Recordings of Sir Ryon von Hector

[Jalthex]

[The writings herein are written in German, with some notation in Latin.]

Aut rex aut asinus.

Day 1:

I have lived through a single day now within this land, which seems to be named Barovia...The locals I have met so far all speak several foreign languages, though I assume I remain within a part of Europe as the names and languages do sound somewhat familiar...The temple I was taken to seems to be dedicated to some pagan idol named Lachthanderr...I pity the people of this land that they remain betrayed by the lies of false gods. Yet still, I remain conflicted...As they seem not ill of heart or meaning. I witnessed a wonder when the man claiming to follow another god, Heilm, was chanted toward by what I must assume is a pagan witch of this Lachthanderr... When the chanting was complete, the man was enveloped in a vivid light and the wounds upon his arms were sealed away. I would blame trickery, but I cannot deny the feeling of some presence within the moment... I must remain vigilant and watchful, till the Lord gives me a sign... I must discover where I am and find a way to return...

[Jalthex]

Day 2:

My second day in this strange place began with deliria as my lack of good sleep, the climate, and my hungered state led to my collapsing before the doors to the temple of this Lachthanderr deity... Strange, they cared for me as tough I'd been there own. Never in my life have I witnessed such a wide spectrum of both kindnesses and oddities as in this place thus far. It seems that below the temple a foul magical stain brings bodies whose souls have left them to life and out of their rest... I had heard such tales before from the older peasants outside the church during my time as a page...I had always thought them merely spun myths though. There are also more strange things, small people...Likened to the size of a child but with hair on their face and maturity in their voice...And even a larger man with disfigurements along his face...I thought him the product of some great and vile evil, but he did not attack, despite seeming a hostile fellow...Hmmmm...So far my prayers, while not remaining completely unanswered, offer little in the way of comfort within this cryptic and dark locale. Whether it be heresy or not, I have taken to the confines of this church of Lachthanderr as so far as I've seen, this deity gifts its sorcerers with powers that seem quite holy, if not unnaturally so. As this is the case, I see no harm with taking shelter within it's walls while I attempt to learn more of this place and how to make my way back to the St. Mary's Cathedral...

...I await eternally a sign from God...So far the only thing I am granted are the heavy rains as the angels cry out for this place...

I am not sure why, but something tells me I've only touched the surface on the mysteries of this place. Still, the Mysteries of the Father are both Eternal and greater. I shall remain vigilant and steadfast...

Ad majorum de glorium

[Jalthex]

Day 3:

Amazingly, I have had a night of peaceful sleep within the walls of this Lachthanderr temple... I have never fancied myself a scholar or philosopher, but I see many similarities within this temple to the Roman Catholic doctrine... Time and again I am lead away from the suspicion that these strange folk are pagan witches... They pray like Christians and seem to forgive like them as well... The break from some sense of peace came when an armored man with a large halberd weapon, likely a guard from this nearby city, struck down the large malformed creature I had met the previous day. The man-creature was unarmed at the time and the guard person did not seem phased in the least by his actions. The wars of man are often bloody, and though I became a knight of the order to see God's justice done. What was committed to that being was far from justice, it was murder. However, it seems he was acting upon the misguided laws of this land, so holding him in ill will would be far from noble, and far from forgiveness...
CAN one, through searching, discover the mysteries of the almighty? I do not know... I must admit I'm having difficulty discovering my reason for being here. Still, I must remain dedicated to my code and to my God, be my views heretical to the church or not, I must cooperate with these people, and I can only hope, that those who sit in darkness, can yet be saved...

Alea iacta est.

[Jalthex]

[Added to the previous page.]

I believe I may have found the sign from God I was searching for. In a frustrated but adamant statement of my faith, I marched into the dark crypts beneath the temple with a woman who seems to know the English language...Something I unfortunately have only a moderate grasp of. When I entered the wretched halls, I could tell immediately that the stench of evil filled the place. Shortly after my descent into the musty depth, I opened a door to reveal  skeletal remains, standing, prepared for combat. Acting on instinct and confusion, I lunged into the fray with them. With the help of the blind English priestess and two natives, the foul bones were laid to rest. After a small rest, we delved further, and battle after battle, the combat with these necromantic bodies felt more and more like righteous and truly good work. We ascended after some time, having had little trouble in the fight. The small man wielding the odd two ended blade-staff seemed so comfortable with combat, and I daresay portrayed abilities in battle that might have astonished Grandmaster Hermann von Salza... We ventured into the night, apparently with the mindset to drive off werewolves...More mythical creatures that apparently are nonfiction in this increasingly strange land...

I have therefore decided that till such time as I hear a message from God as to my reason for being here, I shall aid the populace in it's fight against the evil that plagues the area, and by doing so hold to the credo of The Order: "Help. Defend. Heal."