated or so alarmed by the news I had just received, this could have been a juncture where my intervention could have been successful. Then again, even given time and a clearer head I still have yet to come up with any words that I feel could have persuaded him.

In the morning, we ventured once more to Judith’s. The proprietor seemed hesitant about whatever was written on the piece of paper, in that perhaps whatever Zutono was requesting for us was dangerous. However, she ultimately agreed to furnish it. It was a Stone of Chronicles, able to store the memories of its bearer. Indeed, it would be most useful if one were ever to alter or erase our minds. Judith instructed that Aila should learn to concentrate on it and remember who she is as she uses it.

With that, we were all set to begin our voyage. We greeted Samara at the ship, received confirmation that it was prepared, and set sail.

That first night, Synn confided in me that she was worried about Absinthe, her pet pseudodragon. When it had been touched by the demon at Endland Pointe, Absinthe had been corrupted. Obviously, this had been something that had worried her for some time. She had even spoken to Judith about the situation. Fortunately, Judith had informed her the possibility exists that we can cleanse Absinthe’s spirit in the mountains of Ostrea. She had also once again used the cryptic phrase “Fear is in the mountain.”

I was surprised that she even felt the need to ask for my help. I of course offered it unconditionally. If something like that had happened to my dear Selkhyn, I do not know what lengths I would go to set things right.

During that night, after my watch, Synn sounded the alarm. A woman had begun climbing onto the ship. Once we were all assembled, that woman demanded our submission to the great dragon Vagrodan. She was joined by three other women, and when it became clear that we would not submit they began their attack. All had an unnatural aspect to them: they seemed to feel no pain, even as flesh and bone were torn apart. We killed two of them, and the other two broke off and retreated.

I saw a set of runes marked on the bones of one of the dead women as they began to dissolve in the ocean. I grabbed a bone, and it burned a pattern into my hand. I have not yet had time to discern their meaning.

In the heat of battle, we had not noticed a much larger, faster ship approaching us from behind. It was already too late for us to attempt to outmaneuver or outrun it. As it approached, it unfurled its banner: that of a set of jaws consuming the world.

Though Narzoll was not expecting them, they were expecting him. An orc who introduced himself as Thonar of the Great Sea announced that his presence was required for conquest and glory. Narzoll declared that he could not refuse a call from the Warmaster.

To his credit, he did not make any pretense about his intentions. He was a forward scout, investigating the feasibility of taking Nousha. He wants to conquer. He wants to subjugate. He wants to rule. And while he asked us to be neutral when the fight comes, our past association will not dissuade him from treating us like any other enemy.

Synn, Aila, and I tried to convince him to stay, to at least help us rescue Bloodsword first. But I think in our hearts, we knew that this was always what Narzoll wanted to do.

So Twilight wished him luck. Synn amicably told him to stay away from any coffee.

And I turned my back on him.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

### Part II

#### 14 - That Which Is Unexpected From Sea Monsters and from People

Diary,

When the enemy ship had receded into the distance, I could take the time to take stock of the twin stings I felt. There was the physical sting of the runes now encoded into my skin, fading moment by moment but never quite absent. Much more immediate was the sting of Narzoll’s betrayal. There is no balm that can ease this, but it is now time for action. I must compartmentalize this feeling until we have completed our duty to report.

We agreed that we should make land in Riport and venture to the Consortium branch at the Seven Stories. It was yet a day’s journey until we would make it there. On our way, we encountered the same ruins of the statue of Mosaba that we had seen on our prior journey. On such a clear and pleasant day with waters so pristine and undisturbed, we could peer down into the very depths and spot a stone tablet by the statue.

It is so natural that such an artifact would inspire curiosity, and certainly not only to us. It goes without saying that we expected danger from it. If we allow for the saying, however, I can relay the somber recollection of Twilight’s Call as to the devastation of his home by the followers of Mosaba. He could not or would not explain exactly what they had done, nor am I certain that the particulars were important. All that mattered is that it was no longer the place it had once been.

Synn asked if I would assist her in recovering the tablet. I agreed, both out of curiosity and out of knowledge that I could protect her if anything went wrong. Eowyn and Aila agreed to spot us from the ship, and Twilight brought the ship to a stall.

I expected one class of danger from an artifact of the blood goddess, and yet we were assailed with quite another. As Synn went to pick up two pieces of the tablet, a creature swam at us and attacked. An otyugh, I believe it was. It had a powerful bite and even more powerful tentacles. They relentlessly buffeted Synn, and it was all I could do to try and keep her conscious while still finding time to attack the creature. Making it more complicated, its wounds bled profusely–I suspect the influence of the blood goddess–and obscured our visibility around it.

The fight turned as the remainder of the group joined it, and in the end I was able to channel the last of the divine energy I could access and put an end to the creature’s life. Synn, Twilight, and Aila recovered the remaining pieces of the tablet, and we returned to the ship before any sharks could be attracted by the smell of blood in the water.

Though the tablet was in pieces, it was not difficult to re-assemble. My transcription of its message will be at the end of this entry.

Synn felt some illness from the otyugh’s latent poison, but I was able to channel in the small bit of healing that I kept in reserve in order to purge it from her. I made sure her hair was in good order as well.

Apart from a brief incident with a rogue wave during a storm the next morning, we faced no further difficulty getting into Riport.

Twilight had a strong desire to go into the city to perform for the crowds he could find or generate there. I observed as a young girl with a lollipop took an admiration to him, and he played a song for her about the very subject of lollipops. It reminded me of my own childhood, seeing the parades and admiring the soldiers as they passed by. It was touching to see this side of him; is his love for performance a measure of self-adulation, or is it the joy of giving joy?

I also understood how they work the crowd. Synn deposited a gold piece in order to try to induce the crowd to do the same. They were partially successful: they received sixteen pieces of coin, but all were silver instead of gold.

Finally, we made our way to the Seven Stories. It appeared to be entirely empty, but after a short time the dragonborn proprietor, Locin Bolas, showed up. He was initially somewhat grating, exhibiting a desire to create a legend so strong that it became arrogant and an attitude of positivity to such extreme that it became delusional. As an example of the latter, when we sought information as to the dragon at Fort Folly he explained that he would look forward to changing his paradigm about this information–a roundabout way to explain that he was without information on the subject.

Further conversation allowed the idea to emerge that he must be lonely. The tavern has no employees and no customers. His beloved has passed away, and so have his children. The way he spoke of them was so beautiful and eloquent, and his love for them was self-evident.

It only occurs to me as I’m writing this down that I don’t think I’ve ever talked about Rolmos in such a way.

Curiously, he was insistent that it would be a better idea to approach Ostrea through the Dragon’s Horn rather than land in Fort Folly. We should investigate this further and ascertain why he believes this, as we were not provided much in the way of information about the area.

We also informed him of the fate of Narzoll, though I suspect we will need to stress the importance of relaying the message to Nousha. I shall draft something to ensure that the communication is made clearly.

But for now, we have some hours until Twilight will perform here to perhaps draw some customers to this place. I must find something with which to occupy myself until then.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

##### Addendum: Tablet of Mosaba

*“...and Amoriarozi rose into the sky to challenge the demon, and brought him low. With a great blast of radiance from her jaws, he blasted the evil thing into the ground. In her rashness, she failed to notice that the demon struck Toivoa within this temple. Mosaba claimed the demon for her own, and drank of its blood. Thus came Mosaba to master the will of Amonith. Mosaba hid her claim, dragging the demon below the ground to consume him, and to bend his soul to her will. May the seas claim this temple until the children of Mosaba rinse, and the voice of Mosaba speaks. For then shall Amonith be loosed upon the world to once again challenge the Torfali for the House of Flowers.”*

#### 15 - Qiqi Who Flows Like Water

Diary,

We did not attract many customers to the tavern, but perhaps the few that we did attract were the ones we needed. There was a man in black-and-gold armor who spoke of his desire for righteousness in the world as readily as he spoke of the tenets of Hadura–though I did not have the fortune to glean his insight into his faith. There was his partner, a woman with a pet mouse and a distinctly different bearing from the man.

And then there was Qiqi, an avian man who seemed amenable to our goals and opted to join us in our travels. He studied nearby under a sage named Ope at the Serene Waters Monastery. We did not linger at the tavern much longer; I gave Locin a letter to deliver to the Consortium in Nousha, but since he was unable to supply us we needed to make haste.

We visited Qiqi’s monastery, hoping to gain some wisdom from his mentor. I believe that to have been a successful effort, despite the fact that I swiftly concluded that Ope was a fool–nay, precisely because of this fact. He was discouraging of Qiqi’s desire to see the world, seeing it as turbulent and the monastery as the unmoved rock in the middle of the river. Yet he does not see that it is the turbulence that over time erodes away the rock that refuses to budge.

He had no knowledge of Ostrea. He was certain that the Dragon’s Horn was a place of myth. He had no opinion on the choice between known and unknown danger, believing that the seeking of danger is a choice and never a necessity. His physical blindness was no issue, but his philosophical blindness could have blocked out truth as bright as the sun.

This conversation immediately made me feel a spiritual kinship to Qiqi. How can one cloister oneself when there is great evil and suffering in the world? What is the meaning of safety when it can be ripped asunder by threats too terrible to name or contemplate? What is the worth of wisdom that is not acquired through the labors of experience? Qiqi chose to leave his monastery for the same reason I chose to leave home: because we each sought a higher purpose that we could not fulfill otherwise.

It is the hardest choice I ever made. I wonder if it was the same for him.

We began the voyage to Ostrea, opting to continue toward the Dragon’s Horn rather than Fort Folly. It was not an easy beginning to the journey, as we were assailed by a whale while sailing into Protectorate waters to avoid a potential sahuagin attack. We eventually drove it away, but not before sustaining significant enough damage that we were forced to drop anchor at Greenhut Isle. Fortunately, a Philter of Love was sufficient to acquire the supplies and services needed to make the repairs we needed.

I thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent there until the ship was seaworthy once again. I swam and dove with them as if I were diving for pearls with my grandfather Jhinnis. I would certainly visit them again if time allowed for it.

We were not threatened again on our journey, but we did manage to acquire an additional passenger of ethereal nature, possibly fey. She introduced herself as Stardust Silverwind, and she indicated that she enjoyed watching us. She wanted things from us–our stories, our names. The more she spoke, the more sinister she became. I believe I was able to provoke her anger when I rebuffed her for asking if she could have my position in the Protectorate. The way she speaks of it, affirming such a question grants weight and power to the request. I do not wish to test this hypothesis.

She also accused the residents of Greenhut Isle of taking things from our cargo hold. Though some items were indeed missing, I cannot shake the feeling that she was not being honest, which is to be expected for an obviously untrustworthy being.

I doubt she was lying about what we could expect to find at the Dragon’s Horn, though: she described a woman named Yghe, the Deathlady, who once killed 30 people who set foot on the beach. As we approached after days of travel, the wreckage of ships we sailed into made this more and more believable.

We anchored the Amiorazi’s Revenge and sailed the skiff to shore. It will not be impossible to return to the ship, but in these rough waters it will take a deliberate effort. We must take care and caution lest we be forced into a retreat we may be unable to execute, but for now we shall continue forward.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

##### Addendum: Letter Sent After the Departure of Narzoll

Addressed to Zutono Sharrez of the Nousha branch of the Longstrider’s Consortium, written after Narzoll’s departure to the Worldeaters

*To Zutono,*

*I pray that this message reaches you with the alacrity of the finest windsteeds of Zayu, and that upon its delivery that you may receive the battle blessing of Supuru. We send you this message from the Seven Stories in Riport, from whence we will continue to sail east in service of our mission as planned.*

*It is my urgent duty to report that the Worldeaters have recalled Narzoll to their ranks. Their ship, larger and faster than ours, overtook us at sea and commanded him to embark with them. I detected no magic, trickery, or compulsion beyond that of duty; that is to say, he went with them freely.*

*He admitted to acting in the role of a forward scout for the Worldeaters, evaluating Nousha–and perhaps Wresten as a whole–as a target of their conquest. I do not know what report he will give, but if they are indeed recalling scouts then it is imperative that Wresten immediately prepare to defend itself to the fullest extent.*

*As for Narzoll himself, I admittedly had hoped that I could persuade him to concede his ambitions, or at minimum to temper them. I do not know if the ultimate cause of my failure to do so was a lack of ability on my part, a lack of willingness on his part, or a lack of time on the part of the world. Regardless, I pledge to place my duty above all if I am to again encounter him on any terms less than those that are peaceable.*

*With sincerity,*
Islaryn Sohnozath

#### 16 - Acquisition of a Map to the Dragon’s Horn

Diary,

It was not long until we met Yghe, and if she were indeed a death dealer then I am certain we would have become aware of such a disposition immediately. She was clad in golden armor and, rather than a title such as Deathlady, she called herself the First Guardian. She spoke of trials that we ought to be prepared for. We were unaware of any, and she did not see fit to enlighten us of them. I suppose discovering the trials shall be its own trial.

She sent us first to an island two miles to the north, where she informed us that we must retrieve a scroll from the wreckage of a ship that’s been fashioned into a fortress. We were to return it unsealed and unread. Apart from the rearrangement of the ship, signs of life on the island were evident. There were statues of winged sphinxes surrounding a sundial; scratches adorned the statues, and the sundial was bent. Some being of physical strength had clearly assailed them. It was also likely that the same being had scratched a nearby gate.

As we approached the gate, we were ambushed by a woman, presumably one of the guards or residents of the fortress. She attacked and retreated, clearly attempting to draw us in where her allies could join the ambush. Though the trap was plain to the naked eye, we opted to spring it nonetheless.

I was fortunate to live to regret it. As we poured into a room where two of them had hidden, I found myself surrounded. One of them must have found an unprotected spot and stabbed me. It took a moment to regain my bearings; by the time I had, Qiqi had stunned one of them and Twilight had incapacitated the other one into laughter. Qiqi defeated the stunned one shortly, and I called upon the battle-wrath of Supuru to frighten the other one. She opted to retreat, and we opted to pursue so that she could not sneak up on us again.

Rather, some of us opted to pursue. The others went off in a different direction, directly into an entirely different ambush. We broke off from our retreating foe and went to assist. Our intervention was successful, and we killed the ambusher.

That led us outside, and we chose to examine the gate once again. There was an electrical presence in the area, and it turned out to be the effect of a many-legged draconic creature, blue and serpentine, which called itself Thornahth. It exhaled a powerful breath of lightning, sending Eowyn into unconsciousness and nearly doing the same to Aila. But before it could emit its lightning again, we were able to subdue it and resuscitate Eowyn.

We found a dining room on the other side of the facility and rested there, but rather than explore that area we decided to retrace our steps. Aila said that she had seen a room with scrolls in it; it only made sense to begin our search there. The room she identified had a rug that indicated it belonged to the Cartographer’s Guild.

And indeed in that room, we found a pair of scrolls. One had a draconic symbol, and one had a fey symbol depicting a wave. There was a locked door on the other side of the room, and behind it was a man who was in fear of our presence. He explained that he’s a cartographer trying to accurately map out the world. He identified the scrolls as maps of the Dragon’s Horn and the ocean of the Fey Realms.

He also said that the world was not spherical, but lens-shaped with a defined edge. It is certainly a novel theory. I wish we had the opportunity to learn from him in more amicable circumstances. Between the possibility of another ambush and the distaste I felt with what I felt to be unnecessary exploitation of the man’s fear beyond the scope of what we were assigned to do, I did not feel comfortable attempting to push for much more.

I wonder now whether we are best-served by completing the assignment as-ordered or by opening the map for ourselves. A map would be useful to us; would it be useful to Yghe and whatever other guardians there may be as well? Perhaps we don’t need to even keep the map for ourselves, but to employ it as a means of negotiation.

We shall see what happens when we return to the Dragon’s Horn.

May the gods be with us,
Islaryn

##### Addendum: A Review of Battle Tactics

We were in far greater danger than expected today, as we found ourselves entirely unprepared for the strike-and-swim tactics of the enemy. We made several tactical or strategic errors that could have led to the deaths of one or more of us.

First, we allowed ourselves to be baited into the heart of their defenses. The little we saw of the fortress was well-constructed for ambush purposes: narrow, winding hallways; plenty of side rooms; multiple directions to attack from. We attempted to meet our ambushers head-on, which meant we were fighting them on their terms.

Second, my own most significant error was placing myself in a position to be flanked by two of the ambushers. I felt I did not have much choice, as I am generally the one who is most fit to absorb or withstand the might of an enemy. However, by going into the room unsupported I made myself the only available target and therefore made myself much more vulnerable.

Third, we chose to engage at close-quarters, where they could attack more swiftly than they could at range. Admittedly, they were quick and able to dart in and out of melee range easily, but by over-pursuing we made it easier for them than it needed to be. I could have attempted to physically block them off from the rest of the group and allowed them to use their ranged attacks to their advantage, but I did not have the opportunity to do so because we were overextended.

Fourth, we exercised no caution in opening doors. This is part of what led to my stabbing: we had opened the door to find multiple enemies, therefore forcing us to engage without preparation. We should have each gathered by the door, prepared to attack, and then struck with our combined might all at once–this would place the fight more on our own terms.

Fifth, we allowed for our attention to be split multiple ways for no good reason. Rather than commit to all-out pursuit of our retreating enemy or to exploring a new branch of the fortress, we had half of our group going in one direction and the other half in another. We were lucky that neither side of the battle had reinforcements to bring to bear and overstress our numbers. Although the previous errors could be excused by the nature of the enemy, this one was entirely unforced.

Although the fight with the draconic creature was dangerous, I felt that we were more disciplined in our efforts. Its lightning breath was powerful, and we had no means to prepare for it; however, we avoided clustering in lines, we communicated, we fought tactically, we balanced ourselves between attack and healing, and we were able to defeat the creature.

I understand that I must be patient. The others have not gone through Sohnozan basic training as I have; likewise, they each bring experiences that I cannot match. That patience must be valued against the urgent need for all of us to be capable of sufficiently protecting each other in a battle. I will seek to correct our errors, seek not to repeat my own, and seek to instill my knowledge in a manner that respects my allies’ genuine intent to be at their best.

There are dangers in this world, including many that are greater than the evil in the hearts of mortals. We must remain ever vigilant.

#### 17 - The Trials of the Dragon’s Horn

Diary,

We ultimately decided simply to provide the map to Yghe unopened without condition or pretext. She responded with approval, allowing us passage down a narrow stone walkway and through a portcullis. Passage was all she would grant; she declined to offer us any information on the tasks ahead or any knowledge of what was in the map we provided. As we parted the portcullis, she parted ways with us.

We found ourselves in a long hallway, stretching as far as the eye could see. Every hour or so of walking, we would come across various intersections, all of which were as plain and featureless as the path we were already walking. It was clear that this was a maze; what was less clear was how we could escape from it. It made a mockery of our attempts to discern its shape and nature. Qiqi would leave feathers and darts behind to mark places we’d already been, only for them to disappear when we backtracked. The intersections seemed to change places, but only after visiting certain areas; some remained fixed relative to each other. We even attempted to split up at one point, only for the subgroup in motion to return to find the subgroup at rest.

The key ended up being a pair of magic circles, one of which we found fairly early and the other of which we only found after several days. In combination, they unlocked a dead-end hallway that led us to a stairway–as well as everything we had left behind to mark our progress, as if to fin its snout at us one last time.

This was not the most exasperating test I will describe in this entry.

As we descended the staircase, we came into a temple to a sphinx, introduced to us as Kadamatta. The temple’s acolyte, Tarena, informed us that receiving any enlightenment we might seek requires that we “bring peace to the Dragon’s Horn” and find a key to exit this place. Only Kadamatta can grant permission to go beyond here and into the Vast, and that is permission Tarena has sought and been denied.

As is a sphinx’s wont, Kadamatta tested us with riddles. Each riddle opened one of the many locked doors off to the sides of the temple, and in virtually every room there waited someone who needed a favor from someone else but either could not or would not ask it of them. The chain of cause and effect quickly grew impressive.

It was something of a lesson. The very basis of a society is that what one needs, another fulfills. Different societies and structures have different means of exchanging need for fulfillment; sometimes need is traded for need, sometimes it is traded for coin, and sometimes it is never filled at all, but here at the Dragon’s Horn the denizens seemed almost too proud to allow their neighbors to know they even had needs to fulfill. Their solutions could all be found with each other, and it took us to catalyze this.

Most of the people there were not pleasant. The exception was Hatagira, who was in the garden when I met her. She was blind, but she still spoke of the beauty of the garden and how it’s the only place she can feel the sun–though it was not visible from here despite the daylight. There were three magic circles in the garden, and Hatagira informed me that they were each circles that could be used to commune with the spirits of Ostrea.

One circle was for Jateekaam, he of the ground and the stones, and whose circle is marked by a great face.

One circle was for Kashana, she of the knowledge of all living things, and she who would demand sacrifice of life in exchange for it.

And one circle was for Chelone, of the knowledge of all things that flow; the wind, the water, the mud, anything that moves.

Learning this made me think of the sea, the currents, the fish, the people, and all the motion that gives life to the ocean. I expect I’ll wish to commune with Chelone before we depart.

Hatagira was contemplating a crystal. She finds them strange and interesting and worthy of study. The crystals come from the ground, so they have some connection to Jateekaam. They are in some way living, so they have some connection to Kashana. And they are formed from the water that flows underground, so they have some connection to Chelone. The three spirits converge to develop in this place.

She was so kind as to grant us a crystal. I will spare my future self of the lengthy chain of events that this resolved, but by the end of it we were able to complete all but one task: we still need to find a key to satisfy one last resident–and perhaps find that key in order to access the Vast for ourselves.

I’ve rarely had cause to say this–apart from the time immediately following my capture by the grung in the sewers–but I look forward to returning to the open air.

May the gods (and the spirits) be with us,
Islaryn

#### 18 - The Temple of Thale Is Haunted

Diary,

I did not expect for us to draw the ire of as many as three gods in the span of minutes, but the inescapable conclusion of the day’s events is that we have done so. I suspected that the key we needed to reach the Vast was in the last, locked room at the end of a long hallway. I was not correct, and worse: I was inattentive to several facts that would have prevented the events that occurred.

In my earlier exploration of the hallway, I had found a note that said “The temple of Thale is haunted.” When we found the locked door sealed with the symbol of Usil, it did not occur to me that this was in fact the temple of Thale. I should have listened to my intuition when we broke the seal and entered the chapel.

There, we found a fiendish being that declared us trespassers–not incorrectly, but hypocritically as all fiends are trespassers upon Toivoa. It shrouded itself in an aura that dimmed the light around it, making it more difficult to fight. We were fortunate that its swings were wild and inaccurate; I suspect even I could not stand up to more than one or two blows from it.

We were less fortunate that even when we were able to destroy it, it simply reformed immediately into an entirely different fiend, one that was less martially capable but able to cast spells and possess its enemies. It apparently could not escape the chapel on its own, but it could potentially escape using one of our bodies. Eowyn seemed amenable to such an arrangement; the rest of us were certainly not. I would have sooner slain him outright than allowed this to happen.

It managed to take control of Eowyn’s body, then Synn’s, and the only recourse we were able to determine was to knock its hosts unconscious. Eventually, we were able to destroy this version of it too–and, importantly, survive.

What followed is one of the most significant things I have ever witnessed: the fiend dissipated into smoke, and Covett Von Synn absorbed it into herself.

I was and am still alarmed. I trust her enough to believe that she would not intentionally lay her lot with fiends, but she was willing to draw power from it. I do not understand the full implications of what she’s done, and I doubt I will be able to fully settle myself until I’m made to understand. It is impossible–or at least inadvisable–to deal with fiends in any manner other than their destruction without drawing closer to what they are and what they represent. My great worry is that by absorbing this fiend, she will become more like one.

I am glad that she has Twilight’s Call as her partner. While she communicated with Leslie–the first and last person I would wish to hear from in this situation–I expressed my worry about the associations she chooses. I got the sense that he maintained some worries of his own, but that there is more to the story than I am aware of. He indicated that we do not always choose who we get to associate with.

At the same time, sometimes we do get to choose.

Our actions earned the anger of Usil, Onwa, and Thale: we broke Usil’s seal and performed such actions in Thale’s temple, though I am uncertain what drew Onwa’s attention. Nevertheless, if the sun, the moon, and the shadows are all aligned against us, then neither day nor night nor twilight can we hide from. Our deeds shall be out in the open.

For all that, the key wound up having been stolen by Maenzox, a detestable but skilled chemist who had made a silver ink that had played a role in the chain of favors. I distracted him while Twilight rescued the key from him.

I said my goodbye to Hatagira, and I invited the group to join me in communing with Chelone. Their voice felt like a gentle gust of wind blowing across me like a whisper. We spoke of things that flow: the wind, the sand, the water, life. If I am to preserve the things that flow, I must be mindful of all my senses; I must be ever vigilant and ever watchful. In doing so, I will enhance my connection to the spirits and I will protect and preserve the living things of this world.

Chelone gave us their blessing and warned us that there are creatures in the Vast who move and should not; and those who move and should are even swifter. As we departed, making our way into the Vast, I considered that it likely shall not take long for us to understand this on a practical level. And so I will make myself vigilant once again.

May the gods and the spirits once again be with us,
Islaryn

##### Addendum: The Words of Chelone

*“You will learn of me when the wind blows in your hair, when the sand falls from your boot, and when you drink of the water of your skin. Remember: life is motion; without me, all falls to Jateekaam’s bidding.”*

*“Use your eyes, use your hands; watch, listen, feel, smell, taste; use your senses. By doing such things and ensuring that they continue to move, you will enhance your connection to the spirits and I will smile upon you.”*

#### 19 - Dragon of the Vast

Diary,

I had hoped to fill these pages with wonderful and intriguing discoveries of the Vast, and I find instead that these days have given me little to write about. Perhaps it is called such because its sheer spread is its only feature of note. It is rocky and desolate, filled with nothing but sand and bones and bones and sand.

My studies told me there is such a thing as a camel, which is supposed to thrive in environments such as these. I allowed my thoughts to drift back home, to my dearest cat Selkhyn, and channeled those thoughts into the magic necessary to summon the spirit of a camel steed.

I learned soon that camels are in some ways more difficult than other steeds, and in other ways less difficult. My steed, which I named Melkhyn, seemed largely indifferent to my presence. He only reluctantly knelt to allow me to clamber on, but whatever else I may have wanted to do was of no consequence to him.

After some time, Synn made contact with Leslie, who informed her that we could seek a woman and her library in the Vast. We should seek out Shivan–I was unclear whether this was the woman or the library–and we should be on the alert for dragons and undead.

We found both simultaneously.

Qiqi had flown up to take a long view of what was ahead, and he caught sight of a town and a castle. We opted to make our way toward the town, as the idea of a castle in the desert seemed inherently untrustworthy. The town was more of a tent city, and it was populated with The Hungry–undead semi-aquatic creatures with webbed hands. They were quite far from the sea; I wonder still if they had traveled here or if they had been converted out of something else.

We did not have time to find out. We found what appeared to be a mine shaft, and when Eowyn dropped a stone to measure its depth they seemed to have disturbed something. It was big and serpentine, made of black bones and breathing green fire. It roasted Qiqi, so I approached it to give it a different target to hit. I lasted as long as I could, striking it with radiant energy and bolstering my companions in their efforts, but between its fire breath and powerful claws and tail I couldn’t keep my bearings. Fortunately, Qiqi recovered enough to strike it perfectly with his quarterstaff and finish it off.

Its presence was no accident. It belonged to a woman who introduced herself at knifepoint by the name of Kava. She seemed to have an unusual relationship with magic: she wanted our magic items, but she held contempt for those who cast spells and seemed unaffected by the spells we cast at her. She did not allow us to retreat until she had stolen my lightning javelin. I would have preferred to fight for it back and grant no quarter to one who could consort with an undead such as the one we had defeated, but we were in no shape for an additional fight such as this. We opted to retreat. We at least made off with her shortsword in exchange for the javelin.

The town will need to be cleansed, but that is not within our capability at the moment. So for now, we will find safe seabed, rest, and make our way toward the castle.

May the gods and the spirits be with us,
Islaryn

#### 20 - The Passage of Knowledge

Diary,

You might be thankful that you are spared from a full account of the hours and days we have spent traversing the Vast, whose interminability has startlingly begun to approach that of the maze we had exited. I fear that every day we spend failing to move forward endangers Bloodsword further; I fear that it allows Sagheos to grow ever more dangerous. We must press onward sooner rather than later.

I begin with this to emphasize that spending eight hours to walk from the village to the golden castle, then eight more hours to return to the village, then eight more to return once more to the castle is something I hope will be worth the price of time when all is written.

When we first arrived at the castle, we met with a man named Jahka, an Ostrean seeker of information who found himself unable to enter into the castle and its library. There were four keys required, all dwelt in the village, and he was not capable of acquiring them singlehandedly.

Fortunately, Qiqi was. Although Aila and I prepared to provide a distraction once we’d returned to the village, it proved unnecessary. He flew into the camp, shrouded by magical concealment and his own lightness of movement, flowing in and receding like a gentle wave onto shore. With the keys in hand, we made our way to the castle for hopefully the final time.

On our way back, we had an enlightening conversation with Jahka. He sought to learn the shape of Toivoa. We did not speak of the cartographers we found north of the Dragon’s Horn, but the juxtaposition registers with me. He would likely not have been aware of their activities, for he was not familiar with the concept of maps.

Ostreans, we learned, navigate primarily through their Wayfinders’ connection to the sacred crystals that grow in the ground. They exchange knowledge exclusively through oral tradition. Jahka explained that it was a means of keeping that knowledge safe among those who are trusted and out of the minds of evil.

That made further sense when later we entered the library and I found some of the few books that relayed the history of the continent. The people of this land descend from ground-dwellers who were enslaved to the Skyborn, who ruled islands that flew through the sky until they crashed to the surface. Only by the protection of the spirits did the ground-dwellers survive the ensuing war; they continue to protect the crystals with honor and zeal.

In my view, evil is insidious. It exploits our trust and our misgivings, our arrogance and our weakness, our pride and our shame. It takes those whose sense of honor and duty is unbreakable, those whose minds are incorruptible, those whose judgment is immaculately honed to truly keep the world safe. It is an ideal I strive to draw myself closer to every day; yet every day I strive toward it, I see in stark clarity that I am even further from it than I realized.

I have digressed. I should say I was impressed by the library, but experienced nothing near the sense of awe that Jahka did. He had expected that the library would be filled with curators of knowledge, not knowing the volume of information held by as many books as existed in this place. We gave him basic lessons in how to read a book, but I expect it shall not be easy for this information to come to him.

We explored the library further, looking for its keeper. We encountered a woman named Mariposa, who warned us to be careful with the artifacts–an incident involving a Wall of Force around the Anguish Urn taught us that lesson materially–and it took significantly longer to find Shivan herself.

Her own philosophy seemed in opposition to Jahka’s. She comes from Shau, where the weak are culled and the strong rule. It is unfortunate that she has not learned the lesson that comes from this land: that there is a greater perspective that can be gained by learning from those who come from many different schools of fish. Ostreans revere the injured and infirm among them; the very land and spirits revere them. They have quite literally the greatest perspective of all here.

That is something Shivan will perhaps never know. I am not sure whether what I feel toward her is pity or contempt, but I resolve that I will hold close the importance of understanding the beliefs and knowledge and perspectives of all those I meet, and of maintaining an open enough mind not to dismiss out of hand the ones that challenge me.

So I will listen to her when Synn asks questions of her. And I will consider what she might say once we continue our journey onward.

Which I hope will begin again soon.

May the gods and the spirits be with us,
Islaryn

#### 21 - Lost in a Book

Diary,

It was only natural that Shivan would ask Synn about her association with Leslie. Synn described herself as a student, “as such,” in search of magic that would allow her to return home to the Fey Realms. Synn sought knowledge as to the tasks a lich’s apprentice could be asked to carry out. Importantly, she emphatically denied any desire to become a lich herself.

I think I am beginning to see a clearer picture of what this association means to her. On the one hand, it is a means to an end. Synn does not strike me as the person who seeks power for power’s sake, and I believe her research was to assure herself that she could be spared the worst excesses of any evils she might be asked to commit.

But this is a path that is dangerous to walk. Evil does not ask you to remain as you are. It asks you to swim free from the jaws of the shark and show no remorse for the friend you threw down its maw, justifying your actions under the cover of necessity. It asks you to listen to your worst impulses and anchor yourself to them, as if they can be assuaged or mitigated or explained. It corrodes you slowly, dragging you to shallower and shallower water until there is nothing but air left to breathe.

For once, I agreed with Shivan: with Leslie, nothing is ever as it seems.

In fact, I agreed with her twice: she, too, wishes to see Sagheos destroyed. We differ in that she would take genuine pleasure in his suffering, whereas I simply would be satisfied to see such a threat removed.

However, she–like everyone else in the Dragon’s Horn it seems–would rather test us first.

She sent us upstairs to retrieve a book from a hallway laid over with fog. I could not disperse it with the wind I conjured, but Qiqi could fly over it. He and Absinthe noted the locations of many corpses in the fog, including that of a dragon. When he returned, Synn magically identified the fog as one that could put anyone in it to magical sleep. Therefore, the elven members of the group found no difficulty traversing it and retrieving the book.

While they went off, I explained a little bit about why I was on this mission to Qiqi, promising to tell him more of the story when there was time. For soon, the others returned with the book and opened it.

My uncle oft told me when I was young that it was possible to become lost in a book, if it was truly of quality. I did not know that he meant such a thing so literally. We were pulled into the book and found ourselves in some kind of a mansion.

We soon located the mansion’s owner, one Milfred. He tasked us with ridding the mansion of its squatters. So far, we’ve cleared the lower floor. We found a young beholder first. Eowyn held some concern at destroying a child, but I noted that things such as these do not exist on the same scale of good and evil as mortals do. Neither do mind flayer tadpoles (one of which we destroyed in the next room). Nor do undead (such as the ghost we cast out in a third room).

We have made progress on this test. I feel that the larger tests, however, have only just begun.

May the gods and spirits be with us,
Islaryn

#### 22 - A Unit of Four

Diary,

I have little to report that represents a novel development in the course of events that have taken place. We split off into two groups for the time being: Synn and Twilight remained in the basement to more thoroughly investigate the chemistry lab while the rest of us returned to the main floor and eliminated any threats we found there.

The first and least severe of those threats was a sentient dueling sword. It suffered little from any physical blow Qiqi or I could deal to it, but Eowyn and Aila doused it in radiance until it fell still. In the next room was a series of books that came to life, which again posed little threat save for their number.

Third was a chef, Mozak, a fiend who insisted on making us eat the food he had prepared. We of course rejected any offer out of hand made by a creature of his nature. I was in no hurry to strike the first blow, but when the fighting inevitably started I was sure to strike true as we sent him back to the Nine Hells.

We encountered fairy dragons in the garden, using multiple points of entry to our advantage: Qiqi went in through the window, whereas the rest of us timed our entry through the door. The dragons were miniscule and posed nearly no direct threat, but their deaths resulted in a small explosion of magical energy. Qiqi took the worst of it, even being turned briefly into a beetle. In fact, even as I write this he still seems to be adrift.

After a mishap in which we ignited some of the sleeping gas at the hallway’s end, we found that the first floor was clear of threats. So we made our way upstairs.

Upstairs were two more beholders. Fighting two of them at close quarters was more challenging, but this fight felt different than most. I could simply feel our collective resolve as we held our ground and resisted the worst effects of the eye beams they lanced at us. I felt a mote of fear, but I brushed it aside. Eowyn’s fire, Aila’s spiritual weapon, and Qiqi’s precise strikes combined to fell the creatures.

I consider now that this surely must be what it feels like to command a unit. They seem to be developing a deeper understanding of their own strengths and their great potential. I shall continue to guide them when needed and learn from them when needed.

Over the course of these events, we discovered a shield and spear combination that were exotic and ancient. The spear was designed to be used at longer ranges, and the shield was designed to be thrown, with blades that could cut the wings of enemies in flight. These were undoubtedly the tools of the Ground Dwellers, as they fought against the Skyborn. I will keep these close.

Twilight and Synn should be rejoining us soon. But until then…

May the gods and spirits be with us,

Islaryn

#### 23 - The Dance of the Wind

Diary,

What does it mean to miss a sensation that I had not been accustomed to in the first place? I am not native to the sensation of wind in my hair, or the reflection of the sun off of my armor, or the smell of meat freshly cooked over a fire. Yet once they returned to me as we exited the Dragon’s Horn, I felt a sense of overwhelming relief, as if I had been led to water after a long thirst.

I would speculate that this must be similar to the sensation one is supposed to feel when they return home.

We did not have much left to do in the mansion. We encountered a woman named Ammalia, who was quick to attack us when she learned that we were perusing through the mansion. She attempted to–succeeded in–charming me, but when I was able to break free I projected my will to bolster our mental defenses. She fell soon after, and there was no one else left apart from Milfred. We collected a Carpet of Flying and a book that we found behind a secret door. The book was the manual that would allow for escape from this place, and the carpet would prove useful later.

Milfred joined us in exiting, which I did not anticipate. Neither did Shivan, it seems. She gave us an iron flask to use to recapture him if we should ever encounter him again.

Shivan made good on her promise to provide information on Sagheos. We must find his base of operations near the southern river of the continent, which will require us to cross deserts and meet the nomads who roam the land. We can expect to encounter gnolls, dragons, wyrms (I assume she meant wyrms and not worms, in any case), guthrie, wild moll, and more. We are not the only ones working toward his end, curiously.

She also mentioned that Sagheos was working with Rafinas, who is a dangerous woman, a bard and entertainer, and one who practices sympathetic magic–works that can be applied to a target at a distance through a token of their likeness. I have no reason to believe she would know who we are, but also no reason to believe she would not. We should remain on our guard.

With knowledge gained, we departed the Dragon’s Horn. It was not a matter of traversing physical distance: the library itself, manifesting the mind of Amoriarozi, opted to place us near the desert camp of a group of nomads.

There, we met Elbek and Kiratai of the Slashing Winds. They were kind and hospitable in their own way–which is to say that they allowed us to dine with them after Kiratai verbally examined us as if she hoped to catch us in a lie. They found us strange, but that is not unexpected.

I find it of utmost importance to notice that they are the first people I have met who applied an appropriate amount of salt to their food. Truly, Jateekaam has blessed them deeply. They seemed surprised that I would know of him, but the vision of the importance of the spirits to every aspect of their lives becomes clear with every moment we spend on this continent.

The only people laying on the ground were the injured and infirm. Though in other places–Shivan’s description of Shau comes to mind–they would be cast aside, here they are important. They are the Wayfinders, those who can see far beyond their sight. One of them mentioned once again that “Fear is in the mountain and we cannot go.”

Having need of the ability to walk this continent, we asked about the rite that would allow us as able-bodied people to become Wayfinders ourselves. Elbek spoke of another group of wanderers that sought the same thing. They embarked on what he called the challenge of the fruit of the mountain. None here knew precisely of what it entailed, but they do know that this group was successful and departed as friends.

Now, we have been given a tablet that will allow us to take on this challenge ourselves. We will travel three days to the mountain, across the Great Flat, along with Nachin and Sorocan, nomads of the Flaming Arch who are passing through.

In the night, I saw the stars. That is worth mentioning of its own merit.

In the morning, we traded. We gained healing potions and ointment, and we provided the Carpet of Flying in exchange for the moll egg that Samara had requested. I understand that it was no small thing for the Slashing Winds to agree to such a request; the moll are like family to them. It is a gesture that I honor and will strive to respect.

Then came noon.

I asked when the Slashing Winds commune with Chelone. They do so at noon, when the wind reaches its strongest, and they dance. It is a slow, methodical, and graceful dance, one that embraces the flow of the wind and allows the flow of life to absorb it, reflect it, redirect it, and react to it in all ways unpredictable yet natural. Synn and Twilight joined me in this.

I know not if I have ever felt such peace as I did in this moment. If I had never left home, I would not have understood it. But now I am here, and there is so much more to learn of this place and its people as we pursue our mission. Attuned as I am to the flow of life, with friends forged in fire at my side, I know that I am ready to face fear in the mountain.

May the gods and spirits be with us,
Islaryn

#### 24-25 - Fear in the Mountain

Diary,

I have developed a sense that the people of Ostrea–perhaps those of the Slashing Winds alone, but perhaps the Flaming Arch and perhaps others as well–do not seek out the knowledge of what lies in the mountain unless they mean to become Wayfinders; then, those who become Wayfinders must experience its challenges for themselves. All of this is to say that I will be deliberately excluding specific information from this entry and others out of respect and caution: although these writings are intended for only my own edification, I am reminded of the conversation we had with Jahka about the fear of knowledge falling into the wrong fins.

I can speak of the Flaming Arch–or, at least, of the two members with whom we traveled. They are moll riders, traversing the land rapidly (as I found out the hard way) in order to evade the wrathful breath of dragons. They had met another group that had embarked on this challenge before us; I surmise that it is the same group we have heard about previously.

When we arrived at the mountain, there was no wildlife to speak of. It was quiet. I’m used to quiet as sound travels so poorly in the sea, so for this to be unnerving was itself unnerving. I wondered if the creatures of the land fled from fear, or if they simply cannot thrive on a mountain for reasons beyond my understanding.

We entered the cave, and here is where my notes must grow nonspecific. We faced several challenges, some of which were elementary and some of which were more difficult. I feel lucky to have had the training and exercise that I’ve had in my life, for the blows they could land were difficult to withstand even for me.

This was not our greatest difficulty–our greatest difficulty was the moments where we lost positional integrity. Specifically, Qiqi was far ahead of the party when something happened to him. We heard a cry of anguish, and it took precious time simply to locate him (let alone to treat him). Fortunately, Eowyn was able to get to him in time.

The most I can say about this challenge is that the rather direct style of confrontation that we are most accustomed to was perhaps not the most efficient method of accomplishing our task. As we steadily wore down foes, we were ourselves worn down as well. This is certainly not a phenomenon unique to the mountain, but it does mean we must remain vigilant of our reserves and prudent toward both the need to remain sharp and the urgency to take action to rescue Bloodsword. I do not know if we are suited to survive any other, more efficient currents to swim through–after all, I myself am about as subtle as a lanternfish–but that is our reality.

But now, we understand what it means to face fear in the mountain. We have faced it, defeated it, and grown from it. We understand what will grant us the blessing of Jateekaam, what will keep our feet anchored to the ground as surely as our souls must be anchored to this plane.

It is now time to find the way.

May the gods and spirits be with us,

Islaryn

#### 26 - Horizons In Our Eyes

Diary,

There is a certain poetry about it: we became Wayfinders to see what we could not see, but yet we are guided by what we see that we cannot see.

When Qiqi lay upon the ground, he could see the rivers and the oceans, the winks of light on the horizon. He could see the motion of a prismatic dragon moving past a crystal to the south. And then, he saw the crystal disappear. It is an audacious act to veil a crystal, one that states that they fear no repercussion against them and yet they prefer the secrecy it grants them. We have what knowledge of their defenses that they bring with us, and no more.

I can hope that they will not consider us a threat worthy of which to seek foreknowledge. I hope further that we can prove them wrong.

We returned to the Slashing Winds and dined with them before we took to the journey. It was a day heavy with omens. Twilight saw a two-headed shape blocking out the stars at night, an omen of the dragon Vagrodan. A box appeared at Synn’s feet, containing an encoded message from Leslie, an omen of whatever wicked thing Leslie is involved in. And in the distance, we saw a flaming arch, an omen of the dragons that bathe the rock formation with their breath.

One such dragon made itself known with alacrity. We spread ourselves out well, but it managed to catch both Twilight and Aila with a breath of lightning. Aila was rendered unconscious. But Twilight and Synn managed to slow it and incapacitate it while Eowyn went to heal Aila. Synn was eventually able to persuade the dragon to surrender, turning over items from its hoard as reparation for its unprovoked attack against us and allowing us to spare its life.

Now, we continue to march southward. The desert has become more mountainous, forming mesas that funnel us into a particular path. If we are assailed again, we will have little room to maneuver. As always, we must remain vigilant.

May the gods and spirits be with us,
Islaryn

##### Addendum: Vagrodan and Rafinas

The sight of the two-headed shape in the sky compelled us to use our newfound connection to the land of Ostrea to divine the knowledge herein.

*Vagrodan*

Vagrodan is, was, and is again a two-headed dragon created from fiends, fey, and other extraplanar beings with the aim of slaying the good dragon Amoriarozi–a bid that was successful. He was nearly impervious to attack, and in his life he wandered Toivoa wreaking devastation. A group of heroes including Kharis Razeiros slew him: the resulting eruption of void energy destroyed Razeiros, but his sword Starshatterer is said to have remained until it was recovered in an archaeological expedition.

The dragon was killed in the land of Shau, only to be resurrected by Cicilia Evangeline Credence II of Garden’s Soil, known to be the home of a heretical sect of the church of Imkael–and the resurrection itself is proof of this heresy, as it violates their reverence of the Final Death. Instead of adhering to these rights, they have altered their focus to administering the order of Joso-zai to suppress the use of arcane magic. Jahka mentioned the Joso-zai before, speculating that Kava could have been a member of such an order.

*Rafinas*

Rafinas was human at one point, striking bargains with djinn, fey, and old ones to shed her mortality. She is said to be a repository of stories, roaming the planes seeking knowledge. It is not wealth or direct power she seeks; she enjoys the manipulation of others for the act’s own sake.

She usually appears with a porcelain mask, red robes, red hair with golden roots, and a dulcimer.

She is known to be a lethal threat.

#### 27 - Spirit of the Land

Diary,

When we saw the guidestones on our path, it was not immediately clear that we were being led into a cathedral.

The desert floor was alive beneath our feet. We could feel the multitudes of creatures burrowing underneath the ground, skittering about but keeping their distance from us as long as we remained within the path. It was a peace that was shattered when Twilight lofted a rock in the direction of several of the creatures and goaded them into attacking.

There were many, many creatures that assailed us. I interposed myself between a couple of them and the rest of the party, but I could do nothing to stop the giant worm that swallowed Synn whole. We fought to prevent it from consuming her, but it was remarkably well constituted and refused to surrender its meal. Instead, it invited Eowyn to join Synn as its prey. Only once I was able to find a moment to break away from the creatures I was keeping at bay could I assist, and my assistance–along with a technique I’d practiced to use the blunt end of my weapon–proved successful. The worm released them both in its death throes.

We finished off the other creatures, and I struck the final blow on one. Clearly Synn was hoping to be the one to do so, but her attacks were not finding their mark and I had no desire to see any one of us put in further danger.

Safe to say that she was not pleased with me, nor was I pleased with her when she admitted that Twilight had instigated this fight intentionally to give her the opportunity to consume these creatures’ essences.

Diary, I already have strong misgivings over this power that Covett Von Synn wields. I do not understand it, I do not trust its source, and I fear that she has not considered the full implications of what type of pact she has entered herself into. And yet, we are allies. She is someone who saved my life; is it not my duty to repay this deed in kind? She is someone who opposes a great evil; must I accept alliance with a dark power to forestall something darker? It is one thing to understand intellectually that the world is a complicated place, and it is another to live out such complication.

What is not complicated is the fact that it was tactically unsound to engage this fight in this venue. We were not aware of these creatures’ capabilities, nor did we have favorable terrain, nor did we have a means of egress should they have overwhelmed us. Synn is perhaps the most vulnerable of us all, and she received the worst of the encounter; I hope that at minimum she will be more judicious.

After the initial skirmish, we were not bothered again. As we approached a crumbling archway (not one of the flaming variety this time, thankfully), the ground became looser and the nearby creatures seemed to wait in reverence. It was clear that this must have been a temple at one point. But only once a massive creature began to rise from the ground did we realize that it remained one to this day.

It was a cathedral to Jateekaam. I know this because he told us so himself.

The spirit of the land of Ostrea shares our goal of destroying Sagheos and removing his influence from the continent. His ability to do so is limited, as Sagheos rarely descends to the ground where he can subdue him. It is possible that he can render assistance if we are able to force him to descend. I showed him the Ground Dweller Shield and Spear from the mansion, promising that I would use these implements to bring the dragon to heel.

Jateekaam warned us that Sagheos is a corrupter, a deceiver, a sorcerer, and a shapechanger. He is prismatic and like a chameleon: he blends into his surroundings, using the terrain and his thralls to his advantage. Raw power is not how he kills; it is his ability to take his enemies by surprise and ambush them. It is imperative that we make ourselves vigilant.

He gave us his blessing in our journey, promising that the burrowing creatures would leave us alone. I hope that Synn and Twilight will not test whether or not this is contingent upon us leaving them alone.

Twilight asked if we should seek out the other spirits. He warned us that Kashanah can be found among the gnolls, but that we should be prudent: the information she provides comes at the price of a life.

Chelone, in contrast, he has not heard from in eons. Her spirit was last seen at a shrine in a lighthouse in the southernmost point of Ostrea. The spirits are not rooted to one single place: they are as synonymous with the continent as the ground or the sky or the rivers or the creatures. Yet Chelone is missing from all of it, and this seems abnormal.

Jateekaam wonders if all this time has changed her.

Sagheos is her creation, from before she disappeared. To them, the creation of life is a mere pastime. They seek to design the most perfect creature, and what else could be the pinnacle of mortal life other than a dragon?

That, and nothing less, is the task we are faced with when we reach the diverted river two days hence where Sagheos hides out.

May the gods and spirits be with us,
Islaryn

#### 28 - Siege at the River

Diary,

After weeks of voyaging across land and sea and strange dimensions, we have found ourselves upon the oasis that bears the river along which lies the cave we have sought. I feel a sense of relief, knowing that we have made it this far; I feel a sense of anticipation, knowing that the distance we have yet to cover will certainly be longer in the ways that matter.

Our timing was perhaps fortunate, as it coincided with the great dragon Sagheos’s departure. We watched him take flight and disappear into the sky. He did not merely fly off into the distance; he vanished into it. This display serves to remind us that we must be vigilant: we must assume that Sagheos could be anywhere at any time, and we must be ready to confront him at a moment’s notice. A single drop in our collective guard could prove fatal.

There will be no way to reach the cave other than across open terrain that is guarded by constructs, dinosaurs, and archer-spellcasters. It is my observation that the constructs are slow and breakable, but their blows sap the energy from their victims and make it difficult to recover properly. The archer-spellcasters prefer to fire their ranged weapons from atop their mounts, who have speed and a ferocious bite. They will cast spells to teleport if needed, but that is a last resort.

In our first attempt to break the enemy lines, we did not take full advantage of this knowledge. I went ahead to deal with the beast, but our focus was entirely too split. Eowyn and Aila were tied up with the construct, Twilight preoccupied himself with the dinosaur’s rider, and Qiqi assisted him after first targeting the dinosaur.

I was entirely unimpressed when Twilight’s Call expressed that his motivation was to defeat the rider for the purpose of repurposing the dinosaur for himself. I may have held more sympathy for his position if the dinosaur were not at the moment holding me in its mouth and attempting to make me into its next meal. Following so soon on the heels of the incident in the desert, I begin to wonder how he ever gathered enough discipline to learn to become as precise of an archer as he has.

Eventually, we were able to subdue two constructs, the archer, and the dinosaur. But as we pursued another archer who had hidden in a bush on foot, we ran into an additional obstacle: the crocodiles in the river. This poses a risk and an opportunity: they are not individually powerful, but they could drag anyone who crosses the river into the water. They could assist the enemy in flanking us, and in numbers they could prove devastating. With more enemies amassed on the other side of the river, we evaluated that we did not have the advantage at this point. So we withdrew, regrouped, and prepared to strike again.

This time, we were smarter about it. When faced with another archer riding another dinosaur, we engaged at greater range. I even borrowed Twilight’s spare longbow, though I am admittedly ill-practiced with such weapons. This time, we focused our efforts on the rider. Though Aila was briefly rendered unconscious–in part due to her lingering injuries from the construct–we won handily. Not only that, but Twilight was able to persuade the dinosaur to allow him to direct its course.

Diary, you will be pleased to know that I did in fact become more sympathetic to his position when there was not a dinosaur in the process of eating me.

Now, we can make our second attempt to cross the river. The siege has only begun.

May the gods and spirits be with us,
Islaryn

#### 29 - The Traversal

Diary,

A warrior must be prepared to fight using any means necessary. I may be most skilled in a more traditional battle, face-to-face with the enemy with my senses and conviction on my side, but I am not above simply allying with hungry crocodiles and feeding enemies to them.

Every inch of ground we gained was difficult. Most of the party was robbed of their senses at one point or another. But with skill, tactics, and determination, we marched forward.

Synn provided artillery support, throwing beads from her Necklace of Fireballs and blasting psychic energy at the enemy. At one point she questioned whether we should retreat and gather more information about the place we are besieging, but Eowyn encouraged her to press onward. It was almost–but only almost–as if they had swapped bodies with each other.

We drew the attention of an arcanist, who blasted pure energy and mimicked our tactics of dropping to the ground to avoid attacks from range. However, that put him in an even more vulnerable position when I was able to reach the crocodiles and persuade them to attack the much softer enemies rather than someone like me, who is hard like iron.

There were more archers, spellcasters, and dinosaur riders on the other side of the river. Some of them fell into retreat. Some of them preemptively engaged the crocodiles, buying us extra time. Others continued to engage us.

I began to issue commands, compelling enemies to approach me at the river so that I could grab hold of them and present them to the crocodiles. The arcanist fell this way, as did one of the archers on the other side of the river after I had crossed.

Twilight and his mount were first to cross the river, followed by Qiqi, then Eowyn. I can’t recall when Synn crossed, but I know I crossed before Aila. She briefly began to sink before recovering her bearings and making it across.

That could perhaps serve as a metaphor for this entire fight. We were at many points on the brink of defeat, but yet so was the enemy. Every time, we found something that we perhaps were not even aware we held in reserve. With Aila and Qiqi unconscious, Eowyn refreshed us all with a burst of healing. With Twilight’s new mount killed, he teleported atop a different dinosaur and ousted its rider. Only at the end of the fray did I even draw my trident, and I struck directly at one of the few remaining enemies, divine radiance coursing through my weapon. In that moment, we so decisively turned the tide of battle that the remaining enemies were forced to retreat.

We earned an opportunity to rest and hold the ground we gained. And we must rest well, for the cave we are to enter shall be surely even more dangerous.

May the gods and spirits be with us,
Islaryn

#### 30 - Tactical Advancement Toward Elsewhere

Diary,

We made one initial incursion into the cave, and it was once again a fight that nearly proved beyond our measure. We were faced with a construct, which spoke in a feminine voice and demanded a password of us which we were of course unable to provide. It announced our presence to the rest of the cave while it activated and sprang into the locale’s defense. Along with it fought two hooded figures that fought with longbows and longswords, and two masked figures who fought at close range but could teleport out of danger.

As usual, it was a long, slow fight. We struggled to wear the enemy down, our focus split so many different ways. And it eventually began to take a toll on us. At one point, Eowyn, Twilight, and Aila were each rendered unconscious simultaneously, along with Synn separately. Qiqi was injured to the point of being unable to stay in close range consistently. I alone was relatively unharmed.

We did win the fight. The construct fell, and eventually so did three of the four obscured figures. The last was an archer, who retreated further into the cave. We opted not to pursue the obvious bait to an ambush. Instead, we once again withdrew out of the cave.

We are faced with a difficult situation. Every day we spend accomplishing some task other than rescuing Bloodsword is a day that his life and health is at risk. Furthermore, it became clear through divination that he is likely being held due to the knowledge he holds of Fort Crag, on the border of Wresten and Korlan. I am somewhat familiar with the importance of this stronghold due to my uncle’s service in the conflict between the nations, and subverting the fort–and perhaps the Wandering King in residence there–would fit Sagheos’s goal of gaining power through destabilization.

Therefore we cannot afford to delay, and yet we also cannot afford to fail and perish. Our abilities are stretched to the limit simply breaching the outer perimeter of the dragon’s defenses; it is a great risk that we could become overextended or overmatched if we pursued further. I also do not believe the others are fully recovered from the fight with the clay golems–their strikes were so bruising that they may need special care to recover from. Yes, we must all be willing to die if it is necessary for the good of our people and the good of the world. But there is neither honor nor utility in death in vain.

I pray for the wisdom to discern which we avoid, as we have made the choice to seek out Chelone instead.

Synn estimates that it is a journey of seven to ten days to reach the lighthouse shrine where Chelone is said to have last been seen. We will face trials of fire, sheer cliffs, and narrow canyons before we reach the inland sea filled with floating cities and the lighthouse at its center.

She also contacted Leslie, who assisted us in resupplying–at our own cost, of course–and provided further information about our new destination. She apparently offered two warnings: not to mention her or the Consortium at the Great Lighthouse, and not to cause too significant a disruption to the status quo without consulting her. The former warning I can heed, but I of course hold no trust in any interest she might hold in the situation. I will use my own judgment should it come to that.

I do admit that I look forward to seeing water again, for longer than it took to cross the river by the cave. I may not even mind so much its dearth of salt.

May the gods and spirits be with us,

Islaryn

##### Addendum: A New Review of Battle Tactics

I have learned from a young age that a poor commander enters a fight and then attempts to win, while a great commander wins the fight and only then enters it. I wish to spend time converting our cadre from the former persuasion to the latter.

The strengths are there if we can learn to wield them. Twilight is a devastating archer. Qiqi moves quickly and strikes quickly. The other four of us can wear down enemies with consistency. But great commanders know how to disable an enemy, or at least to inhibit their ability to fight long enough to devastate the remainder of their forces. We do this rarely. Great soldiers and battlemages learn how to unleash attacks that devastate scores of enemies at once rather than one at a time. We also do this rarely.

In the cave mouth, Aila cast a Spirit Guardians spell. When I speak of my findings to the rest of the group, I will mention it as something to be encouraged. I have already begun thinking of ways to shape the fight around her as she does this: Eowyn and I are hardy and can position ourselves between her and the enemy, while Qiqi floats in and out of range and Synn and Twilight loose attacks from a distance.

Before that, Twilight cast Slow on the enemies. It occurs to me that this is an opportunity for us to coalesce around a smaller number of targets who have been made more vulnerable and defeat them before they are able to regain full capability. This should be a tactic we employ more regardless: a ripple might wet the feet of all, but it is nothing compared to a riptide that overwhelms even just one.

What else can we do to either enhance our own abilities or diminish those of our enemies? I can call down a blessing of battle upon us, and I know this to be effective. Synn can pierce the minds of enemies and incapacitate them, though only one at a time. I believe there is plenty of capability to be released in all of us, particularly Aila and Eowyn.

And we must release this, for we are a party with significant vulnerabilities. I could expect Eowyn and myself to stand up to a barrage of attacks, and perhaps Twilight too; however, a long fight is sure to overwhelm Aila, Synn, and even Qiqi. We face enemies that strike with devastating strength. Unless we can develop these methods, we will always be a small number of fortunate strikes away from total defeat.

### Part III

#### 31 - Trials of Sand, Stone, and Fire

Diary,

If we were in such a position where Rolmos would accept such a jest in the spirit in which it was intended, I would tease him with the proposal of marriage I received from Tolun of the Rude Sands. “You compete for my affections,” I would tell him as I would endeavor not to smile beyond such a degree as would be considered enigmatic. “I should like to hear what case you would make for yourself.” Instead, the circumstances of my departure deprive this banter of its humor–and I am not entirely certain Rolmos would appreciate it even absent such circumstances.

Viktar would, certainly. But he is not here, and I am uncertain as to whether I will see him again. I can only hope that he is safe and alive under the protection of Skeeas Cross, across the sea from here.

I was not the only one with a mind toward home. Twilight and Synn spoke of the Chantara Grove from whence he has come, a place that has been overrun by living shadows. Qiqi spoke of growing up on the streets until he found his monastery and learned the Ways of the Serene Waters. Aila spoke of her father, a traveler who found peace on the island where he met her mother; he is the one who advised her to travel the world herself.

Eowyn did not speak up yet. But when he did, he spoke of his desire to transform the Bluecloaks and salvage their reputation from that which it incurred under the leadership of Reynoldus Basil. I felt a kinship with his desire to prove himself to his people and his order. I see the courage in him, and I see his desire to do good for the world. There is a great warrior and protector in Eowyn waiting to emerge, I am sure of it.

As we learned of each other, we came across moll tracks that led us toward a gathering of Ostreans known as the Rude Sands. They carried weapons of obsidian, made from the glass of the nearby volcano. They wore tan clothing to camouflage themselves in the sand. Most notably, they lived up to their name: they were insulting and ill-mannered as a matter of course. It seemed less that this represented a desire to repel strangers and more that it was simply how they interact with people–including each other.

We spoke to one of their shamans, Tolun, who had suffered injuries from the volcanic lava. He agreed to heal Qiqi and Aila of their injuries sustained against the clay golems, injuries that had been peculiarly slow to heal.

He also called me an abomination. Truth be told, I would have been more put off if I had not already determined that I cared little for him beyond his dignity as a mortal being and that which he could provide for us. When I made it clear that I did not care about his opinion, he understood this to be an insult, which in turn he interpreted as flirtation, to which he responded with the aforementioned marriage proposal. I did not indulge him. I felt that we could not have left that place soon enough, though Twilight seems to have enjoyed the interaction.

They gave us potions, and we were on our way southward. Here was the fire: we were approaching the volcano. Along the path, we saw a woman with fiery tendrils of hair astride a phoenix. Synn recognized her as Drake Crystalglow, an inhabitant of the Fey Realms who visited her hometown many times over.

Crystalglow, too, recognized Synn. And she ordered the stone guardians to kill her.

What she did not account for, however, was those of us who would defend Covett Von Synn. I abjured the elemental creatures that moved to surround her, forcing them to flee. When we killed one and its death throes awakened a swarm of mephits, Aila called upon her Spirit Guardians to wipe them away as they approached us. And Eowyn erupted, neither in flame nor in lava, but with light, washing away nearly every remaining mephit in our path.

We are not yet through the pass, but we can see the way ahead of us. We must proceed with urgency.

May the gods and spirits be with us,
Islaryn