Diargo the Dead Man

The people of Doriana were pretty dumb (the people everywhere are dumb honestly, but Doriana being a farm town had exceptionally dumb people). My attempts to get information from them were not very successful (I even tried to leverage what little Serrah knew of them against them, unfortunately do to me being an outsider this lead to more people shutting me down), eventually after hobbling around town I was about to give up and retreat to Morley and beg for forgiveness (see again I was dumb back then, Morley would have killed me and been done with it, I know that now, but did not know it then) when I was stopped by a dirty looking man who looked like he hadn't bathed in well ever.

"You're looking for Diargo." I was standing a good five feet from his black maw of rotting teeth and I could still smell his breath.

"You should be looking for a bath, or like something to chew on that could reduce the stench." Always be an ass, its the Lorentino way.

"People seeking people should be thankful of anyone willing to help." He had a point, but he also had a stench.

"Where is he?" We had moved to an alley between some buildings (this is the usual negotiation area for someone who smells like they sleep in animal shit).

"What will you pay me for telling you?" Ahh now we come to the thrust of the matter, dirty people always want money for their information.  Sometimes you feel generous and cough some up, other times...

"How about..." I made it look like I was going to open a pouch but instead drew my sword and held it close to his throat, "I let you live your miserable existence secure in the knowledge that you helped someone who had no qualms with killing you."

"People will hear."

"And no one care if another greedy beggar died, might even get an award for doing my civic duty." Have I mentioned how bad things are in this world? Yeah this was only partly a bluff, hell its still true to an extent, the law really doesn't care if you have no money.

"He's hiding out at an abandoned farm house outside of town, the old Lamerly place, he's afraid of someone!" It was blurted, that kind of "please don't kill me" flow of information you get from the truely afraid.

"He should be," I sheathed my sword and waved him off, "Go and don't even think of warning Diargo or you'll wish I cut your throat." The dirty guy skittered off like they always do, not before stepping on my wounded foot, I was really tempted to just burn him down on principal. I made my way out of town (slower now, damn foot, two days of it healing and now some jerk ruined my progress), and found my way to the Old Lamerly place (well it wasn't like it was difficult to find Serrah had been there before, relying on her memories kind of made me feel off).  I hobbled my way up the road, frankly I'm surprised Diargo didn't have someone waiting with a bow and killed me dead right there, but that would have given Diargo more intelligence than he actually possessed. In fact Diargo was quite dumb for being a criminal (imagine that someone who turned to a life of crime not exactly super smart, I know I know hard to believe).  I was quite stealthy for a man with a limp I do have to say, so stealthy in fact that I managed to get Diargo completely by surprise and end his life. Yeah no grand tale of protracted battle between me and him, I just snuck up on him from behind and ran my sword through (fire magic in a dusty old farmhouse bad bad idea).  I could make out from his camp that he had been living in squalid conditions. Diargo died with a shocked expression on his old face, I know because I cut his head off for Morley (everyone always wants proof).

Walking back to Morley my biggest worry was someone coming across me.  I'd taken Diargo's head and stuffed it in a burlap sack, but its not like you can easily explain why your sack has a blood stain at the bottom of it.  "Oh that, thats just my bloody head have a good day!" Frankly I was relieved when I got back to Morley and presented my effort. Valrya wasn't back, which was kind of worrying honestly.

"Where's the object?" Morley had a sour look on his face as he stared at Diargo.

"What object? You said kill Diargo, and bam killed him." It was what he wanted.

"Yeah but Diargo stole something for me, I was hoping you'd have some kind of curiosity and bring it back with him!"

"So you didn't ask me to find the stupid thing and now you're mad when I don't?"

"Well go back to where you found him and search for an object! Do you have any idea whats at stake?"

"No I have no idea Morley, you've told me nothing, not even what you're looking for!" He hit me then, a savage beating ensued (you ever fought someone you don't want to fight back against, and they are better at hurting people then you? Yeah that was my first fight with Morley).  When it was all over he threw me out of the cave and told me not to return without the object.  So there I was foot hobbled, bruised up, and tasked with discovering something that I had no idea about.  Let me tell you early on being a necromancer? It really sucked.

Cynical Me? Never.

Back then I had a more positive outlook on life (well aside from all the murdering, ok so semi positive).  I didn't look at every problem like one more annoyance, I was happy to help people out, tried to do my part even after I got Valrya's hooks out of me (sometimes that was a literal thing, its one reason I don't go fishing).  So after I got over the initial shock of "Kill this guy or I'll kill you" I had a good feeling about trying to do this thing for Morley.  I figured once I earned his trust he'd let me in on secrets and help me out (like an evil older brother, this is the problem when you grow up an only child you don't realize that older brothers universally are absolute dicks).  I was even attempting to come up with how I'd kill a man in a jail cell.  I hoped it wasn't one of those community cells like Regor had, as that would make it more difficult to kill him without splash damage.  I was thinking poison or perhaps some form of ingested necromancy (I'd learned a bit of both from Valyra already, the ingested necromancy is a nasty bit of work you never ever want to experience, which is why I recommend never eating my cooking, I mean I'm a great cook but you never know). So it was with these thoughts in my head I walked (well limped) to Doriana.

Doriana was weird, you ever get that feeling you've been someplace before but you haven't? Yeah thats what I was getting here, although I had been there before, just not me, Serrah had, this was where she was from (I didn't know the name from her memories but the layout was immediate once I saw it).  This kind of feeling happens to me all the time, its part of the reason I'm writing this journal, competing memories makes me wonder who I really am at times (thankfully I'm winning this war of insanity, well I hope, maybe I stole the real Trezlan's memories long ago, yeah lets not think that one through shall we). Doriana was a farming community, they produced a local grain that I can't really name, but it was used in a lot of different foods around the empire of the Red Hand, so the village had an above average group of guards and law established.  As well as a larger town center and more than a couple stores.  It was spread out like an X with the center being where the town held meetings and hung criminals (hanging the prefered execution method of any rural community).  The town jail/guard station was north of the X and again was larger than most guard stations because of the importance of the community. I hobbled my way into the jail and saw more than a few surprised looks (insular communities don't like newcomers/new faces, this one more so since Valrya had been systematically killing the occaisional person for her own goals).  The guard working the front desk was of the fat bored variety and he was talking to a man I knew, but only through my other life.

"She's still missing Jel! You guys haven't done anything to find her." And they would never find her, Valrya kept a pack of wild animals fed off the bones of her victims, Serrahs were long gone.

"And I can't just drop everything because your wife ran off with some guy Tig (short for Tigron)." Tigron looked at the guard with disgust muttered something about useless guards and took off in the other direction, he gave me a look of contempt as he left.  I knew more about him then I'd ever want to know about another man, but I couldn't help but feel hurt seeing him as he was, and knowing what I knew.

"Can I help you?" The guardsman Jel had long blonde hair (but was losing it in the front, so it kind of looked like the hair was migrating off his head), his outfit was too tight for his current build which either spoke to him having been thinner, or he was not he original owner of the uniform he wore.  It was standard Red hand stuff, Red leather overcoat with black pants and boots with no spurs.  I didn't see him wearing a sword, but I'm sure there was a wapon nearby.

"Yeah I'm looking for Diargo." Past the guard I could see a hallway that lead deeper in.  The front section had a couple more guards in it chatting with each other, they also wore uniforms that didn't fit, I swear I could have made a killing in that town on alterations alone.

"Well he ain't here anymore." Yeah imagine my surprise.

"Where is he now?"

"How would I know? We didn't have anything to hold him on, so we let him go, can't try a thief without what he stole." Try in this case means chop off a hand or otherwise maim him, "You a fellow thief of his Mr.?"

"Lorentino, and no, he owed a friend of mine money and I was hoping to settle up the debt."

"Good luck there, just be sure if you do manage to find him that what hes giving you is genuine and something he actually owns, I'd hate to have to drag you down here for trying to help out a friend."

"Will do Guardsman." I left, the looks I was getting weren't really happy ones.  All the more I felt worse that I didn't have a horse that I could easily ride around to find this guy.  I had some legwork ahead of me, and the worst part I wondered how much time I had before Morley just told Valrya I had run off and they both came to kill me (ok so I always had a bit of a doubter inside me).  The next few days were boring exercises in hobbling around asking people things without finding out anything and everyone suspecting me of a lot of bad things.  So pretty much my usual in dealing with people, minus the hobbling. Next time I'll write of the great Diargo! Who was not so great at all.

The Horrible Mr. Morley

Victory Morley, a man I wish I didn't know anymore. Sadly he's still alive even now, I blame myself as I've never really tried to kill him (its part fear, and part that hes the only other person who I know who can empathisize with being a necromancer, well I say empathisize for me its a neccessity to stay alive, for him its a thrill). When I first met him he was wearing simple brown robes, had long black hair and a thin unmarked face (he now has a scar that runs underneath his jaw down his throat, I didn't give it to him, but I do smile when I see it).  I was waiting for him ever since Valrya gave me the heads up about his presence. I'd spent my time reading (Valrya had a lot of books, hand written, a collection that is absolutely priceless, and was the first thing I stole when I killed her), the book I was reading was a collection of tribal history of shorties (as best as one could ever do as most of the tribal shorties didn't talk to anyone, let alone have a shared history, but it was rather interesting so much so I didn't even notice Morley at first).

"And you are?" Snide, thats the only tone of voice Morley knows, I actually heard him in pain once, it was still snide!

"Trezlan Lorentino, Valrya's new child." I had my hand out, I kept my hand out, he never shook it.

"Oh that's right, and here I thought you might have been the worst burglar ever." He also tells awful jokes, not like me, my jokes are fantastic world renowned even.

"You must be Morley, Valrya said she'd be back in a bit." Magic users never ever give you a specific time for their return, its always vague terms.  I know this, because I do this.

"Perfect, look Trezlan was it? I need you to do something for me, now before you complain, or say that Valrya wouldn't approve, know this, I can easily kill you and claim any number of reasons for it."

"Well when you put it like that."

"It's pretty simple, I just need you to go to a local city jail, and kill one guy, then come back here." Oh simple just GO TO JAIL AND KILL SOMEONE!

"Wait what?" I mean seriously even back then when I was all about doing really stupid things, this just seemed really dumb.

"You need to go to a jail in the city of Doriana, and kill someone."

"Yeah thats just you rephrasing what you just said."

"I figured you were just kinda dumb, I mean you don't look the smartest Trezlan."

"Thanks that yeah makes me feel great."

"Well I don't really care how you feel, just get your stuff, and go kill this guy for me, then we can be friends!" Morley's friendship, bought at the expense of someone else's life. He gave me a brief description (tall, old looking, named Diargo) and some directions to Doriana and off I went (without a damn horse of course).  My foot still hurt, and it was a potentially long walk, but Morley's ultimatum was enough to get my ass moving. Things were not as they seemed naturally and it wasn't a simple "kill a guy in prison job", but as anyone could figure with my life, they never ever are.

Things My Mother Says

I never knew my real mother very well, I did know Valrya more than I'd ever want to know a person ever (even before, well I'll get to that). To say she was demanding would be putting it very very nicely.  Everything was a command, and every command had to be obeyed or I got bled (not like with a knife, with her magical ability, to this day I still have a desire to kill every bleeder I ever run across).  After the first week I looked like I'd had a knife fight with a pack of rabid shorties (she suggested I go to the local township and find someone to fix myself up, now for anyone else this would mean an herbalist or medicine person, for necromancers that means kidnapping someone and draining their life, I said I'd pass). I did learn how to control my fire better (despite Valrya being a bleeder the same prinicipal applies here, start small, work on control and know you're limits), no swordsman work though, Valrya only used a dagger for inflicting martial punishment when she couldn't be bothered to use a spell (you'd be amazed at what can get stabbed and not leave a scar).

After a weak of her motherly treatment she thought me well trained enough (and under control enough) to leave the cave and do something for her, she needed me to give a package to courier and return.  I felt it utterly simple and a waste of my time, her dagger through my large toe on my right foot convinced me otherwise (she sent me without a horse, so injuring my foot was really a dick move, but that was Valrya, dick moves all the way through). It was a long walk to the meeting point, my foot hurt, I was a little dazed from being outside the cave, I didn't know where the hell I was (Valrya had provided me a map, but instructions on a map are not nearly the same thing as knowing the ground), it appeared I was in the Red Hand lands based on the plants and earth. I hobbled my way to the meeting point and waited (is there anything more annoying than having to wait for someone else? If there is I haven't found it! I tried leaving later once and still had to wait, which meant they were super late!). While I was waiting I had to wonder how Valrya, who I personally had not seen leaving the cave or speaking with anyone had set up a meeting on a short notice.  Perhaps this was a usual thing for her? I was a bit confused honestly (ant not just from my foot and the blood loss).

"You aren't Valrya." He was short bald and on a horse, so I had two things on him to the one thing he had on me.  Clothing was the usual stained white shirt with brown pants popular amongst the lower classes at the time. He wore a sword, but looked to be the type to use it to cut food than a man.

"Observant, here's the package." I'd been given a simple scroll, sealed in wax (warned to not open it or she'd kill me in a way that I'd not die for years). He snorted and took the scroll, opening immediately (apparently the don't open it was only reserved for me).  I didn't even notice any change in his face or anything, he just read it and rode off.  I shrugged my shoulders let out a sigh and started walking back when I heard the horse approaching at a gallup behind me.  I turned to see baldy about to lop my head off with his sword (if that ain't a fine how you doing!). I ducked low under his sword blow (this is why horseman usually use spears harder to duck), and he went riding on by.  When he turned around for another pass I burned his face off (well I conjured in the general direction of his head, it happened to have just you know melted his face off), I heard his anguished scream as he fell off the horse and then a snap, no more screams came (on the plus I did get his horse).  I didn't really hang around (I mean not much of a mystery, give him a letter he tries to kill me, most likely the letter did not agree with him) "Mother" was waiting and I'm sure if I didn't return that I myself would suffer a similar fate.  I made good time riding back, and when I got there she was waiting for me.

"I take it things went ok." She was dressed in a dark full length robe that looked like it had a hood, probably to hide her looks from those who might remember her (when you're a necromancer people remembering you is a bad thing, well aside from me who owns a shop in a populated city... nevermind).

"He tried to kill me!"

"All according to the letter I wrote, I told him you were there to kill him for failing me, how did he try to do it by the way?" She was more interested in the method then that I had survived.  I jumped off the horse and attached it to a nearby post I took for doing just that. I hadn't really looked at the outside of the cave much since I'd left, it was fairly normal looking, well as normal as a cave with a hitching post and a necromancer inside can be.

"With a sword Valrya, he tried to chop my damn head off." I was going inside, but she wasn't following me.

"He always was a failure, couldn't have even tried to ambush you on the way back, I mean you are injured.  Oh well Trezlan I'll be leaving you for a bit, if Morley comes by, tell him I'll be back in a week."

"Who?"

"You'll know its him when you see him, for now try not kill yourself." Victor Morley, a man I wish I never met, back then I was an idiot and thought it would be nice to meet another of "mothers" children, oh how wrong I was. Valrya left then, she made these trips from time to time causing mischief, resupplying herself, or just engaging in wanton murder. I was thankful she was gone, when Morley arrived I wished she was back.  But that will be tommorrow little journal.

The Short Terrifying Life of Serrah

"Please don't kill me." That voice, I still hear it in my dreams, "My name is Serrah, I have a small baby." I tried to concentrate on what I was doing and ignored her words.  It was like the worst stomach ache ever (so bad my insides quivered with each breath, I know because I could actually feel them with each breath), the scroll was thankfully written clearly. The ritual involved drawing a group of runes on top of the cage in my own blood (the only good thing about getting stabbed in the stomach), and having to infuse them with my own essence. This ritual I haven't used in years, its one of those things you start people off with before you learn how to do it with well I like to think of flare, but primarily its more of a brute force exertion, more dangerous, but doesn't require ritual, such is the nature of ritual spells, safer but require set up (so ideal for traps, not for when you are freaking dying).

Killing Serrah was hard, my hands were shaking and I had to redraw the runes multiple times.  Also if I'm being honest it was also difficult to complete a ritual to murder a small terrified mother (Valrya would later admit she had this woman kidnapped specifically because I could not easily justify killing her).  She pleaded as I went about it, with each finished rune and spoken word her cries got louder.  She shook the cage and screamed.  I tried not to look at her, she was a non entity to me.  Her daugher was young, not more than a year, she had a husband who worked as a guard for a local mechant.  I ignored it and kept going, eventually the runes glowed bright on top, she screamed one final time and then the cage ignited (oh thats something else ritual necromancy is, extremely messy, I mean now I can rip a soul out of a person with little effort and you don't even know they are dead until they slump over). I felt her memories flood my mind, giving birth, looking at her baby with love, passionate moments with her husband, it was overwhelming, I felt myself screaming without hearing it. Sometime during the flood I passed out, when I awoke the wound in my stomach was healed.  I also felt invigorated inside, in a way I was sickened at what I had to do to live, at the same time I could feel the power of it. The cage of Serrah was coated in her blood, her skeleton still clutched the bars. 

Valrya would retrieve me later with a smile, "You did well under pressure Trezlan."

"I'm a murderer now."

"You already were, but now you know the power in murder." She was smiling, a terrifying thing, "You're well on the way though Trezlan, now we just need to work on your technique, trust me next time it shall be less immediate". She left me there laying on the floor next to my first victim, I didn't hear the door lock just close.  In the coming weeks I would be Valrya's slave, she beat me, she taught me, and in the end I showed her my thanks by murdering her.  But I'll get to that for now I need to rest, remembering Serrah is painful, I'd like to say I did right by her daugher and her family, I didn't, but I'd still like to say it.  Maybe I'll rewrite this and Serrah will become a sick murderer and it was me or him, yeah and maybe I can just believe that one of these days, but one of the things about taking someones life by necromancy, you just can't forget who've you taken. Till tommorrow journal.

Broken

"You know you kind of owe me." Valrya was talking (that was her name Valrya, she prefered Val, I've known a lot of Vals over my life, currently I know two, ones a short bartender, the other a brutal assassin, Valrya would fall more into the brutal murderer part, but I dunno maybe she made good drinks?), that's all she'd done for the first few days of my captivity, she ate and she talked.  Her voice would drone on and on, I'll admit after a time I started to see her point of view, whether this was some magical influence, hunger, or just plainly giving up I don't really know.

"How so?" I was actually curious, and hungry so damn hungry.

"I took you out of a border situation prior to what will probably be a very lage war between the Ronerawth and the Red Hand." The worst part about these early days was the smell, Valrya was a great cook and the damn smell from all the food was maddening, she gave me water, but never food, another technique for breaking someone.

"Bullshit, neither side is gearing for a war."

"Oh I forgot the part time trader/horse watcher knows all about complicated political matters, let me let you in on a little secret Trezlan, I know a war is coming because I set one up, thats the benefit of living a long time aligning political factions to do what you want." It really is honestly, sometimes this can be used for long term destruction, other times it can be used to simply outlive a competitor and buy out all his stock and sell it for nothing (I'm very petty I'll admit, Valrya used her long life for political goals to better guide the world in her favor, I've used mine to win bar bets years later and destroy small towns).

"Why why would you do this? Do you know how many people will be killed?" Oh to be young naive and actually care about others.

"I'm hoping for thousands personally, Ronerawth was making strides to alliances with the Red Hand and I can't have that, a central government is dangerous even more so if its the monarchy of the Ronerawth, hopefully it doesn't lead to one side winning over the other, but I have contingencies for that." This conflict would be the one that lead to the construction of the divide in case that wasn't obvious.  In the end thousands did die, entire cities were annihilated and the Red Hand came close to wiping out the Ronerawth.  I would use this animosity later on for my own goals.

"You're a monster!"

"Please again with the simple beliefs, you really are dense Trezlan, you make worry I made a mistake with you." She left for a time, blowing out the candles in the cave area I was in so I was in the dark (another technique of hers). A small gift was her having removed the lifeless corpse from my cell (because being alone in the dark with a dead body is just terrifying). It would be days later before she would return, by this point I was half mad with hunger, and thirst.  In a suprising turn she opened the gate of my cell and lead me to a small table with food and water on it. I was stunned hestitant at first to even eat anything, fearful of poison or some other enchantment.

"Its not poisoned you idiot." Valrya demonstrating that kind loving nature of any mother.  I gorged myself on what was there, my stomach ached from having not eaten, the light was also a welcome relief. "Once you finish get out, I'm through with you." Its stupid to be hurt by someone who murdered everyone you cared about to turn you to her way of thinking, but when you are a magic user and another one had offered to train you and then turns their back on you for being beneath them? Well your ego does stupid things.

"What why?"

"Because you think too small, I misjudged you, you're worthless whatever ability you possess is not worth the effort it will take to get you to accept my guidance, go, die in the wilderness alone and uncared for." She turned to walk away and I grabbed her arm.

"I can learn! I'm all alone now Valyra you can't just do this to me and leave me to this world! I have nothing."

"And you'll do as I say without question Trezlan? You won't hesitate or consult your concience?"

"Yes." She stabbed me at this point, I felt the knife slide into my stomach and she withdrew it with a simple flourish, I put a hand down by my guts and could feel them almost falling out.

"You're first test begins now Trezlan, that wound will not kill you right away, you have a good hour before you're pretty much dead," She produced a scroll and handed it to me, "On this scroll is a ritual of necromancy, you must read it, learn it and use it." She handed me the scroll and lead me to another part of the cave that was secured by a heavy wood door, in it was a young girl locked up in a cage much like I'd previously been she looked gaunt from not eating and terrified.

"On her?" I managed to get out.

"Yes Trezlan, either you die or she does, this is your first test." Valyra left, I heard the door lock behind her. I looked at the young girl and felt the blood running between my fingers, obviously since I'm writing this I killed her and took her life, but there is more to it, and for that I'll have to have some time to think it over how much I really want to write down for other people to read.  Honestly that life taken is one that still haunts me.

Necromancer? I hardly knew her!

When you pass out from pain you expect some things.  You expect to wake up with a head ache.  You expect you'll probably have a bad taste in your mouth, you expect to be in a potentially worse situation than before you passed out.  You do not expect to be looking into the shocked eyes of a corpse!  That my little journal is the last thing you expect to see! Needless to say when I awoke staring into the eyes of a corpse I screamed and then ran face first into metal bars, yeah this wasn't my brightest moment.

"I see you're awake and clumsy." It was the Hunter's wife, should I put quotes around that? I mean she wasn't the wife of anyone let alone a hunter.  She was dressed a lot differently now, a plain grey robe, black ass length hair draped flowed freely, I guess I hadn't noticed how ordinary she had looked before, but she was most certainly nothing to really write home about.  We were in what appeared to be a cave, books lined the stone walls, the furnishings inside were more extravagant than the lady who tended them, royal reds and blues.  I could see a large desk with ornate chair, feather quill pen sitting in an ink well.  It was a very well furnished cave lair.

"I'm going to kill you!" My head hurt, I woke up next to a corpse I ran face first into bars and I had a taste in my mouth like I drank ashes, but I still spoke my mind!

"How impolite for someone who saved you Trezlan, not entirely unexpected, but completely impolite." Her voice had that old regal air to it.

"Saved me? You damned me lady! You killed my aunt and all my friends!"

"Oh I damned you? Forced you to be a brutal murderer? Please Trezlan, that was inside of you the whole tiem, why else would I have selected you? Because you're a murderer! Depraved acts were already welling inside of you to begin with! When I stumbled across that Hunter camp I expected to just find a snack or two, but then I sensed the corruption inside of you, well I couldn't just let that go!" Nothing hurts worse than the truth, well thats a lie, getting stabbed with a barbed sword that has been set on fire hurts more than the truth, but thats like a once a year kind of injury, where as the truth is one of those things that never ever goes away.

"Couldn't let that go so you tricked me to go to Rolak?" I was in a cage, there was a bench and the corpse.  It wasn't a very large cage and the bars were spaced enough that I could reach through them, but that was it. I did notice in a frightening way my arm was healed, the corruption was gone (I didn't mention previously you can remove it did I? Well its possible but... most would never ever do what you have to "cleanse" it from yourself). I did notice on the regenerated flesh a new brand, some kind of strange magical mark that looked part inscribed, part burned in.

"Well you went to Rolak on your own accord, I just needed you out of the way, could have killed all the hunters myself even, but I had to see if you had it in you, and you did! Congratulations Trezlan you're on your way to being a better you."

"You're evil!" I saw things in a very black and dumb way back then.

"Evil is such a low concept, isn't it evil to deny someone what they truely are? To let someone die without ever having really lived? Your aunt would have had you watching horses and trading their wares for years Trezlan! I freed you from a life of boring! Not to mention you were dying and they didn't know it, sure the outward corruption is new, but your insides were already black with it, in a few years you would have used your power too much and gone full on insane, probably becoming a lot like my creature you killed." She kept her distance, just out of arms reach.  I could see she only had one weapon on herself, a thin almost ceremonial looking dagger, the blade was blood red.

"You don't know any of that!"

"Such a vicious angry child, you'll learn.  I saw your Aunt's mind before she died Trezlan, she was never going to let you be free, never going to let you be your own man. You should be crushing people like her beneath your boots, not cleaning theirs!"

"So you'll show me freedom by locking me in a cage? And how did you save me? You don't look like any healer I've ever seen." A smile spread across her lips, the kind of smile you see on a predator before it eats you.

"Necromancy, you see the former occupant of your cell, he was alive and well until I stripped it from him and gave it to you.  You should be pleased! He was the leader of the mercenaries who killed your aunt, a particularly ugly man, he died terribly and you got his strength!" Revolting at the time, now just common place for me, its amazing what you can grow used to, "You see dear Trezlan I saved you from your boring fate and saved you from your own magical incompetence, I only keep you in your cage until you recognize the gift I'm giving you! I'm your new mother and you are my child."

"Whatever mother burn like the heretic you are!" I tried to evoke flame, but all I could do was cause blood to shoot from my nose, honestly if I could harness that ability I'd have one disgusting party trick.  She laughed.

"Please, do you think me a fool? You can not harm me, or even use your magic here.  You are not my first child, though you are certainly my most stupid." Defeated I sulked to my bench, the corpses eyes held on me for a time that creepy glare the dead have.

"Should have let me die."

"You say that now child, in time you'll make the right choice, they always do, for now remain in your cage and sulk, I'll remove the corpse later." She turned around and sat at the desk, a large volume lay in front of her and she resumed writing in it (it was her own journal, upon her death I took ownership of it, part of the reason I'm writing this, though unlike her I'm not going to include the rituals she did.)  I mostly concerned myself with thoughts of ending my own life, but even back then I was accutely unaware she wasn't wrong.  I'd tainted myself with murder, and enoyed it, and in the harshest truth of all, did feel a bit more freer since I was not beholden to my aunt or her guild.  The worst truth is admitting the people you love, are holding you back. Till next time little journal, I'll go over how I was broken and made to be a servant once again! Fun times I assure you.

When you win, you lose

*BOOM* Subtlety is not my style (also not my style modesty, charity, and monogamy, though that last one would require me to honestly be into dating anyone which I'm not), the door to the mercs location went up in a shower of fire and splintered wood.  They were holed up in a former mine (I don't know if it was abandoned for no more ore or because the mercs had killed everyone and taken over), the door was a heavy wood and metal type, it had been formerly covering the entrance to the mine (a dumb tactical move as far as I could tell there was no rear entrance, so they basically had one choke point in and out, which seems smart until like someone sets fire to the outside and smokes you all to death).  The explosion was brought about my magic and a lot of explosive powder, I'd used the rest of my ill gotten gains to buy more powder than I probably needed and had placed it outside the door (no guard outside, this should have been an indication of something, but you know sometimes you think "Hey I'm lucky") the explosion was so loud and powerful I could hear the tunnel beyond shake from the force.

The entrance was spewing flame and smoke, filling the tunnel beyond.  I readied my sword for men to come charging, but there wasn't anything.  I waited for screams, or shouts, but just the sound of fire greeted me.  I figured I'd been tricked when a loud stomping came up the cave, it shook the ground with each step. I didn't even see the creature it first, the smoke and flame obscured him, I felt it though, a harsh shoulder slam that threw me backwards and on to the ground (not an object so hooray for my sore ass, wait that didn't sound right). I got a good look at my attacker, he was a corrupted (even back then I knew the signs).  Twisted black flesh stretched over bulbous beastly muscles.  His face was a mash of overly large eyes with a huge open maw (no nose, a shame he could not stop and smell flowers), no clothing, but I could see the corruption had uhh already dealt with this thing breeding.  I did also notice his arms were an unnatural red, it took me a moment to figure that was blood and not from me (the blood of the mercs I had hoped to spill come to find out). I didn't have much time to think, angry mc corruptface (of the ashtown corruptfaces, very proper upbringing these boys) was about to smash my face in. I rolled out of the way of one his log like forearms and crawled away as fast as I could go (getting to my feet seemed ill advised). I felt the claw like hand grip my leg, and before I could even think I was launched through the air again. This time I slammed into a forgotten wood crane that was used for something (breaking the falls of amateur fire users probably not intended).

Things got darker, blood was dripping into my eyes from a head wound, I was vaguely aware of the creature in front of me.  Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, above all else I heard a voice in my head screaming at me to use my magic.  I had the vague sense of raising my right arm pointing it at the creature and unleashing.  The fire was like a whip of destruction, it caught the corrupt in its mid section and ripped a zig zag strike that opened its insides to the outside, horrible ropes of black guts scorched by fire spilled out.  The creature cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.  I felt the anger surge with the fire and brought the whip down into a hammer and smashed the corpse of my former tormenter, partially it was just having that much power on display, and partially it was anger at being denied my revenge. 

I was satisfied with the destruction when the wave of pain hit.  The flesh on my right arm cracked, spikes protuded from the elbow, I screamed, but no sound came, my reckless use of magic had corrupted me, the pain surged from my arm to my insides, before I blacked out I had the sense of a woman walking up to me, and then I was gone into the dark. When I would awake things were different, I would be different. And nothing would ever be the same again. But thats for tomorrow!

Who are any of us really?

"Who are you?" I get asked this all the time, usually when I've got my sword out (other times after I've put it away and they are bleeding from said sword, I'm kind of a violent man), other times its after a grand entrance (at that point its hurtful, because you know taking the effort for a grand entrance should generate more than a "Who are you?" I'm not saying crapping ones self in fear is always warranted but sometimes!) This particular time was after I grabbed a merc in a dark alleyway and held a blade under his throat.  I'd killed a couple more mercs since my story I related yesterday, low level guys really, I'd almost feel bad if they hadn't murdered the only family I'd ever known.

"Lorentino, you'll not have a long time to remember it, but I might carve it into you." One thing you have to remember I was younger and dumber back then (ok younger anyway shut up), being hot headed on a vengeance trip you do somet stupid things like carve your name into your enemies (now with authorities kind of being a bigger thing writing your name in the blood of the fallen not so much a good idea, even back then it was really really stupid).

"Wait don't kill me I can tell you everything!" The previous murders had said the same, and I'd killed them all the same. I guess there was something in that dark alley, I decided to let him talk.

"Speak, if you raise your voice it'll be the last thing you ever do."

"Ok ok, you know we were the ones involved with that hunters guild massacre."

"Get to the point before I make mine." I moved the dagger closer to his throat to illustrate my pun a bit better (sometimes subtlety is a lost art).

"We were told specifically to not kill you!" This was new and none of the others had mentioned it.

"Come again?"

"When we got the job we were told that you shouldn't be there, and if you were that you were to be captured and sent on your way."

"Why?"

"I don't know!"

"Why should I believe you when you didn't even know who I was!" A valid question.

"It's dark, you grabbed me and pressed a blade to my throat, not exactly optimal for recognizing you!" A valid answer.

"Who told you to kill Corlis guild?" No one I'd killed previously knew the answer here.  I'd had suspicions, but maybe maybe this guy new the truth.

"Some lady, I don't know her name she paid us good coin and that's good enough for me." It's sad what people do for money, except for me, because what I do for money is important stuff... right.

"So you don't know her name or where she's at, just that she's some lady and thats supposed to be enough for me to spare your life?" People don't understand the proper value of a life now adays!

"I can tell you where the rest of the mercs are!" I knew names but I didn't know they had a central location (ok sue me at the time I was not really great at getting info).

"Deal." He told me everything, where they were, what kind of armaments and protections they had, it was almost too good to be true.  I stuck to my word and let him go (blood lust is one thing, but there are times when letting one live is helpful, like scaring future enemies, its kind of like not hunting your current crop of jack asses to oblivion, I mean when they are all dead what joy is left in life?).  I figured he'd tell the others and the impossible task would be even harder, ultimately though I knew somewhere in the back of my mind I was trying to kill myself.  Guilt does weird things to you, survivors guilt is the worst.  I knew a guy who survived a battle all by himself, married a woman, had a child, and then a year later cut his own head off at the site of the battle he had survived.  He couldn't live with it.

I had a destination and some time to plan before they'd be fully prepared.  I planned like a dead man, wrote a note to whoever came after me for revenge, gave a man some money to put Corli and the guild to rest properly, I even gave a beggar my last bits of money (so you could tell I was really out of my mind at this point).  In a way I was right, I did die in the next battle, at least part of me did.  Something I'll go into tomorrow.  Maybe, perhaps I'll go into this really fun story about chasing after a cursed book, ok not really that story ended pretty ugly too.

Down We Go

It was two weeks later.  I'd followed the tracks to some horse tracks, followed the horse tracks to a town and that's where they went everywhich way. The town was across the border into the lands of the Red Hand, the kind of border group that depends on trade caravans going some place better to scrape together a living for its citizens (so many of those existed back then along trade routes, this particular town has since been wiped out since the Divide went up).  Tok was the name if I remember it right. Hardly a town even, just a single line of buildings.  A tavern/inn, local law, and a store.  At first I thought I hit a dead end until I'd come across a particularly drunk mercenary, he was talking up a local score he'd been involved in.  He was more loose lipped then he should have been and not careful of where his drink had been (and I still had some powder from poisoning the merchant).  So a couple bought drinks later and he was on the back of my horse as I rode back to the guild's former location (law wouldn't look for me there, no one would honestly, back then things burned down and people were murdered all the time, no one cared, its not too much different now to tell you the truth).

I had the Merc tied down on a table in the center of the smoking ruins. I let the powder wear off and he much like the merchant before attempted to fight the ropes (One skill I always appreciated learning was how to tie knots it comes in handy so much). I stood there silently, I hadn't bound his eyes (always a bad sign if you wake up and you can see the person, they intend on killing you well except for me with the merchant because I was an idiot), he cursed at me recognizing me as the person who fed him drinks.

"I won't talk you bastard, you can do whatever you want to me I won't talk!" Everyone always says this, its false bravado, you'll talk everyone talks, the idea you can hold out against torture is impossible.  Now what you say might be insane gibberish, out right lies, or anything inbetween but you'll talk.

"See you're under the mistaken impression I'm here for information, I'm not, this is purely about vengeance." Eyes went wider now, realizing the reality of the situation does that to people.

"What do you want to know?" Didn't even take that long.

"How long till you stop screaming from the pain honestly, this is my first time at this so I'm sure there will be mistakes, I'm sure by the time I get to the end of this I'll be able to extend it for a long period of time." I had drawn my sword now, his screaming was frantic and pleading.  I started on his left leg, sliced it off just above the knee, I then heated my sword up to stop the bleeding (a technique I'd previously heard about from Sal when she visited a local doctor, not that they used magical fire, but still).  He started screaming out names at this point, bargaining anything to get me to stop.  I'll spare the more gory details, but he died about an hour in.  I burned the table with his remains on them, it wouldn't look out place to anyone who came across the scene of murder anyway.

I was honest in my stance, I didn't actually want information, but I had aquired some.  The merc didn't know who had hired them or why, just told them to get Corli and Sal specifically (I was not amongst their people to kill which was the biggest clue of all, only one person knew I'd not be there for the attack). I didn't really remember the woman's face who had come looking for her husband, but I'd find her, I had the names of others who had been hired here and I'd find them too.  Killing the merc, hadn't slated my lust for killing, hadn't even scratched the itch.  I know now I was being lead down a path, tainted as it were, but back then it just felt good to get revenge.

That's the thing with being corrupted, up until the point of no return, it just feels right. Then when you look back on it all, you see how stupid and careless you were being.  I'm lucky to still be who I am, you know a necromancer who has murdered people to keep alive... Ok so maybe I'm still partially corrupted, but I do nice things! Like the other day I helped an old lady find something! I won't get into how much I charged for this, but it still counts!

You Can Never Go Home Again

Smoke, it was the first indication that things were bad at the guilds location (I mean they cooked stuff there, but no smoke from a cooking fire should be able to be spotted from that far away). I rode harder in that futile perhaps I can stop whats going on sort of way.  In the end what had happend there was long over by the time I'd arrived.  Even the local scavengers had moved on, all that remained were insects, charred picked over corpses and guilt.  Much like you never forget your first horrific mutilation, you never forget your first loss of friends (and family in the case of Aunt Corli). I have to admit it took me a bit to take it all in.  My first hour was spent walking around in a haze, sifting through the burned down ashes of where I'd lived for any sign of anything.  It at least explained how I'd spent time in prison without anyone coming to check up on me (I'd figured they were just searching some place else, much to my chagrin).

From as best as I could tell the attack occured swiftly, judging from the fact sal and corli were located near to where they sleep.  Probably hit at night, I didn't see any arrows, but in the wake of the location being burned down I didn't have much to go on at all (you can't really determine how someone died from their burned corpse, its one reason to burn a corpse). I had nothing at this point, after I was out of my haze I sifted through the ruins of where stuff should be and it was gone, all my money and supplies gone or burned up.  Gear was similarly damaged or missing.  All I had was my horse, my weapons, my summer clothes (an open chested robe, pants and flat shoes) and the small amount of coin I'd brought with me.  Basically back to zero.

I'll admit there was a moment there where I laid down and wanted to die, just let whatever killed my family and friends to come back and take me, but then the anger came.  Hot white and ready to watch everyone who participated in the attack to burn. With the anger came the logic, the attackers had to have come from somewhere and left from somewhere, I looked around for tracks (thankfully it was the dry season so no rain to wash away anything).  I noticed the irregular foot prints immeadiately, they didn't look like horses or people, but enough of them it wasn't just a passing wild animal or scavenger.  I had my horse by the bridle as I tracked them, I didn't exactly know what I was going to do other then kill everyone, but having a purpose at least kept the guilt and pain away, and in a moment like that, you need that above all else.

Its hard to write this story I'll admit, I had partially forgotten it over the years (time doesn't heal old wounds it just makes you forget where they are, except this scar on my left hand I'll be damned if that ever goes away, worst part I don't even remember where I got it, but I'm rambling). I've always been a darker kind of guy, the light is not my greatest ally, but what I did in the days following the murder of my aunt would stain me for a long time and really is one of the reasons I embrace necromancy.  I don't want to ever face judgement for the things I've done.

House of Horrible

Dread. Its a simple word and emotion, but when you are standing outside of a fairly normal looking house armed with only a sword, dagger, your ability to conjure fire and a fear of being thrown in prison, well you get that feeling of dread.  The house was on the outskirts of the city, it looked fairly normal, two stories, appeared to have a basement, mostly wood construction (I briefly toyed with the idea of burning it down and walking away).  There weren't any guards on the outside that I could see, appeared to be the double door down to a cellar that was popular at the time, the occaisional passerbye didn't seem to note anything odd about the location.

I was in an alleyway across from the house trying to figure an angle of attack (I'm sure that looked great, armed dude sitting there staring at a normal house).  I tried contacting Tolar as the prison, but in a not so surprising event, he wasn't there, everyone I spoke to didn't acknowledge he'd ever been there, nor that I had been a guest there (even the guards who escorted me out acted like they didn't know me).  Which either meant I was going insane, or I was being massively played. Either way Tolar could throw me back in prison, and apparently have people forget I'm in there entirely, which made my options incredibly slim. I decided on the most obvious and stupid solution and went up and knocked on the front door.  It was a bold move honestly, and bold moves usually wind up with you dead, this was no exception (well other then being dead).  A nice old lady answered, at first I was got completely off guard, I almost excused myself and left.

"I may have the wrong house M'am." She had the door open, I could see inside, looked fairly normal if not overly decorated with furniture.

"Oh why don't you come inside young man we can discuss this." That should have been my first indication things were all wrong, you don't invite someone in who said they have the wrong house.  I stepped inside ready to explain how someone is out there trying to set her or someone living with her up, I heard the door shut and a latch get locked in, I turned to ask why she did that when she hit me in the face and sent me flying against a small end table (on the heirharchy of things to get knocked into, end tables are one of the worst they usually have sharp pottery or glass objects that tend to get imbedded, I think I took a cat statue to my ass on this fall that I still have a scar from). The old lady had changed, like I could see the outline of her, but behind it was something else, a form of shadow creature.

"Couldn't have left good enough alone could you Lorentino? Had to push the issue!" She lept across the room and snatched me by the throat, "Why you couldn't have remained in prison forever is beyond me!" Thrown now hit a wall, the studs took some damage from the impact (as did my poor back).

"What can I say I like to finish what I start." She came again, I unsheathed my sword and buried it in her mid section, a hard back hand had me let go of the handle still stuck in the beast.

"Me too." She drew the sword out of herself, I could see the thick globules of black blood running down the length of the blade. She hefted it above her head with both hands, ready to strike the killing blow, I ignited the handle with fire, she dropped it and it took off the front half of her face with a sickening *slikt* sound. My sword clattered along the ground while the shadow/oldlady stumbled around partially faceless and wailing. I took up the blade again sticking it in her guts, planting one foot solidly against what should have been her ribcage I pulled back and swung upwards cleaving her torso and remaining head in two (and coated myself in her black blood). Partially exhausted and fully injured I stumbled to my feet and used my sword as a sort of cane to hobble to the "kitchen", unlike most houses I'd been in, in my limited life there was a door on it and it was shut, I pushed it open and immediately vomited.

The room was a slaughter house of body parts, all in various states of cooked/cleaned, apparently a recent shipment must have arrived and my knock at the door disturbed the old lady beast. The sight of it was too overwhelming in my state so I threw up repeatedly, I puked things I didn't even know I'd eaten.  When I stopped I was immediately aware I wasn't alone Tolar was behind me inspecting the damage of the creature. I could hear outside men breaking into the basement, there was the sound of some fighting and something god awful dying.

"You did well Lorentino very well." He was dressed in royal purple, some kind of leather armor that was tailored a lot nicer then I'd ever see armor be tailored.

"What's going on here? What are they doing downstairs?" My voice was hoarse, puking tends to do that.

"Do you really want to know? Or would you simply like to know that you helped us stop it from going any further." He had moved closer, I could see he wore no weapons.  Strange for a man in armor to have nothing, made me fear what he did use.

"No I don't need to know, who are you Tolar really?" In all honesty I never exactly found out what happened at that house, never had much of a need to figure it out for sure.  Its not the most horrible thing I've seen or been involved in, but its the one that keeps me up at night sometimes, I guess its true you never forget your first horrific murder scene.

"A friend Lorentino, now as your friend I'd say you've had enough of Rolak, best to go back to where you came from."

"What of the hunter?"

"I have no idea, he was never here, did you get the right directions? I mean you don't seem like a man who follows things correctly?"

"You said they wanted my aunt here!"

"I lied."

"And that I stumbled into something!"

"Well you did, they probably figured the hunter was someone who ended up in that kitchen and you were looking for him, I doubt he's anywhere near this town." Tolar had that smile of someone who's crushing your soul with each sentence. "Have a nice ride back to wherever tell your Aunt I said hello not that she knows me, but you never know right?"  I wanted to hit him or stab him or set him on fire or something! But in the end I just left.  They had retrieved my horse (someone had thankfully been feeding the nag, I mean I wasn't fond of the horse but its still my damn horse!) and wished me well, Tolar had even included a map amongst my things (I actually have the map still, he had labeled things hilariously like "Don't go here you'll get lost and die" this made up the majority of the maps notations). I made my way out of Rolak and back towards home, or where home should have been, but would be no longer, but that will have to wait till next time my journal. Scram I got work to do.

Burning Questions

I mulled over how to approach the merchant Borlia.  Knowing he was involved in this whatever this was had me a bit leery (I mean I didn't know the exact story behind whats going on, but I had almost been eaten, that proves they aren't playing around). I decided to follow him for a couple days and extend my merchant contacts to try and figure out at least his involvement.  Thankfully unlike my previous attempts at locating the possibly not actually missing hunter my merchant contacts were a lot easier to read and get info from (amazingly dealing with business people about other business people is easier then shady jerks who just want to kill you, as always money is the great uniter).

Borlia was a thin waif of a man with a high voice and missing hair.  He was middle aged and normally dealt in spices.  As of late he'd been getting in rather large barrels labeled "spices" but most of the merchants were under the impression he had joined the slave trade (major no no), none of them had any proof, but when they approached about potentially new spices he'd always insist they were already sold to someone other mysterious buyer. Borlia himself was a creature of habit, he seemed to eat at the same places, leave around the same times, and despite looking constantly parnoid never caught on that I was following him.  A couple under the table payments later and I had him drugged and tied up in his own bed  (turn about is fair play, I would have tied him to the ceiling but honestly? I don't know how to do that without like breaking my own neck). A couple slaps later and he awoke with a startled glare and a futile attempt to free himself.

"Morning Borlia," It was actually fairly late, but you know it seemed like the right thing to say at the time.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Sweat had already beaded on his forehead, or that could have been a remnant of the drug I'd used to knock him out.

"Information Borlia, I was recently almost deceased and I'm lead to believe you are involved with the ones responsible for that. I'd like to know more about their operation." It was a simple request really, alas.

"I don't even know you or who would try and kill you, let me go you have the wrong guy!" They always say that (sometimes they are right, but everyone is guilty of something!)

"You know Borlia I want to believe you, I really do, unfortunately I don't think you're telling me the truth," I drew my dagger at this point, Borlia followed me with his eyes terror written all over his face,"Fire is the great cleansor Borlia, I've always believed that, its also a hell of a way to inflict punishment while keeping someone alive." I heated the dagger with my right hand, it worked great for effect (most people always have a latent fear of magic users), then hovered the end of the dagger over one of his eyes, he closed them in fear (not that closing your eyes does much here other then block the site of it).

"What do you want to know!" He screamed out in frustration, he almost lifted his head right into the dagger, that would have been accidentally hilarious. I withdrew the dagger and smiled.

"What are you shipping in your barrels? Its certainly not spices, if you try and tell me spices I'll take out your eye."

"Body parts!" Grotesque.

"What for?" My mind was lost here, body parts was not what I expected.

"I don't know they just pay me to keep quiet and keep the shipments going, I'm just a middleman here you have to believe me I don't even know you." He was sincere, I wondered if Tolar already knew what Borlia was bringing in, but just wanted me to know it as well.

"Where do you take the shipments?"

"They'll kill me!" Everyone also always says this, like the current person doing things to you will let you live if you don't tell them something, immediate problems first people!

"They'll only kill you, me? I'll let you live for a time, I got a lot of time on my hand Borlia, and I've been in prison and a slave, trust me I've learned things you wish you'd never know about, but you'll find all about if you don't tell me where you take the shipments." He talked, they usually do (now that I'm a necromancer its even easier, if they don't tell you while their alive just take it from them in death, not that I had that skillset at the time, though it does make me laugh at my primative extraction techniques thinking back on them), he delivered his barrels to a local house outside of the merchant district, he didn't know where they went from there. I thanked him for his time and left, he kept screaming about being let go or something  (yeah like I'd do that for him to tip off his conspirators).  I figured I'd tell a guard in a couple days about his activities after I'd checked out the drop off point (Tolar has not really given me a way of contacting him, probably best in case I got captured again). Probably a mean thing to do to someone, but its not like Borlia had much of a life left ahead of him (he doesn't really factor in for the rest of the story so I'll just tell you, he was found ripped apart a week after the events I'm relating here, so I kind of forgot about telling a guard, but he probably was killed about a day after I left, probably).

Tomorrow I'll write my memory of a place I'd rather forget forever. OMINOUS!

Well When you Put it like That

I'd been in prison a week.  It was one of those things where you start to lose track of days because while there was a barred window up high I couldn't really make out what time of day it was.  My cell mate was of course no help, he just muttered about the quality of the food and the flavor sensation of toenails, I wondered how long he'd been in there, probably two weeks? I hadn't even been charged with a crime or anything (not uncommon in Rolak, Ronewrath is ruled by a monarch, but the larger cities all have their own sub monarch and ways of doing things, Rolak for example was known for "don't break laws here or you'll end up in prison for undetermined lengths of time" something I didn't know at the time), so when I was finally withdrawn from my cell drug out to a courtyard in the middle of the day and tied to a chair I felt maybe my luck was changing.  I was wrong, but I will always be an optimist.

"Mr. Lorentino I'd ask you to have a seat, but I see you're already there." Young dignified, not wearing armor like a militiamen, probably some well to do son of a royal here to keep him out of trouble.

"Did I tell anyone my name? I don't recall doing that, I just remember getting chained and tossed into here."

"I asked around, frankly if you didn't tell us your name we're about the only group who wasn't aware of it."

"Oh."

"But I digress, how are you liking your stay so far?" He had weird eyes, one was green the other blue, it struck me as odd, haven't really seen it since.

"Foods a little bland you know, bread and water just doesn't have the pazazz I come to expect, my suitemate also has an interesting idea about culinary practices, tell you the truth I think he's a little crazy."

"Well he is next door to a mad man." He tended to walk while he talked, I was partially blinded by the sun but I could see a bare stretch of green on the groun and walls all around, I'm guessing this was some kind of exercise area?

"I thought he was only next to me... oh you're good." He smiled, it was that cultured don't show your teeth satisfying grin you get from someone who has manners.

"Enough joking around Lorentino, I know you're not guilty of the murders in the city, you had only arrived a couple days prior and despite stumbling into just about every dirty corner of this city most of the people I spoke to referred to you politely as the 'lost merchant'"

"And yet I stayed in prison for a week?"

"Had to check and," Eyes shifted for a second trying to come up with a proper lie or nicety, "Had to show you what we can and will do to you should you refuse our deal." People who treat diplomacy like your parents tend to die badly, I should know, I've killed a few myself.

"You kept me in prison so that I'd be more pliable for something you want? Even though you admit I didn't do anything wrong."  Its insulting admitting that you have nothing on someone and then forcing them to do your dirty work anyway!
"Exactly, though this is Rolak, if I say your shoes look funny we can keep you here until your eyes fall out."

"Get to the deal so I can get on with my life."

"Whatever you splattered across the walls in that basement was a lesser problem in this area, probably a clean up service for the actual issue, I was told you came here looking for a hunter? I believe that to be a lie someone wanted your Aunt here and you just got in the way." You'd be amazed how often I just happen to stumble into plots greater then myself, its like an almost weekly occurence.

"Despite my ineptness you want me to help you take on a larger issue in this area?"

"My men can't get close enough, they know us and our spies, but they don't know you, we got a tip that house had our murderer and thats how we found you, we figure they think your dangerous or stupid, probably both and if you are back in play it'll make them more careless."

"How?"

"You cause them to have second thoughts about the stupid part, if they feel you made it out of their trap fine or were let go they have to worry we're on to them." He appraised me with his creepy eyes, for the son of a royal, he definately was a lot smarter then the usual playful morons they are.

"Bring your dangerous enemies to the light or spend the rest of my life in prison is that the deal?"

"That's the deal, do this and I'll owe you a favor Lorentino, and trust me my favors are well worth it."

"I'll take it." He snapped his fingers and the guards cut me loose, I was marched down a hallway past some other cells and towards the front of the prison.  Before I exited a sack was handed to me, inside it were my clothes and things I'd left at the inn, my sword, dagger, and glove were also there. The royal unlocked the gate outside and stood aside with a flourish.

"You're free to go, I'd recommend you start with a man named Borlia, he's a merchant so you'll have some initial conversation options well before he tries to kill you."

"How polite of you to give me a lead and potential killer, what do I call you, your highness?" I was putting my gear back on, I hadn't brought my armor (stupidly I mean back then I thought cities were safer then the wilderness! Oh how wrong I was), he had shut the gate behind me.

"No not your highness how about Tolar?"

"That your name."

"It will be for you." And with that he had turned around and left me outside a prison gate with my gear and a small lead in the right direction.  I didn't even know the real "issue" in the area, just that they needed me to die to it, err find it.  If I knew then who I was dealing with, I'd have been a lot more scared and maybe a little bit less snarky.  Oh well the things you learn hundreds of years later.

It wasn't me, it was the Multi-Toothed Midget!

"I'M GOING TO EAT YOU!" I think this is where I left off from yesterdays story. My pursuer had decided to take to tact while I was trapped in a closet, these things happen they say.  The closet had absolutely nothing inside of it.  I mean there was some assorted junk, a mop or two, but nothing useful (why have a closet without a crate labeled "do not open secret weakness" I mean honestly monsters!) I could feel the midget's smashing getting more insistant and tried to come up with a plan when it all of a sudden stopped.  I figured this was a ploy so I took a minute to regain my strength (holding a door against what could be the last thump of your life is a bit stressful). I got the courage to open the door and peak around, the midget was gone, like he hadn't even been there.

I looked around to see if I'd just missed where he'd scampered off to, but the room was fairly normal looking, stone, wood up above (the wood up above was my first indication I wasn't in the sewer any longer, if I'd been paying attention when I was hanging upside down I would have noticed this, I was of course otherwise engaged!). The room was illuminated by little oil lamps on the sides, I only started to notice this illumination as they started to go out one by one, I was about to retreat to the closet, but that door slammed shut behind me.  I could hear laughter as the last lamp died.

"You're in the dark, weaponless and no one knows you're here Lorentino, so ends your life."

"At least I'm taller." Again full of one liners.  I could feel the nether creatures presence before he attacked (magical creatures/dulled senses making me more suspectible to notice). I decided to go for broke, I erupted a fireball in front of where I thought it was going to be. I saw it again, this time all vestige of being a man was gone (must have dropped the illusion in the dark). He laughed again as my fire erupted.

"Seriously? One fireball wasn't enough had to try it again?"

"I just wanted to know where you are ugly." I plunged my right fist past his massive maw (when in doubt reach past your enemies greatest strength, unless his strength is like uhh burning skin? I didn't really think this one through) and down his throat, it felt beyond words ability to describe.  I had little time before he simply bit my arm off after the shock wore off so I focussed the fire on fist and prayed to whatever luck I had that it held.  My hand got scorched, the burning pain surged through it warping my fingers, it hurt in a way that I can't explain.  For a brief moment the room got really bright and hot, and then the creature vaporized in front of me (take note whoever reads this, most things are immune to things on the outside, but on the inside they are as weak as anything else). I didn't have time to celebrate my victory as I heard foot steps up above and what sounded like militia, torches came to me in the darkness and with it armored men.

"Oh thank god you're here there was a horrid little creature..." I was relieved to see them until I was roughly accosted and put in chains.

"And now we've caught you, you monster!" Yeah just my luck honestly, as I killed the midget creature someone finally figured out the location for the beast that was eating people in the city, ain't that some shit! I was roughly pulled out of what turned out to be a basement somewhere in the city, I really didn't get to see much, saw upstairs looked fairly normal, I saw my sword briefly sitting on a desk, and then I was tossed into the back of a carriage and the door was locked.  Off to real prison I went (my previous incarceration was like a happy joy joy time compared to the prison in Rolak, with any large society you have some kind of depraved prison system).  As I was being shoved into a solitary cell and the key locked shut I thought to myself "Who the hell was I looking for in the first place?"

Hanging Around

There are some things you forget when you go to sleep in a weird place.  Did I lock the door? Where did I put my sword? Did I leave my coin purse on the night stand or in my robe? That kind of thing, you usually wouldn't forget if you hung yourself upside down.  So when you wake up HANGING UPSIDE DOWN!!!! You know something has gone horrifically wrong (its never horrifically right, I don't even know a situation where that works). I don't even know how they managed to tie my feet up without me noticing, I'm apparently a very sound sleeper (I'm also told I snore, I believe the snoring to be a lie, a dirty lie spread by people who are dirty). I did see I was weaponless (naturally) but my hands were not tied, I guess they figured my innate athletic ability would not be enough to reach my feet and untie myself (they are totally right no way in hell could I reach them).

"Morning Mr. Lorentino." A short fat little man was in front of me, upside down, wait no I was upside down he was rightside... nevermind.  Unkempt facial hair with strange green eyes, the rest of his face is a blur, I was hanging there for a long time and its been a long time since I remembered what this guy looked like.

"You know my name? That's great, you know this hanging upside down thing is messing with me, you know rambling here I can feel my head hurting, everything seems weird, you know like."

"Shut up Mr. Lorentino, and just listen." When you're hanging upside down words just spill out of you, I've attempted to recreate this for information retrievel but apparently its a problem only for me. "I was all set to just leave you be, you seem pretty clueless for a hunter from your style of dress to weapon selection, and then you had to come down here, a shame you could have lived a short life and died by getting lost somewhere, but now you'll just become a snack."

"A snack? Speaking of, kind of hungry you know do you have anythin..."

"SHUT UP LORENTINO!" I have a natural talent at annoyance, this usually leads to to getting my enemies off balance, or at the very least very angry (which never works out in my favor, and yet I continue to do it). I looked around my surrounding more, I was still underground, but it didn't appear to be a sewer (so I was moved and hung up, proof yet again I'm definately a deep sleeper) I couldn't make out what I was tied to, only that it did appear to be rope.

"So break this down for me short stuff before I lose all ability to think."

"You're a dead man." Short and to the point.  I brought a blast of fire to bare on the wee ones face and turned toward the rope to free myself.  My fire was a bit slower then I would have liked, but it cut the rope and dropped me on the ground with a loud *thump* (I tried to be all smooth and flip on to my feet, which were still tied and I lacked the skill to do the flip anyway so I basically just narrowly avoided landing on my head). I manged to get to my feet to narrowly avoid being eaten by my formerly small annoyance.  His face had "melted" in my attack, what I had assumed was a person was instead some kind of nether creature. Short and green from the flesh I had burned away its face was mostly teeth with one blood red eye. It was still the same height as before so I foolishly thought I could knock it out (look back then dealing with nether hellish beasts from beyond the five fires was not my normal thing, I hunted monsters not demons big difference!) Instead my fist just smashed hard into what seemed like rock and with little effort from his stubby arms he pitched me into the wall behind me, with a loud crunch.  My first thought was "ouch my back" my second one was "Eww what did I just land in" and my third thought was "OH GOD DON'T EAT ME!" as the nether creature again charged mouth full of teeth.

I rolled to the side and it was his time to crash into the wall, though it didn't seem to hurt it at all.  I found my footing and made a "tactical" retreat away from the monster. Now when you're running from something in an unfamiliar setting your first instinct might be to just out and out flee at top speed, this is a bad idea, as you'll run into more things and not make it very far.  A proper fleeing is a well scouted fleeing! I kept my eyes peeled as I ran and came across a door throwing it open I ran inside to discover it was some kind of closet (see this is where rule number two comes into place awareness of ones surroundings! But honestly who would suspect a closet in a sewer! though I wasn't technically in a sewer any longer at this point but I digress). I put my back the door to keep it shut and desperately tried not to think of my fate.

So this is where I'll leave you till tomorrow, trapped in a small closet, a beast of undetermined origin about to eat me.  Things we're looking pretty dire for me as a young hero. Tomorrow I'll regale you with how I defeated the creature and captured a nation... Err more like how I killed something and wound up in prison again, wait that pretty much spoiled my entire life.

Who Finds the Finders?

The thing about getting lost in a big city is that unlike the woods you can't just start eating local inhabitants (well within reason).  Also acknowledging that you are lost tends to be a red flag for "Take advantage of me." As you can probably guess my attempt to locate the lost hunter was not going as well as I had hoped.  Despite honing my skills in bargaining and trade, I was still awful at finding anything, let alone a person.  I also made the mistake of believing the "streets" as a valid place to find info.  Oh what a young fool I was wandering around asking random sketchy people if they'd seen the guy I was looking for.

I'd been wandering around the city of Rolak for a couple days at this point.  I'd only been here once before and that was just on the outskirts to meet a merchant and get gone (I'd not yet developed my like for society at that point, I prefered the isolated guild location, now I can't stand being in a place without a train station, lights, and paved roads).  I'd bought a room for a couple days while I tracked down this hunter (I kind of overpaid since I wanted to live it up, you only live once or so I thought before I was 300 YEARS OLD!). I ended up going out for a couple days and asking people if they knew where this guy was canvassing the city, this eventually lead me to a guy who "totally knew that guy yeah follow him."  If anyone ever tells you that exact sentence, do not follow him! You are about to get rolled.

I followed him past a couple dark alleys, through some scummy buildings and then into the sewers of the city.  Now back then sewers were really dangerous, it wasn't just the ugly people that hung around down there, but also horrible creatures that had managed to sneak their way into the city (where better to live then an overlooked network of caves with a food supply just walking right above). I could tell my hunter was probably not down there and attempted to leave and ran smack dab into six feet of pure ugly.  Guy had more scars then I have one liners (and I have a lot of one liners) he wasn't using a weapon, more like a branch that could be used to smack you into paste with. My guide had a couple other friends joining him and now I really felt I was in the wrong place.

"Look uhh forget the hunter I don't want to see him anymore." I had backed up against a wall, saw what looked like moving mold and kept my distance.

"If you want to leave rich man you have to pay the tax." Scars was talking, his voice was exactly what you expected.

"Rich man? I live comfortably, but not..." I didn't get to finish my defense of my lifestyle, one of the dirty guys behind my former guide came forward with an ugly dagger.  I drew my sword and held it at a distance which shyed them back a little bit.  "Step back or I'll slice you from your balls to what little brains you have left." See quality one liners.

Scars laughed and swung his tree branch, I side stepped the slower blow and bumped right into my guide who grabbed hold of my shoulders.  Scars readied a blow to I guess knock my head off, sensing my imminent demise or unconciousness I reached back with my right hand and burned the not guide, I heard his yelp and pain and ducked just in time to see his head get crunched.  Not wanting to have the same fate I took off running deeper into the sewers (you might see the flaw in my plan, might). On top of being hopelessly lost, I did the utterly stupid thing of attempting to lose my pursuers in the tunnels.  So I got more lost than usual.  Eventually after I'd been running for a while I couldn't even remember which direction I originally came from!

There I was trapped under a large city, three jerks looking for me and I was hoplessly lost.  Let me tell you I figured I was pretty much a dead man.  Clearly I was wrong, but at the time I was really scared.  I managed to find a small dusty part of the sewer that no one looked to have been down a bit and curled up to go to sleep, I recall wishing with all my mind that I hadn't come to this stupid town and that I hoped the hunter really was dead some place. Something to note, when you're underground and you find what looks like an unused part of something, there's a reason it looks that way and its not because everyone just happened to ignore it.  Something I'll tell you about next time!

Mistakes were Made

Everyone was gone from guild office. Corli and the hunters were out hunting something, Sal was at town picking up some strange spice I didn't care for (my favorite kind of spice is just salt, I'm easy). I liked when it was quiet I got time to do nothing except relax. It was rare time for me (even worse so now, seems like every other day some idiot needs my help), of course it was immediately interrupted by some lady calling out. Now we didn't get too many visitors at our location (imagine that a guild full of armed mercenaries who hunt monsters isn't exactly a tourist location!)  Corli never brought perspective clients back home, and I always did my business elsewhere (the hunters also did their business elsewhere if you catch my drift eh eh ok they slept with a lot of prostitutes).

"Hello?" That kind of low wavering voice of the perpetually victimized drifted through the air.

"Can I help you?" She was in the courtyard (ok never really explained this, the guild location was like a large C, the courtyard was where we did most of our training, my office was in the top of the C, the normal entrance was in the middle naturally), wearing a white dress a bit high up for a lone lady in this world (even Ronewrath was not safe for the unprepared), it was a bit dirty, but looked like the kind of thing you wore to a nice night on the town or a special occaision. At the sound of my voice she turned and had a bit of fear (I'll admit I am a bit scary, a bit tall, carrying a sword and glove with an open robe/vest that exposed my chest, with shoulder length red hair, I'm sure I looked like a lot of bad things).

"I was looking for Corli I was told she worked out of here." Someone looking for my aunt in a dress like that said things, things about how payment wouldn't be coin.

"She's not in right now, I don't when she'll get back they are hunting north took a couple jobs and a lot of supplies." Her eyes fell, I hate when women do that, a kind of pathetic "I'm all alone in this harsh land won't someone help me" its way way too effective.

"Could I perhaps help you?" There's something to be said for stupidity, it has you do things like help others, truely the greatest of all evils.  She broke down crying (I know now this was an act, a good act honestly, I've seen plays with less emotion and those I paid for!), I rushed to comfort because I still had a heart at that time (now I'd probably well honestly laugh, yes yes I'm an evil whatever ok not really I still get sucked by a pretty smile and crying.

"My my my my husband!!!!" That's all she said for like ten minutes I kid you not, past a certain point I thought she was just mentally deficient and was sent as a joke (ok so maybe back then I was still a dick).

"Ok uhh lady your husband right?" I was trapped I wanted to like find someone else to help her, but I didn't know when Sal would get back.  Thankfully Sal was right on time and found me with a hopless look and a crying woman, I could tell she wanted to make a joke, but held back on account of not knowing the situation.  She took charge got the woman into the dining room and calmed her down.  Sal told me that the ladies husband was a former hunter with us and that he's gone missing from a job close by. Sal wanted me to wait for Corli to get back so we could sort this out, but when you're young and think you can take on the world you do stupid things.

"Keep the home fires hot Sal, I'll be back before Corli you can count on it!" And with that I saddled my horse and rode off south (it should have occured to me it was strange for a normal person to go missing in Ronewrath, especially a monster hunter).  From behind me I could hear Sal cursing my name.  A common practice for me now (well people cursing my name, not Sal, I mean she's long dead last I checked). At the time I figured I'd find the guy boozing it up with some floozy, what I did find, will wait till tomorrow.

Routine and more routine

Hardest part of being a guild hunter was all the boring times between jobs. I mean sure you could get crunched by some behemoth animal, but that was like a once a month occurence.  Most of the time we sat at base trained, cleaned, took care of our weaponry.  Even then on jobs I spent most of the time WATCHING HORSES!  Yeah all that training and I was a horse guard, and outside of my first job I never even got to kill anything, I'd help clean kills afterward, but most of the time it was watch the horses burn random things in the enviroment (My aunt thought I brought flint and tinder for this purpose and commended me on taking the iniative with learning survival skills).

I did pick up what would be the start of my entrepenurial skills working for Aunt Corli. Most of the hunters would rather train then go to town and sell things, and I'd rather leave camp occaisionally then swing a sword and pretend to fight. So I'd load down my horse with various items we'd taken off creatures and hit up the local merchants.  At first they were screwing me pretty badly and the hunters in camp were not too happy with the money I came back (I might as well have had a sign on my head that said "I'm a rube take advantage of me"), later though having learned a bit about supply and demand and banking on my previous rep of being an easy mark I started to get them.  My easiest money maker was going to town with a limited amount of one good that we actually had a lot of, I'd sell it for a low price and then when they'd lament they need more to actually produce goods/sell to others I'd say I'll ask Aunt Corli if we can hunt more of that monster.  Now here is where the big money would come in, they'd usually give me extra to "persuade" her to make that decision and at the same time lock in a higher price for more of that good.  So I'd wait a week come back and sell of the stock I had at that higher price.  They thought they were getting a good deal, the hunters never knew the money I was skimming off for my persuasion techniques and the world was a happy place.

Later I'd learn of playing off one seller against another and also start producing my own goods to sell as well. Back then I was on the top of the world though, I swapped my two hand me down swords for a single broad bladed long sword (Linsk shook his head at what he thought was a useless purchase). For me it was about individuality, I had to be different from the others to feel like my own man. Not wanting to give my ability to take skins I had the smith who made my sword make me a small flat bladed dagger and sheath I carried on my lower back. I also had him design me a glove for my right hand, it had some spikes on the tips and a blade on the top.  Linsk dissapproved of this immensely stating if my left hand became damaged I wouldn't be able to properly feel the blade with my right.  I waved this off as his normal rambling (in retrospect its obvious why me and Linsk didn't get along the greatest).

I got so good at selling, buying, and reselling that I stopped going to jobs entirely.  Aunt Corli was a bit sad at first, but when she got a share of the extra profit I brought in she didn't care as much (I guess prior to me taking on the buying and selling trade the guild was kind of running low on funds). I even got to expand my smaller bedroom into an office with prices written on a small board I purchased and stacks of supplies organized by what I was selling local merchants.  I'd expanded as well to take part in trade caravans even enlisting the guilds help to get our goods out farther.

It was while they were out of town that I had my first true "adventure" and tomorrow I'll regale you with a tale of intrigue, betrayal, lust, and uhh adventure! I honestly don't know why I'm writing this like I'm talking to someone, perhaps this is some kind of mental issue.  Oh well, till tomorrow!

Know Your Spider Nightmares

After reading my entry from yesterday (took like an hour damn my handwriting is awful, which I'm now writing only propogating the cycle), I realized I should probably define this particular creatures a bit more, since there are so many horrible ones I've come across and will continue to write about, I figured I might have to actually take time to explain them. You know already of the goli, but do you know, the most terrifying creature of them all (Ok not really, but that just sounded right in my head).

What we ran across back then were called "Dentatri".  Now Dentatri were human, and some of them are still mostly human on the outset (how my Aunt initially got tricked was from a Dentatri feeder, a worshipper of the truer form of Dentatri that seeks to join the others, they do this by of course feeding them tricked people).  Some are more spider then others, what this is based off of is the corruption.  See I mentioned before that the corruption twists you, sometimes this is outward (or inward) and sometimes its over a long period of time brought about by intentional use/aided by others.  Dentatri are sick twist magic users who would rather be powerful spider beings then normal people.  It's basically a religious cult usually lead by a non transformed member (difference between a feeder and a leader? Leader has actual powerful magical ability).  Through controlled over use of their magic they warp their bodies to their "True" form.  Common wrongly held belief is that this is what happens when a corrupt magic user goes unkilled (not true in the slightest, you just go bat shit nuts and murder everyone eventually dying of starvation).  Why spiders I'll never understand, I guess to be extra creepy.  Dentatri are cannibals of course (is it really a cannibal if you become some other hybrid? Half cannibal?).  They appear all over, there is no central leadership that I've ever seen (hopefully, gods know I'd never want to run across some hive mind of Dentatri), other then the spider like look, they share no other abilities of actual spiders.  They can not thankfully breed (due to malformity) so they either convert or eventually die off.

The group we ran across was a local chapter that had met in secret in that town and then eventually killed everyone off in town (People are so blissfully unaware of the monsters in their lives, I bet you don't even know of all the horrible things in your current vacinity!) Fortunatley for my Aunt that was the only time she ran across Dentatri, unfortunately for her nephew that was just my first encounter.  So now you know a bit more about something horrible, I think I'll take a bath I suddenly have an itching feeling all over.