They're A Menace, Frankly

Politics is not something I thought I would ever get involved in. It seemed to be some clandestine game of dragonchess that only a few people really knew the rules to but most people pretended to know the rules and it somehow affects people's lives. We are taught briefly on the old politics of Dal Quor but these are...like a child's game compared to the complicated nonsense of politics on this continent. I do not fully understand why, even after many months of living on this continent and dealing with their refugees, they went to war. The more I hear about it, involving countries that I do not know where they are on a map and for...what? I had foolishly thought once that it was a simple good versus evil battle, like Dal Quor, like the Dreaming Dark, like Riedra. This is certainly became clear to not be the case.
 
Trains are nice though. I like those. Well, I liked the part were I wasn't getting attacked by those annoying Blue Hoods. they seem to keep returning, like a fungal infection without proper care and attention. I know I shouldn't let it get to me, that getting too pulled into emotions is an action beneath me but they are seriously causing me to feel...angry. Upset even. Especially after Dax got injured despite my best efforts. More so after learning more about their reasoning, their causes, the possible reason behind all this to be nobles trying to gain some power from their king but being too cowardly to settle this in a dignified fashion. There seems to be nothing noble about these nobles - pushing the poor to fight their battles from the shadows. And now we are involved in this game of theirs whether we like it or not.
 
Wroat is...beautiful. Less like a wild forest but a community garden, pruned and carved into sections unique to them but all still making the garden beautiful, full of life and sustenance. It is strange to think of Vathirond being so empty except for wretched monsters and the poor compared to Wroat who has monsters but of the purposeful kind, the devious kind. It's all very underhanded. At least with an owlbear - however distressing they may be - you know where you stand. It wants to kill you to eat you. Simple. Easy problem. Easy solution. A noble who instead chucks out minions and words with multiple meanings (and not in the poetic kind but in the "we are totally loyal to your face but will absolutely betray you" sort of way. It gives me a headache and it seems that only Terfel from our group has any level of...understanding over this nonsense. It is somewhat comforting to know that at least my bewilderment to the whole proceedings is not unique. Warden seems to be interested but just as confused - I do keep meaning to ask him or Terfel about why in the name of the Light this whole war started in the first place but things pop up. Usually Blue Hoods who seem determined not to get the message but I digress. He seemed interested in a very...Warden way. He is interested in everything, enthusiastic about this regardless of the subject. He's very full of life. Although I think he still thinks it's rubbish. Probably, he hasn't said anything but it would be in line with what I know about him. I could very well be wrong and he finds it all very fascinating. I doubt it but he may surprise me. Perhaps all Warforged find politics to be the peak of worldly endeavour.
 
We met another Warforged and he was really BIG. Like very big but softly spoken, friendly enough and likely older than our dear Warden. I confess I never thought about size differentials. I had erroneously assumed Warforged would be similar to humanoids, some variation but the average makes sense. Are there giant Warforged? Very small ones? How big or small can they get? Is Warden in comparison to Three normal. It feels improper to ask but the curious nature of them is...significant, especially when Cyre or the Mournland is meant to still house so many of them. It is something to keep in mind but the Warforged I have met do seem to be very nice. Very unwarlike. Strange. I wonder what it is like to be on the other side, to be the one attacked.
 
Dax seems to be healing up a little after the attack. Still being affected, that's not under any doubt, but she pushes though, never letting it grace a mention on her face. It is kind of inspiring to watch her push through, regardless of anything else and still hit out with every shred of strength and determination in her body to keep moving forward, to protect, to hunt, to do what is needed of her. I don't believe I remember hearing her complain about her health or anything really in the time I've known her. She pushes through and gets on with it. Dax doesn't especially reveal much about herself (not that I really do either...) so I am not sure if this is how lizardfolk are or if Dax is uniquely stoic in the face of things going sideways.
 
Terfel seems to be much more...useful, if that is the correct term, in this context. Not that his skills and abilities were not useful before but he carries a certain gravitas to him that seems to work well with the Prince and this King and whatever royal folk we met today. It is ineffable. Perhaps it has been his closeness to the Prince that imbues him with this innate sense of belonging or maybe it is simply him being from Cyre and having real stakes in each movement we make that lends its self to be...important. After all, he isn't as clueless as the rest of us in these matters and he seems to know how to speak in their language or dance their dance. Llyr seems to be following in his footsteps well.
 
In the market, I managed (with Terfel's assistance, naturally) I managed to purchase a Wand of Great Mercies which can only come in useful in my work at the clinic but should come in useful if this Blue Hood situation (more on this soon) continues to be a stone in the stew. It requires attunement so I will need to meditate with it soon. il-Yanneh will help be help even more people. In the market, we were shown around by Haydith who seems to know what to do and say at every shopkeeper, at every passerby. Well known and she is very pretty, she seems to command her way through as easily as any Prince could. Which turned out to somewhat true given she is somewhat of a prisoner. The Treaty which stopped all this war nonsense decided to exchange family members as insurance. It is...rather disturbing to know that war could start again by a forged letter professing ill treatment or an assassination. Which nearly happened with the Blue Hoods. Nyrielle stepped out of the shadows and fought but Haydith fought admirably, vanishing and reappearing. I think I did well, the strength in my spells increasing and being able to Channel Divinity certainly helped matters. Perhaps I shouldn't use that ability on these Blue Hoods. Is this really a good way to use my abilities? To burn people duped into playing a game in such an...efficient way? It is...discomforting. I will need to meditate on this one and if I need to carry out any penitence then it will be necessary. I cannot allow myself to become the very thing I am fighting.