The Puppy Incident
It was supposed to be a calm afternoon.
Mairi had just settled down with Euan in the courtyard, enjoying a moment of sun between storms. Connell sprawled nearby, head resting on one paw, content and watchful.
A nearby basket gave a tiny whimper.
Mairi perked up. “Did that basket just… squeak?”
Euan turned, signing:
“That would be the puppy.”
Mairi blinked. “The what now?”
“The crafter's pup,” Euan signed with a small grin. “Connell’s. They brought one by to visit the father.”
Mairi leaned over, peering into the basket. A small, round bundle of black fur stared back up at her with wide, sleepy eyes and an oversized nose. The pup wagged its tail once, slow and lazy.
“Aww,” she said despite herself. “You’ve got your da’s feet. Poor thing.”
Connell gave a soft huff of acknowledgment but didn’t move.
Then came the clomp-clomp-thud of someone large approaching — awkward steps, heavy and just a touch too eager.
Lorcan came barreling into the courtyard, feathers fluffed, eyes gleaming. He saw Mairi, chirped loudly, and loped over with a gangly enthusiasm only adolescent owlbears could manage.
He stopped short.
And spotted the basket.
The puppy blinked up at him. Lorcan tilted his head almost upside down.
Euan slowly set down his cup.
“Easy,” Mairi said gently, moving a hand toward Lorcan. “That’s not food. That’s family.”
Lorcan took one step forward and poked the puppy with his beak — too curious to be gentle, but not unkind. The puppy gave a startled bark and flopped backward with a yip.
Lorcan reared up, startled, flailing slightly with his wings.
Connell leapt to his feet, barked once — a sharp Dad Voice kind of bark — and trotted over to nose between the owlbear and the puppy.
Lorcan let out a long, uncertain hoot.
Mairi crossed her arms. “Lorcan, you're the bigger cub. Be nice.”
The puppy squirmed out from behind Connell’s leg and waddled up to Lorcan again. This time, the owlbear stayed still. The pup sniffed at Lorcan’s foot, sneezed, then sat and wagged its tail.
Lorcan let out a very confused chirrup.
And then he lowered his head and nudged the puppy softly with his beak, ruffling the fur on its back. The pup licked his face in response.
Euan signed, amused:
“Well. That’s either friendship or the start of a new pact of chaos.”
“Both,” Mairi said flatly. “Definitely both.”
Connell sighed loudly, then lay down beside the two youngsters like a weary chaperone. The puppy immediately began climbing over Lorcan’s feathery side. Lorcan, to his credit, did not maul the small creature — just looked helplessly at Mairi like, What is it doing? Why is it sticky?
Mairi chuckled. “Get used to it, lad. That’s your sibling now.”
Lorcan gave one last uncertain hoot before flopping dramatically onto his back, wings spread, letting the puppy curl up beside his belly.
Euan leaned over and signed with a smile:
“We’re going to need sturdier furniture.”
Mairi's Journal Ordered oldest to newest
-
The Garden Bench
11 Aug 2025 01:10:34
-
Say It Without the Sword
11 Aug 2025 01:13:54
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Claws and Loyalty
11 Aug 2025 01:15:49
-
The Art of Not Shouting
11 Aug 2025 01:19:23
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What You Can't Undo
11 Aug 2025 01:21:56
-
What's Left Behind
Abadius 4713
-
Antlers and Iron
Gozran 4713
-
Garden Disaster, Domestic Edition
Sarenith 4712
-
Lorcan's First Hunt
Rova 4712
-
Too Many Buttons
Neth 4712
-
Surprise, You're a Grandmother
Desnus 4713
-
The Puppy Incident
Eras 4713
11 Aug 2025 01:10:34
11 Aug 2025 01:13:54
11 Aug 2025 01:15:49
11 Aug 2025 01:19:23
11 Aug 2025 01:21:56
Abadius 4713
Gozran 4713
Sarenith 4712
Rova 4712
Neth 4712
Desnus 4713
Eras 4713
The major events and journals in Mairi's history, from the beginning to today.
Session 41
10:09 pm - 20.10.2025Session 41
10:09 pm - 20.10.2025Session 40: Back into the Slough
03:53 pm - 06.10.2025Session 40: Back into the Slough
03:53 pm - 06.10.2025Session 39: The Fall of Talon Peak
01:36 am - 29.09.2025Session 39: The Fall of Talon Peak
01:36 am - 29.09.2025Session 38: The Fall of M'botuu
01:37 am - 16.09.2025Session 38: The Fall of M'botuu
01:37 am - 16.09.2025What's Left Behind
Mairi sits near the fireplace in her home. Her body is bruised. She can still taste the blood and feel the bones snapping between her teeth. Euan, wrapped in a blanket, quietly makes his way over. He walks slow, still favoring one leg. When he sits besi...
05:16 pm - 06.09.2025Garden Disaster, Domestic Edition
Mairi returns to the house after a brief strategy meeting, hoping for five minutes of peace. She sees Euan sitting calmly on a bench beneath a cherry tree in the front yard, a book in his lap and a slight smile on his face. So far, so good. Then she rou...
12:50 am - 06.09.2025The Puppy Incident
It was supposed to be a calm afternoon. Mairi had just settled down with Euan in the courtyard, enjoying a moment of sun between storms. Connell sprawled nearby, head resting on one paw, content and watchful. A nearby basket gave a tiny whimper. Mairi ...
12:49 am - 06.09.2025Surprise, You're a Grandmother
Mairi is inspecting leatherwork at a crafting stall in Thumping Waters’ market square — shields, boots, and a few harnesses tough enough to hold a certain owlbear still for five minutes. The crafter, Brina, is mid-sentence about reinforced stitching w...
12:48 am - 06.09.2025Lorcan's First Hunt
The soft crunch of leaves and distant birdcalls filled the morning air as Mairi, Amiri, and the adolescent owlbear Lorcan moved silently through the underbrush of the forest near Thumping Waters. Amiri carried her giant sword casually, scanning the surro...
12:45 am - 06.09.2025Too Many Buttons
Evening sun spills into their chambers, casting long gold bars across the stone floor. Mairi leans against the doorway, arms crossed, watching Euan struggle with a new shirt. It’s overly fancy, too many buttons, the kind a young noble would wear trying ...
12:44 am - 06.09.2025Lorcan's First Hunt
The soft crunch of leaves and distant birdcalls filled the morning air as Mairi, Amiri, and the adolescent owlbear Lorcan moved silently through the underbrush of the forest near Thumping Waters. Amiri carried her giant sword casually, scanning the surro...
12:40 am - 06.09.2025Garden Disaster, Domestic Edition
Mairi returns to the house after a brief strategy meeting, hoping for five minutes of peace. She sees Euan sitting calmly on a bench beneath a cherry tree in the front yard, a book in his lap and a slight smile on his face. So far, so good. Then she rou...
12:36 am - 06.09.2025Antlers and Iron
The clearing is death-still now. Wind moves through shattered underbrush and the scent of blood clings to the cold air. The body of the megaloceros lies half-slumped against a massive cedar, its antlers spread like a fallen crown. Its chest rises no more....
12:34 am - 06.09.2025What's Left Behind
Begin writing your story here.Mairi sits near the fireplace in her home. Her body is bruised. She can still taste the blood and feel the bones snapping between her teeth. Euan, wrapped in a blanket, quietly makes his way over. He walks slow, still favor...
12:31 am - 06.09.2025Session 37: A Year of Peace
01:52 am - 05.09.2025Session 37: A Year of Peace
01:52 am - 05.09.2025Session 33: Blockhouse Assault - Cracking the Fortress
05:24 pm - 23.08.2025Session 33: Blockhouse Assault - Cracking the Fortress
05:24 pm - 23.08.2025Session 35: Into Vordakai's Tomb
05:24 pm - 23.08.2025Session 35: Into Vordakai's Tomb
05:24 pm - 23.08.2025Session 36: Vordakai's End
05:24 pm - 23.08.2025Session 36: Vordakai's End
05:24 pm - 23.08.2025What You Can't Undo
Prior to leaving for Varnhold. Rain whispered against the windows of the townhall. The last of the advisors had trickled out hours ago, and Mairi and Euan remained—sharing a quiet meal by the fire, both hoping the evening would end uneventfully. The...
01:24 am - 11.08.2025The Art of Not Shouting
Additional diplomacy lessons with Linzi prior to leaving for Varnhold. Mairi sits stiffly on a carved bench in one of the palace’s quieter courtyards, arms crossed, eyes narrowed at a dainty porcelain teacup in front of her. Across from her, Linzi is...
01:20 am - 11.08.2025Claws and Loyalty
Training the owlbear. Prior to leaving for Varnhold. The training yard behind the house smells of sweat, hay, and the sharp scent of fresh-cut pine. Dust swirls in the late afternoon sun. On one end, Connell lies stretched out, tongue lolling as he wat...
01:16 am - 11.08.2025Say It Without the Sword
Diplomacy Lessons with Linzi. Prior to leaving for Varnhold. The town hall meeting room is quiet except for the shuffling of parchment and the scratch of ink. Mairi sits at the head of the table, arms crossed, brow furrowed in deep, reluctant concentra...
01:14 am - 11.08.2025The Garden Bench
Takes place approximately 1 year after the owlbear attack. It’s a quiet, misty mourning. A small herb garden grows along the eastern wall of the house—simple plants, resilient ones. Euan tends them slowly, kneeling with effort, a carved cane leanin...
01:13 am - 11.08.2025Session 34: Into the Valley of Death
10:20 pm - 25.07.2025Session 34: Into the Valley of Death
10:20 pm - 25.07.2025Session 32 - Varnhold Vanishing pt 2
05:03 pm - 07.06.2025Session 32 - Varnhold Vanishing pt 2
05:02 pm - 07.06.2025Session 31 - Varnhold Vanishing
05:20 pm - 10.05.2025Session 31 - Varnhold Vanishing
05:20 pm - 10.05.2025Session 30: Valerie's Victory
03:04 pm - 25.04.2025Session 30: Valerie's Victory
03:04 pm - 25.04.2025Session 29: Aftermath
03:47 pm - 12.04.2025Session 29: Aftermath
03:47 pm - 12.04.2025Session 28: Source of the Bloom
03:15 pm - 29.03.2025Session 28: Source of the Bloom
03:15 pm - 29.03.2025Session 27: The Inconsequent Debates
01:04 pm - 15.03.2025Session 27: The Inconsequent Debates
01:04 pm - 15.03.2025Session 26: The Bloom
05:45 pm - 01.03.2025Session 26: The Bloom
05:45 pm - 01.03.2025Session 25: The Hunt Begins
10:07 pm - 14.02.2025Session 25: The Hunt Begins
10:07 pm - 14.02.2025Session 24
03:26 pm - 01.02.2025Session 24
03:26 pm - 01.02.2025Session 23: Growth
09:57 pm - 03.01.2025Session 23: Growth
09:56 pm - 03.01.2025Session 22: The Mystery of the Missing Money
12:33 am - 10.12.2024Session 22: The Mystery of the Missing Money
12:33 am - 10.12.2024Session 21: Rebuilding
10:39 pm - 03.12.2024Session 21: Rebuilding
10:39 pm - 03.12.2024Session 20: The Beast
03:56 pm - 23.11.2024Session 20: The Beast
03:56 pm - 23.11.2024Session 19: The Kobolds, the Iruxi, and the Trolls
06:37 pm - 23.10.2024Session 19: The Kobolds, the Iruxi, and the Trolls
06:37 pm - 23.10.2024Session 18: Untitled
09:21 pm - 07.10.2024Session 18: Untitled
09:21 pm - 07.10.2024Session 17: Untitled
10:31 pm - 25.09.2024Session 16: Untitled
06:24 pm - 14.09.2024Session 16: Death to All Who Oppose Us!
11:56 pm - 06.09.2024Session 16: Death to All Who Oppose Us!
11:56 pm - 06.09.2024Session 15: Anatomically Correct Barghest
03:01 pm - 20.08.2024Session 15: Anatomically Correct Barghest
03:01 pm - 20.08.2024Session 14: Love Hurts
04:44 pm - 04.08.2024Session 14: Love Hurts
04:44 pm - 04.08.2024Session 13: The Depths of Candlemere Island
04:12 pm - 04.08.2024Session 13: The Depths of Candlemere Island
04:12 pm - 04.08.2024Session 12: Kingdom Mysteries
09:08 pm - 26.07.2024Session 12: Kingdom Mysteries
09:08 pm - 26.07.2024Session 11: Explore, Report, Rule!
07:55 pm - 25.06.2024Session 11: Explore, Report, Rule!
06:38 pm - 22.06.2024Session 10: Founding Day 3 - A Good Day to Found Hard
08:19 pm - 20.06.2024Session 10: Founding Day 3 - A Good Day to Found Hard
05:55 pm - 08.06.2024Founding Day Part 2: The Refoundening
03:45 pm - 26.05.2024Founding Day Part 2: The Refoundening
05:44 pm - 18.05.2024Session 8: Founding Day!
10:49 pm - 17.05.2024Session 8: Founding Day!
05:25 pm - 04.05.2024Session 7: Stag Lord or Bust!!!
01:13 am - 16.04.2024Session 7: Stag Lord or Bust!!!
05:31 pm - 13.04.2024The list of amazing people following the adventures of Mairi.
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