The Swordsman's Tale:

[Silas Rotleaf]

Yes I'm an outlander. I come from a realm where we believe dragons were responsible for creating our world as we know it. I won't trouble you with too much of my background as chances are if you stumble upon this the here and the now will be much more relevant or possibly helpful to you than my childhood.

My name is Kaine Morrus. Originally I'm of Brelend but chances are unless you are Eberronese you won't have heard of it nor Sharn.

I'm a bit of a flirt with the ladies. It doesn't matter their creed, morals, color or station too much because to me a woman is a woman and being kindly towards her is part of demonstrating you have the proper breeding and had decent upbringing.

Sometimes I serve Lady Dennith. She's Eberronese like me but from a different place, FlameKeep rather than my home city of Sharn. She's very inspiring and a master of tactics. I always learn new things when I travel with her.

I'm not the most experienced soldier. I will admit that. I am easily whammied by attacks on the mind. I do have discipline though and am likely not to drop my weapon unless slain.

Lady Dennith serves Ezra but I met a red woman who somewhat resembled the dragons of our world and might like to start a goodly cult around her. I've decorated my shield in her image and named my secondary weapon, a spear of cold forged iron after this smart Selyth.

It is good to have friends in both high and low places. I like the Garda (especially privates Reveka and Yondran (sp.?)) who try to keep the roads safe but also have some friends in the sewer who when I was down on my luck helped patch up my wounds. The Boravians don't know this but not everyone down there who looks feral is a mutant. Some are what people from my and Lady Dennith's home plane would call "Swamp people" or those from Toril would refer to as "Orcs." When they have the flat noses and the protruding lower teeth that isn't the effect of sorcery exposure while in the womb I think. Well, on the other extreme of the spectrum I am happy to associate with Sir Havenshire and Lord Blaise though I am not part of any organizations or factions.

I will gladly share some or most of the loot if you brave terrifying adverse situations with me and the rest of my companions. Otherwise we could perhaps share a meal or I could possibly buy you a drink? I like hearing from other outlanders what their homelands are like or when it is the locals about their family history and trade.

- Lt. Kaine Morrus of Brelish King Boranel's 67th Battalion.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal:
The smith, Borval, a stout dwarven man of great talent and artistry when it comes to metalcraft revealed to me he is also a master-at-arms and gave me a crash course on dwarven swordfighting in exchange for carrying out a number of difficult chores in his service. These included hauling loads of ore, sweeping the foundry and gathering the durable shells of fire beetles Northwest of Vallaki.

I was called on to bear witness to a crime I had well, witnessed. I think the Lance Corporal understands I don't mean to go around causing trouble for him and his militia.

An old man, one Darius S. taught me a few words in Balok and corrected my mispronunciations. Also I should go back to my earlier entries and change the spelling of his countrymen. The land is called Barovia not Boravia. I was a tad hurried before when I had last written in my journal.

The red haired private who was nice to me is named Reveka! When she was in the infirmary from stab wounds I left some cakes and flowers outside the guardhouse for her and the other one Yondran I think his name is? He and I had a chat and he says he might need some mercenaries to pick up the slack in the event their militia is short staffed. I told him about how before I was misted I was in a militia as well and so I understood how it can be a very difficult job where usually the community you serve and protect might not always appreciate your duties. I know most guards don't get into that profession because they want to get paid to bully people, it's typically because you want to do the right thing and uphold a community as the arm of its officials.

There is a local young bard who is very talented named Merna whom when I told her  I liked hearing her songs and complimented her outfit she very quickly came up with a tale about an enigmatic husband who traveled a lot. Perhaps that was fabricated and perhaps I was too friendly toward her.

Something to think about: A woman, even one who is evil is still a woman and I would never willingly harm the fairer sex. I do suppose monstrous and undead would be an exception but humans and what the wizard and scholarly types refer to as "demihumans" are all people.

Would it then be unchivalric to defend myself if the attacker is female? I should ask some knights like Sir Havenshire, the Green Knight Varian in service to the Ezra Church, Sir Matthew or even that one black knight for their thoughts on this subject.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal:

It is now winter.
Master Borval says my defensive techniques have markedly improved but my attacks still leave room to be desired.

Lady Dennith is disappointed in the "dirty fighting" I had recently picked up and insists I no longer coat my weapons in monster venom. She says that is for thieves and bad men and I should be better than that. It isn't being the right type of paragon of the goodly swordsman to engage in such tactics. Our "drow" archer offered up a different opinion and says every advantage the unforgiving land can offer should be made use of if you wish to survive and that he was surprised I'd not picked up on it much sooner as it is a very common tactic in the land he is from. I shall dispose of the remaining vials. I do want to be a good example.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.
I have learned of something very troubling.
Remember earlier when I indicated the people those from the realm Lady Dennith and I were misted from refer to as "swamp folk" and mages and scholars call orcs and half orcs get confounded with mutants whom the Barovians refer to as calibans? I have a friend, a sort of a sewer doctor known as Drez who says he is from a nation named Thay which is also in a different realm not of this "core". He is not a sewer mutant but resides in a hovel down there because most of the locals having no frame of reference for what a half orc is assume he is some sort of "womb freak" or had been tainted by malevolent witchcraft while still a swaddled babe in his mother's cradle. He tends to try to avoid too much attention and is very careful to obey the curfew placed upon outcasts which is that they should not gather in public during the day and when we are required to travel on our adventures he considerately dons a face covering disguise and full body robes, extensive bandage coverings, a thick cloak and so on, so as not to cause too much panic by his unusual appearance. ...Indeed, it seems that the human half of his heritage is dominant over the orc blood coursing through his veins for he is quite intelligent and practices all manner of medicine and bits of alchemy.

Well what bothers me is on one of our journeys after a successful ridding the crypt below the Vallaki outskirts church of its restless dead and having mapped out some new tunnels he and I never noticed before a one-eyed woman with a prosthetic leg assaulted him, unmasked him in public, rubbed his face in the dirt and cracked his head to humiliate him. She said the Garda paid her to and later I talked to her about it and she showed me her hit contract. The person who authorized it was Private Reveka!?!!

That certainly changes a bit how I feel about her. I do believe the mercenary woman is telling the truth because though she might not be of sound mind she is proud of her craft, that is... Of assassinations and bounty hunting and had no reason to lie.  I was mad at her before for humiliating my friend but she said it was not personal and simply a job on her list of contracts. She showed me the page in her hit book and there was the Private's name under the client, right there, plain as day.

Drez has mostly recovered from the ordeal but is saddened one of his tusks was broken and now they are uneven. I have heard of this new science called "den-tis-try" that is being worked on in Lamordia and Dmontlieu and it sounds like they could repair his damaged tooth but how would we smuggle such a large and unusual individual into polite society? There's the rub.

As an alternative, perhaps a druid or cleric could cast a regeneration spell upon him to regrow the tusk back?

The mercenary's name is Hellena. She has a rather fearsome reputation too and people say she is insane.  Why would...? As far as I can tell the only reason I can fathom she would do that job for Private Reveka is perhaps Hellena was offered a pardon for some previously convicted offense she had committed as part of the conditions surrounding it?

I asked Drez if he'd ever to his memory at any point deliberately caused trouble for the garda, perhaps raided supplies in their fort or vandalized a guard house and he says he has not. He's very honest, bluntly so, so I have little idea what sort of vendetta exists between the pretty officer who struck me as kind and my friend the undercity doctor.

I needed some time to figure things out so I accepted an invitation from Lord Blaise who was looking for escorts to help him while he is conducting an excavation of tombs in Har'Akiri. The road to the desert itself was fraught with many perils, the desert itself was also very treacherous, and the intense heat is a stark contrast to the bone chilling cold of Barovian winter. Currently I am without money or weapons because it seems I had passed out partway through during the expedition of the second tomb. ...The first one had been going so well! Almost too easily.

Lord Blaise is a dandy and interested in well, people and academical things but does not like getting his hands dirty. That is why we are the hired muscle, as it were.  I am okay with this.  In this party there is a distrusting knight named Sir Roland, a Barovian swashbuckling adventurer named Luka (No relation to the Vallaki town drunk), and a dark skinned tracker chap named Mumbata who likely hails from some tropical region I have little hope of ever accurately pronouncing.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.
Monsters like chewing on me and so I have gained something of an aggravating reputation as a reckless idiot. The legend of my apparent idiocy so far seems to be confined to Vallaki mostly but I don't like the way that Erebeth woman was very insulting towards me and Drez the other night. She wanted me to leave him behind to catch up alone when there were worgs on the road and kept chiming in every time Lady Dennith who militarily on our usual travels acts as my commanding officer reprimanded or instructed me and I do not appreciate that. I am on the front line doing close quarters melee combat to keep the monsters and ruffians from laying waste to our casters, healers and archers who are more vulnerable in direct physical combat. She should be grateful she can sit there behind us at a safe distance to read books and interpret arcane sites, artifacts and the like. I am not a thorough idiot. Lady Dennith and I have a code that nobody should be left behind while we are in a unit so I insisted on waiting for Drez so he wouldn't be set upon by the worg packs roaming the rural crossroads alone with just a crossbow or a dagger to fend them off with.

Does this haughty mage Erebeth not understand the value of a well disciplined unit?!
I know were she and Drez's situations reversed she would not like to be abandoned by the rest of the group hurtling on ahead. That angered me.

Drez thinks maybe she comes from a magocracy and that since it can be assumed half orcs who possess a talent for the art are evidently rather uncommon that would explain her incredulity towards that he could be a doctor of sorts and also her demeaning behavior towards me for being a noncaster.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.

I came to the next day in a Muhar resting house. Lord Blaise had held onto my weapons, coin bag and shield the whole time which was certainly very kind of him. As a high class gentleman of a more delicate constitution that had to have been probably not so easy on him. I apologized for things being backward because nobles should not have to be a squire and this seemed to amuse him.

Making my way back to Vallaki town was rather uneventful, which was surprising considering how frought with danger the trip to Har'Akir was.

The Akiri are even less friendly than the Barovians. The nobles and merchants are right, traveling does help improve your perspective.

I talked to Private Reveka to hear her side of the story on the altercation between the mercenary Hellena and Drez. Now I feel pretty certain that Hellena wasn't lying because I do tend to believe Private Reveka. Why would Drez want to though? Hmm, I suppose it was not so much lying on his part as it was withholding a part of the truth from me.

I also met an, I think you call them Gundakarite? It's a different ethnicity of person than the other Barovians. They look much the same and both speak Balok but after some sort of long bitter civil war which the Gundakarites lost against the Barovians there was a law passed that Gundas aren't allowed to use any large weapons, only the small ones such as daggers or clubs. He was a friendly enough young man, a bit starved though. Lady Dennith and I took him and a peasant woman from Kroftburg with us up Mt. Balinok to the mines for a bit of an adventure.  On the way back to town Lance Corporal was setting up some stocks to put troublemakers in and I guess it must have been a surprise inspection from the Corporal, a harsh woman who is his boss (if you thought Lance Corporal Nicolas was mean, by comparison the Corporal makes him look inviting like Miss Anca at the Weeping Lady Inn). Tivádar (my Gundakarite traveling companion) and I were strip searched which was a little embarrassing but Privates Yordan and Reveka know I am not a troublemaker and so I did my best to comply so they would look good for the "top brass." Lance corporal still calls me stupid and such.

Barris was very angry with me. I worry about how he and the priestess Ferren and their friends keep having these small conflicts with the Garda. They were muttering about a friend of theirs being unjustly held by the Garda and how some of their friends had been killed but when he mentioned Sir Roland, I volunteered the information that he was among the other sell swords I was in the company of when we escorted Lord Blaise's expedition to the Har'Akir tombs. Also, Sir Havenshire and I were there in the citadel the night Andros was detained and I don't speak Balok but heard he is to be jailed for just a few days. You think they would be happy their one friend was *not dead* and the other was only being imprisoned for a short time!

I was wrong about the mage scholar. When lady Dennith and I spoke of our home plane Erebeth got very animated. The machines and constructs of Eberron are often of keen interest to academics in this "core" as it seems that of the surrounding regions only Lamordia is of comparable technological sophistication. Erebeth is actually not so bad. It was amusing to see her attitude shift from that I was a big muttonhead with a sword to a swordsman who is at least a bit less mutton headed.

I wonder if Private Reveka knows I like her. During the search she remarked I had to be very strong to carry the amount of heavy equipment I had on my person. I offered to show Lance Corporal my tattoo. He and the Corporal were not amused. Later at the Inn when she was off duty I told her I'd never desire to lay my sword against women or the law and she said she knew that and wouldn't hold me; I should have taken that opportunity to make a snappy suave remark she could hold me any time she wanted! Oh well... Perhaps some other time.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.

Anca and Private Reveka seem good friends. I wonder... Ugh, as an outlander I probably wouldn't have much of a shot with the lady Garda but she is kind to me and I do like helping her and Private Yordan out when the militia is short staffed or during an emergency. ... I wonder if Anca could help me do something to impress Reveka.  Lately I have been rather short of funds. The trip to Har'Akir and back was rather costly. I will have to take on more work to replenish provisions as well as gifts for the domnas.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.
 I had a good long conversation with the green knight Sir Balitor at the Vallaki inn today. He told me about some of the crusades the Ezra church has had his order go on and a little of the history and I guess some of their beliefs. Turns out he's as much a fan of the bastard or hand-and-a-half sword as I am!

Lady Dennith is yelling at me a lot more. I don't like it much but she *is* my commander and usually most of her combat advice is quite sound.

Kyorlin, our elf archer talks of plans to open up a merchant house. I'm not sure where in the core he intends to put it but he travels a lot and has been procuring increasingly exotic things lately.

I have engaged myself in industry for this winter! Both the locals and the other outlanders say the Barovian winter is tough due to how less food crops grow but the forest is teaming with animals and wood so fur trapping and lumber thrive. I helped two merchants who needed hardwood (50 cord) for some project they wanted to have built and got paid the generous sum of 5000 golden wolf fang (that's the local currency... There's a wolf on one side and portrait of the grim-visaged Count on the reverse). I am no longer destitute.

 I wonder what to do with this new small fortune. Perhaps I could invest it in some better gear or eventually if the windfall were to continue consider a piece of real estate? I will have to ask Sir Havenshire or perhaps Sir Audric the Red for some advice on this financial matter.

I also managed to turn in the head of a notorious bandit leader named Cosmin with a price on him for 700 fangs to the bounty office Commisar today. I hope Privates Reveka and Yordan find out it was me who put an end to that villain.
I'd also routed several members of his gang sending their criminal den into chaos. It was a hard battle but by carefully opening and shutting the doors and laying little traps in the way while luring the ruffians out a few at a time I actually got the upper hand on them. I was pretty badly wounded during it though and feel weak as though I definitely need to toughen myself. The question is how though to best go about it.

To celebrate bringing down Cosmin I had tsuika with the Barovian swashbuckler Grigore Novac.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.
I know Rurik doesn't like me but I don't think Domna Vulpe cares much for me either.
The locals tend to find my foreign mannerisms obnoxious.
I'd donated 1,800 fang to the Lady's Rest only to find myself kicked out for two weeks for having forgotten to shut a door.

Private Hubchev has agreed to tutor me in how to speak Balok and I am starting to feel my suspicions I have been being insulted a whole lot of the time may be correct.  Still... if for no other reason than Mariska's pies I will defend this city to my dying breath.

I don't hate the Barovians. I think they are a good very hardworking people and I hate seeing folks be oppressed.
The peasants, being peasants, are terrible at defending themselves.
That's why the Garda goes on patrols and that's why even if some people don't like admitting it foreign mercenaries do serve a role in this community.

I think I may have solved Jean Renaud's riddle. Not sure if I'm ready to try taking another *stab* at it just yet though.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.

Private Hubchev, Commander Dennith and I have begun drafting plans for how to best try defending the city against the Revenant and the anarchists.

I made city evacuation maps of several of the district sewers for Privates Hubchev and Stirbei so that if worst comes to worst noncombatants may quickly reach the outskirts, farmlands and forest.  It kind of hurt she questioned if it was a trap because honestly I kind of like her. She has a very strong commitment to justice which is admirable.

Miss Hebert says it is pretty much hopeless because I am an outlander so I think the best I can do is just keep taking bounties and killing monsters so that the Garda can see I am not a bad outlander. Then we can be friends perhaps.

Even if I were to become a swordsman of enough renown to receive a commendation from the burgomaster or Count himself there would still be negative rumors spread amongst the peasantry of Reveka and I seeing one another. I wouldn't want to hurt her chances of receiving promotion so this "Garda Lover" as some people have started referring to me as should move very slowly and carefully if at all.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.
Private Hubchev explained to me the reason why outlander mercenaries in particular seem to be looked down upon by the locals in Vallaki and certain establishments refuse to service us is due to events which transpired under the term of the last burgomaster. Apparently there did used to be an outlander militia of mercenaries who worked with the Garda to keep Vallaki safe but it was not well organized... Corruption and infighting led to it being disbanded and a lot of them behaved as well paid thugs. No wonder the peasants don't much care for us!

I hope Domna Vulpe realizes I gave her and Bianca that sack of gold not to show off being rich but because I genuinely felt it a good, decent establishment with great service. The gesture seems to have been lost. Probably people are happier now that I don't frequent the Lady's Rest anymore.

Sometimes I wonder if it would be better if I just had let the mists take me or left and just didn't come back.

No, stop thinking that way.  Even if the town, village, city doesn't like you very much they need help. You aren't doing it for the recognition or pretty girls or money.... Those certainly are nice incentives but they can't adequately defend themselves and Yordan says the Garda have only very recently implemented silver-edged halberds for dealing with the were-rat problems.

No, you tell people it is for the money or to attract the attentions of women and aristocrats so they don't think you are out of touch with the reality around you. People mock idealism.
Certainly, the recognition is nice for when a job is well done. I hope that if I take on enough bounties and slay enough monsters the people of Vallaki may come to despise me a bit less.

Miss Hebert of the Ezra sect's third revelation has begun trying to instruct me in ways of being and sounding a proper gentleman. I'm trying!

When Radu sees me outside he tries chasing me away. I explained to him I wasn't trying to sneak in and was just closing the outside door which had been carelessly left open but honestly I think he enjoys waving his big maul around and yelling; being a bouncer is the most boring type of guard work in my opinion. At least with being a merchant caravan escort or watching the payroll to a ship there is travel.  Even being the retainer of some bratty noble is more interesting because you are afforded the opportunity to get to meet many diverse people from different social circles than you would ordinarily associate with.

I'm not sure how he stands being assigned to the same station every day. He's patient, that's for sure.
...Perhaps he has well made boots to not mind so much being on his feet for most of the day and night?

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.
Again, my defensive attacks are improving, my parrying remains terrible and my offensive attacks still need work.

Briefly entertained the notion of calling the corporal a great cow with no manners but dismissed the thought as idly wondering whether the punishment for doing so would be public flogging, an execution or perhaps something somehow even worse of her own devising is only mildly entertaining at best.

Also, I really don't want to be making the jobs of Reveka, Yordan and Lance Corporal Nicolas any harder. She'd probably take it out on them since I'm often trying to help them with problems in the outskirts.

You want to know the truth of why I'm outgoing and friendly? I get lonely. I came to this land with just the clothes on my back, no family, no friends, everything trying to kill me and not even being able to speak the language of its people.

When I was in the military academy of my homeland it was all lecturing and drills. I didn't have much time for friends. Certainly didn't have any relationships.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.
I think my friend Warden Garrett has designs on Private Stirbei too.
At first I worried how I might possibly compete with a suave and sophisticated priest from Mordent but when I talked to Reveka about my taking etiquette lessons from a Dmontlieuese society dame she seemed not particularly enthused. Also, I told her how I felt about her and asked if one of these days when she is off duty we could go get a book. She said yes!

As I am not an Xth generation Barovian the peasants would probably give her grief about us being together but maybe if I become a great enough swordsman to receive commendation from the burgomaster or Count people will mind my being an outlander a bit less.

Vincenzo, that bard from Borca is chronicling her biography and I bought a copy of one of his stories about her. It was the first edition and I will ask him and Private Stirbei to sign it.

He offered to write a story about me too later. I'm thinking something like: "The foreigner who tried really hard to help a city that didn't like him." That is wordy though.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.
Found the body of a woman a little older than me tossed outside near the cemetery as though she were compost. That's just rude.
Carried her to the church and had the priestess resurrect her. Offered her some coffee. She says she is still quite new to the mists and doesn't have any friends yet. She seemed grateful and told me her name is Ingrum.
That is a fairly unusual name so I think she might be from one of those other realms which is not part of the core. Told her I'd be willing to be at least one such friend and that this land is too dangerous not to have any.

Unsure what her story is but sometimes it is good to do random good deeds, no?

She does seem Barovian though. Odd. Mist based amnesia perhaps?

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.

Do you think an adventurer like me and a Garda like her...?
Hmm, what sort of activities to go on. I know she has a very strong commitment to justice so maybe we could take on a bounty together?

Reveka is hardly a damsel in distress. As a lawman (or rather, law-woman in this case) she is quite capable of defending herself and would not require any man to do that for her.

I told her a large part of why I did not wish to see the city fall to the anarchists and revenant is then I'd never again get to see her smile.

My answer to Jean Renaud's riddle where he wants me to give him a reason for why I took up the sword "I would not like to admit or don't know" is that there *is* no right answer because the reason I took it up and the reason he took it up are not the same. That is to say the answer does not matter.

He said I have two more tries to come up with an answer he likes if I would like to receive instruction from him. Though I am often quite eager to prove myself I feel like he may be looking for me to say I have nothing to prove to him. Morvayn feels this may not be the right answer either but Jean Renaud is brutal and quite nihilistic so I am thinking that may appeal to his particular philosophy.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.
A newly transferred Garda, Private Androvich has posted a bounty on wolves. It is on behalf of the Vallaki farmers since those lupine pests have gotten too numerous and now that the winter has started to thaw they are behaving bolder.  The pay is a bit less per pelt than Petre gives out but if I bring in a lot of them, and then worg pelts and maybe some crag cat skins, that is sure to make a nice impression on Private Stirbei, I hope.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my Journal.
Many more things happened. I will have to detail it at an inn in Port Au Lucine though. I am going there with Miss Rav and Hellena to cash in the claim for an item I purchased from snooty Baron Laurier.

My sword skills are improving despite what people say. Most of the ones who disparage it aren't even duelists, so what do they know?
I am bothered by how much I tend to soak up the arrows and other heavy attacks while in the front line but I'd rather it was me than say the casters or healers. My parrying is not so good but I have progressed to a new level of defensive attack which is more advanced than the more basic style I had practiced before.

If only the same could be said of my Balok.
I cannot shake my Brelish accent.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.
Serindra of the Ezra sect's fourth revelation is troublesome. She attempted to start a witch hunt against Lady Selyth's magical talking cat. She and Leon Ballamy tell me it is a "midnight cat" which apparently eats souls. The cat talks but does not seem malevolent. Perhaps she only subsists on evil souls?

Reveka and I have grown a bit closer, for which I am very grateful. She is much more open minded than your typical guard. She would prefer if mages kept their magical talking animals outside the city, thank you,- as it makes for less paperwork for her to have to deal with.

I despise Baron Laurier and Melina. They speak ill of the Matron whom is one of the smartest people I know in the core.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal:

I had a very interesting excursion with the Inquisitor's brother Edgard wherein he confirmed what I had suspected of his having a mercenary or military background once again and we explored the Luna ruins in the southern woods and a surrounding nearby cave. The young man is bored and being not nearly so religious as his brother does not have so much else to do but drink wine, gamble and wonder about things. He is humble about his abilities but is a fantastic swordsman. We were looking for a Darkonese overseer cup. Instead we found cookies... Oddly fresh. Do undead sometimes remember being galley kitchen workers and out of habit bake?

Well there was more than cookies down there.
We never did find the sought after artifact worth 500 fangs but through selling most of the other things we came across and recovered from the ruins came very close to making 1000 fangs instead. That was a most amusing turn of events.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated My Journal.
I am not good at holding grudges.
I decided to be the bigger man and both forgive and apologize to the Baron.
I realized that keeping such a petty rivalry going of socially snubbing one another was being little better than that Revenant that keeps slaughtering the guards.
I thought he belittled my abilities just because he was stuck up but he and I dueled and he showed me some battle spells I had never even seen before. So, he is very superior to me at combat.

Ugh, was found dead at the bottom of the crypts. Leon Ballamy tells me Reveka came down there and found my carcass with skeletons dancing on top of it and was pretty upset.  I'm touched she was concerned but I wish she hadn't found me in such a state. Hmm, that means she does care! I wish my Balok was better.  It's still a pretty tough language.

I push myself past my physical limits which Morvayn and Laurier tell me is foolish and yes, okay they are right that it can be. How else though am I to get stronger?
There has got to be a more intelligent way to train.

Tonight I met what has got to have been either a tiefling or a cambion.  He was a tad morbid, explaining to me his enchanted mace was made from his brother's skull. I didn't want to seem the gullible, easily frightened human though, particularly after he'd been screeched at and called devil and oni by some traveler from Rokuma Taiyoo so I was polite toward him. Apparently he is a friend of the Matron.  He talked of the Abyss so one might assume he is not of Infernal heritage.  Those are two very different types of hells. It is a good thing Serildra (Sp.?) was not present. She'd have panicked for sure. Actual part demons walking around, conducting business and talking to people! Oh my!*

She is not a bad gnome and I don't mind that she is an Ezrite really, just the fourth sect feels it is their job to smite and warn people about all these many varied forms of evils and evil things.

*One may note he was not having people sign soul contracts and did not seem to be actively recruiting petitioners. Still, people in this land are very superstitious and it makes sense why he would not freely travel or interact with people during the daytime.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.
Serilda pointed out to me that given my parents were merchants and paid for me to go to military academy I could have chosen any of a number of other professions.
She asked why I picked being a guard and the sword.  I just... I'm not a spellcaster. I don't have "The Art". I'm also not a particularly holy person. I don't channel celestial or infernal wells of divine power either so being a priest is out.  I wanted to do something a bit different from the others [in my family] so I chose being a fighter.

I'm a swordsman.
People mock that I am a front-line fighter. Yes, when I was weaker I'd die a lot and need a priest or priestess to resurrect me. I'm tougher now but still take a lot of injuries, more than one would expect. There has to be a way of doing this smarter and I know there are tricks to it. There is stuff like forcing the group of your enemies into a narrow passage so you only have to fight them a few at a time, teasing and luring some foes on the outer edges close to where the entire group of adventurers you are with can pick them off altogether taking it one or two monsters at a time.  Yes. Now, when a big powerful monster is mad at you though, then you are pretty much screwed.
People will say run but by that point it is usually too late.
Hope that you have at least enough money on you to pay for your resurrection when they drag your body to a temple. That's called preparing in advance.
You are a burden on the rest of your party if you deplete their potion reserves too. I hate that part.

I favor a defensive fighting style that is designed to help you last longer in a fight and to an extent it does. You take full advantage of body armor and having a shield which for protecting others would be good.  I don't try to run ahead anymore and I hate it when a weaker member in the team gets singled out by fast enemies. I haven't quite mastered matching the others' pace but am understanding why that is important.

Also, I tend to let the others take most or all of the gold and loot when we raid things. Funds are alright for now but I need to do something to earn more fangs.
I love Reveka. I am a tad inept at expressing it though, which is frustrating since she does speak common too so there isn't a language barrier.
When I was younger I spent most of the time in lecture halls and doing physical drills all day long so I didn't exactly learn the fine art of relationships and socializing.
I try, people say too hard.

Dallensbane and Barris... They are wanted men for being chaotic and I suppose flaunting the law. They aren't... don't strike me as evil though. Ugh, well I know that Zachary told me he wants to kill the Revenant. I think he is aiming to receive some sort of a pardon from the city for previous crimes he committed by being a big hero.
That's fine with me. That thing is way too powerful for me to deal with and even too powerful for Sir Balitor to defeat. It nearly killed him both times he fought it and he's way tougher than me and wears full plate rather than the half-plate I do.

Even though I have gotten stronger it still isn't good enough. I'm not... Strong enough yet.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.

Things which were left hanging in other entries to this point which have since been resolved: Never made it to Port-Au-Lucine. Fell asleep on the caravan and missed the entire trip.

The rest of my mercenary companions organized a surprise party for me in Degannwy and talked Private Stirbei into coming as well which made for an even better surprise, you see, as they knew I liked her.
I can't imagine she felt too comfortable in the fey resort but eventually she let her hair down and drank with us. We told stories around the fire and gave toasts and I found out she can play the lute.
Sometimes now when she is on patrol she will pause to warm her hands at my fire along the side of the road or check to see how I'm doing. We say good morning to each other and I wish I could figure out the right thing to get for her. Since she already has a masterwork lute a trip to Mr. Apwallace's music shop in residential is out. Hmm.

There seems to have been some sort of a clue to Jean Renaud's riddle in the story he told me as to what kind of answer he is looking for. One that though painfully obvious i have not quite grasped. There was a recurring motif of going from being weak to being stronger and the hating of being weak. This: Going from weak to becoming strong has to be important.

[booksarefun666]

[Another entry was penciled in although instead of an entry about Kaine's heroic exploits it was simply a pencill-drawn comical caricature of an armored knight armed with a sword and shield defending a big-breasted, terrified, wide-eyed maiden in a gray dress against a couple of dark, but strangely cute dogs. The third dog was only half-finished in the drawing.]

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.
Reveka is also quite funny!

I know her heart is in the right place and she tries to do right by the law and she is a good guard.

[Silas Rotleaf]

Updated my journal.
A most depressing turn of events. I have simultaneously lost the favor of both Matron and Reveka.
Worst of all in the case of the latter I may have jeopardized her chances at promotion. She claims to have only pretended to like me back and that hurts but perhaps she said that to save face.
I don't think I said *where* it was we had our picnic so I am not sure how it was leaked out.

I still like her but I do not think she likes me anymore.
Vincenzo says do not be so sure.

A vampire woman in the crypts told me: You are mine!
I replied to her: You do not know me undead lady. If you did you would not want me, now die!
Then our priest prayed a searing light to scald her coffin and I poured holy water on her.

I would not make a very good vampire I think. The first thing I'd want to do would be this: Let's get some sun into this crypt. Oops.

Originally my plan though stupid was this: 1. Become fluent in Balok. 2. Do enough good deeds. 3. Get the girl.

I was going to march right up to the count's castle and demand I receive citizenship so I could marry Reveka. Yes like this: Hello Mr. Puts-Heads-On-Pikes, I know you would rather be left alone but I have fought many terrible things in your lands and will gladly keep doing so all for the love of a woman in the town guard.

Then he'd probably have me executed or far worse. "Blah! That is within my power but I am upset to have been disturbed. Now face a slow agonizing death!"