Of Soot and Ash - A Journal of Aafki Longwinter,

[Soot and Ash]

Entry One - Second Week - Year 778
The text here is written with a unpracticed but not untrained hand. This was written by someone who clearly hasn’t done this sort of writing much in their life. Each lettering was done by a shaking hand.

How does one even start one of these? Writing here in the dark feels awkward.. But a lot has happened, and I wish to encapsulate it down into something, so I may not be forgotten. I am Aafki Longwinter, Last of the circle of Soot an’ Ash. A Druidic circle known for its closeness to the earth and the chill that Karnathian lands bring. I am from the Country of Karnath, a plague ridden realm known for its use of undead and foul religious practices.towards everlasting life, During this last winter, the armies of Cyre and Karnath marched in on our home unknowingly. They killed everyone insight, both sides thinking we belonged to the other. We were slaughtered, massacred, with out even a chance to defend our selves. Women, Men, Children, Sick or the Old. It did not matter to these tresspassers. Among the worst of it was Cyrean War-Forged infantry men. They charged in and did not listen to our pleads, much like the undead of Karnath.

During this, a thick mist rolled into our circles encampment..
This mist was green, with rolling voices and twitching skulls. The mist surrounded us, turning the slaying of my kin into Howling chorus of pain and Misery. After seconds of this rapid expanding mist, I blacked out. Only to wake up to the sound of drums. When I awoke, I was starving, like I had traveled a great distance and was no longer home. The sound of laughing, drinks hitting together, and music playing with the back drop of drums was all I heard. I staggered toward the camp, starving and hungry. Little did I know, I came to a misty hellscape where no one trusted me, and I was truly alone.

After a few days, I learned quite a bit. Demon Cults. Vampires. Metal Golems wanting to break my bones in playtime.. It’s astonishing I’ve made it this far. I’ve been tracking down a particularly defiant creature, I’ve given the creature a nick name “The Flame Within”. Fitting I feel like, for a creature that is so obsessed with fire, that I hunts down others and tries to steal their flame within, or their souls. I believe it to be a wight, but apparently a Paladin’s bless weapon didn’t scorch it. I wonder if his faith is waivering, or if it’s a mutation within the wight curse. I hunt this foul thing down with the closest thing I have to a family here. Herod, Libya, Rayo, Held, and more. There are so many of us its hard to keep track some times.. Alri, my lover now, helps me keep track of it all. Helps me keep focus. I feel useless however, powerless. This needs to change.

I am the prey right now, no matter how much I act like a Predator.

[Soot and Ash]

Entry Two - Third Week - Year 778
This entry is written by the same author. The page is littered with drawings of a elven woman, scars along her body. Some of them were done by acid, some of them by fire, some of them done by lightning. All of them looked self inflicted. On the pages, it’s written that most of these have been healed or taken care of. On the next page, is a charcoal drawing of Aafki, Alri and a large grey hound laying huddled near a fire whilist it snows.an Under the drawing is written. “Kindness Ever Lasting.” After this, is written in s much more careful and thoughtful handwriting.

So much has happened in a week times. Where do I begin?
In this week I have pushed back hordes of mummies. I have had a bug crawl into my arm, which made me remove my arm in pure fear of my insides being torn apart. I have been chasing down the wight with no absolute luck.. and I guess I have gotten two people killed. One via a hanging, the other drowning, both of them guilty of Necromanvy. Is this truly where the land has left me? Is this truly what the Circle of Soot and Ash wanted? Am I a fraud within my capabilities or am I the hunter my Alri says I am? These are all questions that swirl around in my brain day end and day out. Each time I see her the anxiety of this realm lessens, but then it comes back when I spot some foul horror lurking in the shadows. Evenin’ comes to mind. The hulking mass of adamantine and flesh, the tragedy of tragedies in this cursed land. How do we stop him from learning? Is him growing smarter every day apart of him being a golem, or are the souls merging? Is he natures enemy? IS HE MY ENEMY!! The writing cuts off there, the ink drying longer than one might expect. Several days going by before another entry is written

So, I wrote that I cut off my arm.. and Eugeina prescribed I talk about it. However, How can I? My mind feels.. fractured after the fear that the beetle brought me. I am slowly healing of course but.. How does one truly recover from having to remove her own arm. The sound of sickening squelches as blood ran down my arm. Meat ripping and tearing open. Metal cracking and rupturing bone.. How does one recover from feeling the tendons in their arms being eaten swiftly, the feeling of skittering along their bone, the fear of watching someone puke their organs out. I remember watching my arm fall off, sneak giving out a sigh of relief. I remember feeling the pain numb, and a strange sense of safety as my arm looked like a wolf had mauled it. Ribbons of flesh hung around the shattered bones nub., How does one recover from that? I had my arm regrown via a spell.. but my mind.. How do I heal my mind? Should I heal my mind?

I hunted down two Necromancers. One, a Ervin Saber, tried killing me with a necromantic spell. It broke my heart as he was friends, or at least friendly with many of Alri’s friends. I did not wish him harm, but what was I supposed to do? What was I supposed to gain from letting this homicidal person roam free. He turned an argument into a murder attempt. He was hung by the guard not even three days later. The Second was a Necromancer by the name of raven. She believed her magic was her own life force animating the bones of the dead, causing them to walk and fight. How could she justify her actions against the land, against the realm that gave her life, that feeds her..  by saying a god gave them to her it must be right? She seemed.. insane, utterly so. These people haunt my dreams, I feel guilt for killing another living soul.. but my oath is my life. She was drowned in a bucket, horribly so.

A friend, Adrianna has been accused of several acts of necromancy and cannibalism by a Rose, and a Sharoshi, I believe. I believe them both to be lying, but the Garuda did not seem to disbelieve them. Just, apparently, gave them some information as well on the situation that led the Garda to cutting out her tongue and removing her teeth. Such brutality befits the crime, but does the woman fit the crime? I have no idea. Herod wishes me to investigate the situation, to ask the garda for favors.. but my reach only goes so far.

I feel like I am drowning in a well of responsibility. Help. I need help, but I refuse to ask for it. Pride over takes my heart, Pride over takes my mind. Please, Help.