Caithlyn, The Exile/Diary

Herein lies the journal of Caithlyn, Exiled Avian and Diplomat of the Blackscale Claimants. Fourth Edition.

*The previous editions of the diary seem to be damaged by water, ripped or burnt out.*

### Entry 1 -

Getting real sick of these worlds falling to pieces. I had very little time in the last one before it fell apart. There was not much I could do either. It took all my knowledge of my people's magic to convince these wings to carry the ship upwards as well as forwards.

### Entry 2 -

She flies again. The Exile ran into some troubles, thankfully not too far from where my dragon friends from the last world had set up. Somehow I had been helping them before I even got here? Time is clearly becoming more fractures as I travel further and further along these worlds. Thankfully though, after much repair and a lot of help from Strunjotuxia, The Exile is ready to fly again.

### Entry 3 -

I've been quite busy, my services have been in high demand. I've been exploring both the vast cave network beneath us as well as what can only be described as hell. I've spent so long there my wings have taken on an orange hue. Not that it seems to be anything bad, it'll come out eventually. Other than that, one of our allies has asked for my help with constructing a floating platform after seeing the success of The Exile. I was all too happy to lend my assistance using traditional botanical methods. Strun has also asked me to assist her in constructing a great forge deep underground, grand enough to make even our dwarven allies jealous.

### Entry 4 -

An old friend recently joined in, establishing a colony much like the first world Strun, Suzu and I colonised. Curcunir, the architect responsible for my family's home back in the great Avian city. I'm almost envious of his skill since I can see the progress from the deck of The Exile.

### Entry 5 -

My wings are caked with rocks, dirt and other bits of underground dust. I've spent so long underground, working on this great forge. This should be Curcunir's job, but alas, he is busy rounding up the humans of this world to be productive. I'm going to need a long, hot bath after this.

### Entry 6 -

By the gods, it's over. Well, partially. The lava lake is filled, mostly thanks to Strun's nature as a dragon, being immune to the heat of the lava. I helped supply the lava, as well as the rather cruel contraption to melt the creatures of hell into a usable fuel for our future smithing needs. I used to object to such treatment, but after witnessing what the can do first hand, it almost feels... Justified. I don't know if I'm becoming more like my father or if it's something else.

### Entry 7 -

I've done it. The Ritual of Gaia, a rite of passage handed down to the Avians by the Elves. Traditionally, we can take one champion with us. I chose Strun, given that she is the most fierce warrior of our group. I never thought this day would come, my father assured me that I woul,d never see the inside of the arena back home. He said flight was a requirement for the battle. I have proven him wrong.

### Entry 8 -

Such a time was only theorized. The day upon which us Avians would gaze upon our Elven allies once again. I've done dark, terrible things to bring such a thing forth, but I am ready. The taste of blood still rests on my tongue, but I'm waliing into the portal. If the welcome is warm, I may not return back home.

### Entry 9 -

My head still hurts, I travelled to the world of the elves, only to discover that they are nowhere to be found. The notes they gave me when I first opened the portal for trading indicated that time worked differently. So perhaps by the time I arrive there, they have all perished? The world itself seems untouched though, am I in their lands before they arrived. I do not know. I feel almost as if this whole adventure has been for nought. I sit upon The Exile now, pondering my next moves.

### Entry 10 -

Strun has to slap me out of my depressive spiral. I spent too long wandering around The Exile, unsure what to do with myself. We still have more to do. Even as the Great Forge nears completion, Strun has plans to expand it into multiple wings, the first of which is a more dedicated area for their magic and my flowers. Perhaps I can recreate the great gardens of back home.

### Entry 11 -

Truly curious, the mind of a dragon is. Back home, even the mere thought of integrating machinery into our magic would be met with a similar fate as my own. But out here, bound by no such restrictions, Strun has create a contraption to fully automate generating mana. I can't even begin to imagine how it works, but it produces a constant stream of mana. Part of me things that this is wrong, but the rest of me says this is exactly what we need.

### Entry 12 -

I didn't want to believe Strun at first, but I should have seen it coming. I could almost taste the war on the horizon, but there's always deeper issues. The very laws that bind this world together are falling apart. Why shouldn't it? The last worlds have. I don't even know if my home still lives among all these destroyed worlds. As per Strun's request, I've outfitted The Exile enough with provisions and magic for us to sail between worlds. It was difficult last time, but I have help this time. I just hope that all of us are magically inclined enough to travel the rift.

### Entry 13 -

The Exile is almost ready for departure. In what time we have left, Strun, Suzu and I have created more plans for big projects. Some that would be considered heresy of the highest order back home, others that would make my father jealous. And some that worry even me. Will they stand the test of time? Or will they be lost like this world and the worlds before.

I’ve always wondered how different my travels would have been had I not met Strun after she was forced from her castle. Would I have taken the same path as I have now? There will be time to think on it later. For now, we devise a plan to utilise this new ore that Strun has seen in her dreams, one that seems to hold the very void itself within. Even hearing her describe it gives me chills. I worry, for all our sakes.

### Entry 14 -

I’m sleeping less and less. I don’t know if the days are growing longer or if I am just struggling to stay asleep. When I do sleep, I am haunted by visions of what’s to come. At least I think that’s what they’re supposed to be. Mountains that stretch into the sky, infested with bugs crawling within. Vampires draining the life of the land. Portals to foul, corrupted lands. Hope in these visions are few and far between. Small villages of my own people in the sky, the familiar sights I’ve grown used to. Dragons, humans and so on. I can only hope my friends will also find their way to these new lands with me. I do not see The Exile in these visions, which makes me fear for the worst.

### Entry 15 -

I do not know how long we have been travelling. The world collapsed rather suddenly, at least around us anyway. I assume it was falling apart for quite some time. We had very little supplies stocked on board The Exile. I thought we had more time.

I don't know why I bothered with windows, there's nothing to see outside. Except this sandstorm. There's no land, yet there's sand battering at every part of the hull. When it passes, we're going to have to clean the sails off.

I've taken up sketching again, something my mother always enjoyed watching me do. Not that there's much to sketch out here. I've also taken to sleeping on the floor with my friends. It's lonely in my quarters, the silence only broken by the howl of the wind. At least here, they are not far from me.

One day, we will have a home. One day, we can finally stop this endless travelling. One day, we will stop being exiles from worlds we were starting to call home. One day, we will actually rest.

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Slipped into the book alongside this entry is a sketch.

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### Entry 16 -

An island, untouched by anyone's hands. This shall be our new home. For now. I do not know how long we've been travelling, but we've arrived in a new world. Sea serpents nibbled at the sails, but we've managed to arrive safely at this new place. Curcunir has gone off exploring, meanwhile Strun and Suzu have begun working on our food issue. My wings work just as well as they did before. For once, I have hope for us. It has been a long time since I've felt this way.

### Entry 17 -

This world feels much like the first, the one I met Strun and Suzu in. I’ve explored far beyond the reaches of our island and I am reminded of my first entry. I’ve seen towers reaching into the sky for no apparent reason, I’ve fought undead priests in a temple basked in the jungle heat, I’ve seen people turn into wolves in front of me, I’ve found ruins of civilisations long gone, I’ve soared from mountain to mountain on my own wings, I’ve delved into caverns in search of treasure. Progress at home is slow, I admit is partially because I have been off exploring. The hollowing out of this mountain is tedious, my wings keep getting caked in stone and these pickaxes keep breaking. I only hope it will be worth it in the end.