Sunday 27 April 2014

Spell Crystals.

Dear Journal,

What is a Spell Crystal?

It's a tool - for storing spells the way they can be used by nonmages.

They are extracted from remains of monsters called 'Magic Eaters' that dwell in the Underdark, very dangerous ones.

i think it's a way and form of expression to give someone appropriate spell stored in such to protect her or him that way.

Alone i can't handle magic eaters - they are very efficient at killing mages that are not prepared for such combat (most are not, including me). But i can buy such crystals if i have gold and someone does this for me.

I should mention that at the current moment, not all spells can be stored in such crystals... perhaps with arcane research this can be pushed further. The stronger spell to be stored, the better quality crystal is needed, and they come from harder fights.

-- Yours, Chea Allin, Enchanter Mage.

Monday 21 April 2014

Energy, Waves and Particles.

Dear Journal,

i've started something new.

i've started to learn about Energy, Waves and Particles in Space.

where it will lead us?

we'll see.

someday i'll take over responsibility too.

-- Yours, Chea Allin, a witch.

Thursday 10 April 2014

Horseback riding.

 photo cheaandhorse_zps488e8506.jpg

Chea with her horse.



Dear Journal,

I went on short patrol outside Peltarch Gates on Nutts, my horse.

-- Yours, Chea Allin, adventuress.


 photo cheaonhorse_zps5399c281.jpg

Horseback riding with a Lady's Lance of a blackstaff.

Wednesday 9 April 2014

'Adventure' with Bon Ausbourn.

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Bon Ausbourn, half orc Bard.


Dear Journal,

i've met Bon Ausbourn again.

He was courteous to the limit as we killed some kobolds... phantasma got them well.

-- Yours, Chea Allin, adventuress.


 photo bon_fighting_kobolds_zps969c435d.jpg

Bon and Chea fighting kobolds.


Friday 4 April 2014

Revelation (Attentus' Tale).

It came rather unexpected.

There was this strange feeling that accompanied him for the last few days, something that he couldn't put finger on, something disturbing. Busy with duties to the Keep he ignored it as a passing distraction, but the feeling didn't go away.

As the evening approached, Attentus went to his sanctum* in the Spellweaver Keep. There was some paperwork waiting, but he felt too sleepy to do it properly after a busy and rainy day. He changed clothes for a set of dry ones, and sat in seizan**, relaxing for a while. It felt so secure within his small stone room, listening to the muffled sound of the rain outside.. his thoughts calmed and peace came.

Focus on breath, focus inward..

As meditation became deeper, the sleepiness, tiredness and other distractions faded. He was focused, aware.. as usual. But this time there was something more, this little disturbing feeling that accompanied him everywhere. Attentus proceeded with his practice, not letting himself being drawn into this feeling or fighting it.. he just observed, waiting it to fade eventually.

Rumbling sound!

Surprised he managed to keep his focus.. Was it a hallucination or real?

The room darkened

He hesistated a bit and looked around, letting focus go. What was happening?!?

The ground shook violently

.. Attentus lost the balance and fell on his side, on strange impulse curling head to his chest, and protecting face with his arms ..

The wall before him exploded!

The stones flew across the room, small peebles cutting hiting his arms and face, the light coming from opening blinded him for a moment. It ended as suddenly as it started.. the next moment, it was quiet, with dust falling all around.

In place where wall stood, there were only old ruins. Attentus blinked twice and rose on his knee, dusting himself off.

Old ruins overgrown by grass, caressed by the sunrays of the spring morning. She was sitting on them, smiling teasingly in her gentle way.

It.. couldn't be true.. The ruins were too old, and it wasn't morning. His room was on 3rd floor and.. He shook head.. No, It wasn't real, just a vision experienced during meditation. But.. what was its meaning?

She stood up, turned back and left.

He reached forward, following urge to go after her but vision blurred and faded as soon as he touched the cold stone wall before him.

The dream is gone.

---
* sanctum - in this story it means personal room of the mage.
** seizan - one of meditative positions of kara-tur, sitting on heels.

-----

It took Attentus some time to recover his senses. For the next few hours he was laying, sitting on the bed, or walking around, unable to sleep as thoughts raced in his mind. Why? How did she affect him so much? Was it scary? No, it wasn't her.. the woman that he loved and feared is long gone.. it's something else.

Never before he was so unable to structure his feelings, and so clueless to find the answer.

He followed his past.. Family he was made to forget by a spell, many lonely years of apprenticeship followed by only few good ones... Then when things started to look right, when his life started to have meaning, he had to leave and continue on his own. His arrival in Norwick, early friendships. Friends found and lost.

The dramatic love that ended in a tragedy.

Life of danger, excitement, adventures.. His rapid ascent in Spellweaver Keep's ranks, growing fame and reputation. More friendships.. some of them genuine, in the midst of people trying to use him. Most of them died or left again.

The friends that betrayed him

It happened so many times and will happen again.. To protect himself, Attentus had built many walls around him, keeping people at certain distance. To remain sane - he was telling himself, To not let his position be abused and emotions hurt. If you do not make friends, you won't lose them.

To manipulate them more easily

But.. was it really so? Was he really hiding from people that would hurt him?

There was visible sorrow on Attentus' face.. One of these rare moments he showed true emotions, not just a mask of half-truths.

In a moment of sadness, an answer came.. A revelation of fact he was blind to for so long.

In truth he was hiding from himself, from his own fears and insecurities

The truth was both sad and refreshing. He even enjoyed the moment of bitter irony for a while.

He had built all these walls to protect feeling of security from demons that lurked just beyond his perceptions. He had built so many of these, that it became like a fortress of stone. For so long he was sitting there emotionally secure, but alone. Besieged by fears that lurked in shadows of the walls he was emotionally starving.. unable to grow, dying slowly.

And there she came, quietly passing through these walls with skill and courage he never imagined. The sight was breathtaking.. She kept approaching him, taking down walls he made, she made him intimately face his fears.

She made him face her

And when the wall went down, he wasn't alone. She was there smiling, holding his hand or just standing quietly. To his surprise he could see that behind the walls there was nothing to fear.

Attentus shook his head, a bit breathless as he realized how much she had done for him.

Some paladins were telling that she has corrupt heart. Perhaps.. but it was her who reached for him and offered help.

He knew that in past she had committed terrible deeds, acting in the desperation. A dark past she feared to reveal fully.

Was he any better?

Perhaps she walked the dark path further than he would ever dare, but there was also a clear light and gentleness within her. And she brought this light to darkest places she visited, to places where even angels didn't dare to go.

The dawn was approaching, and he could not remain in his room. He had so much to tell her.

Morning air was so refreshing.


THE END.

Thursday 3 April 2014

Trained Worgs (Frances' Tale).

i've been hunting lately too much.. to the point of being not thrilled enough with goblins as to engage worgs, large wolves trained by orcs near Peltarch... With new around these parts - but well experienced in combat - adventurer named 'Ozi'.

Worgs are quite a menace for an archer - they run fast, knock opponents down with with their body mass and sharp teeth. We defeated few, i was injured but had enough of discipline to resist few of their knockdown-tear-with-teeth attempts, despite shock of being wounded so bad in so short amount of time.

Without Ozi's healing magics i'd be dead.

-- Frances, experience-hungry and unwise a witch.


P.S. Later, with Ozi we ventured to slay hobgoblins... on way there i almost hit him with an arrow, goblin necromancer's fault knowing magics of this land - a little joke of mine. After dispatching goblin necromancer to hells he deserves, we pressed on to hobgoblins, and killed many, avoiding unsuspected danger of the Slaadi. I do not know what they did there at all.

Tuesday 1 April 2014

Flames of Lathander (Frances' Tale).

Norwick's Temple of Lathander, Morninglord. photo temple_morninglord_zps53b60245.png

Norwick's Temple of Lathander, Morninglord.


i've wandered...

... into a combat with fire imp, quasit, and large number of profaned zombies.

i fought under Lathander this time, for he's friend of Kossuth and Lathander as far as i know - and i was glad to be useful at that moment.

i almost died, but lived.... flames of combat can be purifying, my depression gone for a while.

i was rewarded with coin, perhaps more.

-- Frances, Noble Flame.