Aerilyn Faeyth
Aerilyn hasn't been on the road for a long time but is clearly determined to find new adventures.
She frequently questions her motivations and tries to do what is right in her eyes.
She comes from a land North of Mage Crest Kingdom called Sgand
It is apparent she doesn't know the exact deal that was made long ago that caused her family to have this demon blood but it doesn't stop her from trying to be a good person.
She has recently been having bad dreams about a large red demon drinking blood.... Upon asking for any help from Sam Talbot unfortunately no new answers were given. It appears that the dream may just be due to stress... right?
Relationships
Aerilyn is in a self-imposed exile from her home village, Spira. The tiefling travels as a bard and hopes to bring joy and learn more about her past on her journey. Aerilyn deeply desires to affirm she is a good person despite her lineage.
View Character ProfileOfficial Title:
Aerilyn Faeyth the Bright
Keeper of tune, Stealer of hearts
Parents
Parents (Adopting)
FAMILY TREE NOT AVAILABLE
Spouses
Siblings
Children
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The Dinner
"Mom likes pot roast right? I think. Or was it the dish that made her throw up for a few days? Oh gods what am I even doing?" The large pot in my hands jostles around and gets dangerously close to spilling while I purchase an apple tart. At least she can eat this. I used to pick these up a lot when I was little. What's the matter with her? I told her I'd come back home and I did that. Honestly that makes me a good child. Better than our shop's competitor's son. He just up and left one day. He didn't even tell me anything which is saying something. I smile as I walk and think of the forbidden friendship between us. The afternoons spent in the sun on the beach while we stitched clothing were some of the best days I ever had. He was kind and didn't care that I was... well me.
I remove my smiling mask when I arrive in front of the barracks. She hates me. No, loves me? Something between? I can't help but feel whatever happened with my father and her I was the cause of it. It wasn't spoken but it seemed clear in my mothers' circle of friends. The few people she could calls friends that is. Mom sure as hell didn't need him. But then again, I only saw her pick up the pieces and move on. How much pain could she have hidden from a five year old child who just wanted daddy to come home?
I stopped asking for him when I was eight. I had asked my mom about him earlier in the evening and we got into a fight over it. The comfort of my hammock in my room was welcome. My room was warm and quiet. I could hear the sea crashing outside my window. It was my escape. Later , I found Idris reading old love letters and drinking her fourth pint of ale that evening. I just held her as she cried until she fell asleep. I put her to bed that night and slept in the same room to make sure she was safe. Its the only day in recent memory I can think of that I was awake before she was. We've never talked about that evening. Or about it. Nothing in or out about my father. Mom said we have each other and that's enough. Until now that is.
The door is lighter than I expect and it announces my arrival. The barracks dining area has mismatched wood furniture and a with low lighting radiating from a few torches. In the darker side of the room I see my mother. I regret everything. I shouldn't have left. I-"Take a seat Aerilyn. I've laid out some dishes so we can go ahead and start eating." Idris seems tired. I move to sit down. Not watching where I was going, I ran into another person here. His White, straight hair slightly covers a thin, wild face. Round black eyes, set well within their sockets, watch intensely over our table. Tribal marks in the form of 1 stripe above and 2 stripes below both his eyes like the fishermen in Spira. There is a large scar across his nose and makes his face appear to be scrunched up. There's something puzzling about him, perhaps it's a feeling of anguish or a grudge of some kind against us.
He clinches his fist and takes a few steps back without turning his back on me. "I'm not him y'know?" The expression on his face looks as though I slapped him. The wooden chairs were surprisingly comfortable. "So..." I say to get Idris's attention. She leans over to me without looking away from him. "He needs to leave. No one else can know this. Please I'm begging you." He immediately speaks up, "Ma'am, its my job to watch over you both Can't have anything, uh, happen..." He seems to take a bite of the last word of his sentence.
I serve dinner and can clearly see Idris doesn't want to eat this. "I feel self conscious. Like I'm an animal in a cage." "Mom, eat your dinner its getting cold." She stiffens. "Aerilyn, I would do anything for you. I mean anything. Please have this man leave and then we can talk." I look into those sunken eyes and see his resolve. "You would do anything? Anything at all?" She nods. "Tell me about dad." She considers it for a moment. "We can whisper if that's better. Mom, I just need to know what is happening to me." I take her hand and hold it in mine. Her fingers rub my palm in a comforting gesture and she gives me a soft smile.
"Alright, quietly." I hold my breath. "As you already know, I was an adventurer." "In your youth?" She squeezes my hand a little too tightly and narrows her eyes. "I'm nowhere near past that.... I met Timmothy while part of this party and he eventually joined us. We seemed to immediately click. He was...charming. But gods did he take forever to warm up to me. Shy I suppose" A dull clinking is heard as she stabs her fork into her empty bowl. I can see the sadness in her eyes. Maybe reliving a memory? "He was a ranger, right?" That seems to snap her out of it.
"Yes. He was. Our combat styles ended up serving us well in the under dark. The rest of the party didn't make it but we did. That's who we are. We find the light in the dark and find our way out." I nod my head, recognizing this as something Idris said often while I was growing up. "It was my fault. What happened. Everything since then." No. Not true. "Mom, dad was a monst-" "He was your hero. Fuck Aerilyn, he did everything for you because of me. I was a fool to fall in love and I have paid for it every day since he left." She pushes her bowl aside and rests her head in her hands. Mournful yellow eyes look into mine.
"I wasn't going to have children. Ever." That stung. "Mom...are you implying it's my fault?" She vigorously shakes her head no. "I'm sure you have realized our family has a pact. To have something we must give something. Did you know I had an older brother?" No. Idris always said she was an only child. "I needed money. Desperately, after my party died. So I signed and..." I lean forward. "What did you do," I say a little more aggressively than I intended.
"I got the sewing needle I gave you. That needle saved my life and all it cost was...you." Rage. White hot rage. "You SACRIFICED ME?!" "Not just you! Generations of first born children in our family. I always told myself I wouldn't have children so signing the pact wasn't a problem but your damn father...your father was stubborn. Wanted, no, needed me. Even when I explained to him the possible cost he insisted our love could figure a way out....and then you were born. Horns and all."
Uncomfortable, I glance at the guard. His dark eyes are focused on my mother and he hangs on every word. "We had a choice to make. Lose our main income or lose our baby girl." She touches my cheek. "Timmothy loved you so much. No, loves. He waited until we were fast asleep and invited the demon into our home. Aerilyn, something always has to be given." Tears in her eyes, she says, "Your father sacrificed himself for you." Stunned, I ask, "Is he alive?"
"Alive is a difficult term for it. He used his training and set a trap for the monster with a dream snare and other dark magic. My love, you have to know I didn't think it would go this far. He would never, ever-". "BUT HE DID." The guard finally speaks. "That asshole made Spira hell on earth. Demon or not, his spirit should have been strong enough to withstand it." I see my mother begin to draw her dagger. "I just- I just meant that... my life would be so different if I didn't. Didn't uh....yeah." He runs a hand across his scar.
Its quiet. "I'm sorry" Idris says and sheaths the weapon. "The day he left, he was shooting at you. He missed, thank gods, but I've never experienced more fear than in those moments. I managed to fight him off but he was dead to me from that moment on. His war he chose to lead had nothing to do with me. Please believe me baby." I stand from the table and walk towards the door. "You promised my soul to hell. That's not something I can forgive easily." "I know, but I am going to make things right. I'm starting by giving you that needle. Maybe you will be stronger than me. I never want to see it again. Maybe I'll move somewhere else. Sgand has taken everything from me, including you. "
Painful but partially true. I don't turn to face her but place the apple tart on the table. "If you want to make things right meet me at the tavern at dawn. I'll know your intentions then." I spare a glance behind me as I leave and recognize the boy from the tailor shop around the corner. His face is filled with hate. And I am as well.
Oh Hey Mom
We went to the northern district for warm materials for our journey. Despite giving one of the best performances I have ever done they didn't let me through. I blame Borris but then again its hard to make that many shoes coordinate for a performance. Also I am noting here Middlefink is not straight. Don't want to make that mistake again.
I want to audition at one of the theaters here but Sam says I don't really have time. In one of the shops we were in I found a cloak Idris made. The shop keep said she's in Gear and is selling everything she has. I need to find out what she's doing. I write her an instant letter and tell her to meet me at the fountain. Instead I met a guard. Turns out with my father being who he is puts my mom's safety at risk. I am escorted to guard's barrack's but I don't think I'm prepared to see her again.
Shopping
Kahla knows my dad. Or I guess knows of? I've encountered enough people to where the difference doesn't matter anymore. After my group discusses this we decide to head north. This seems to be the most pressing issue at the moment. We recognize we need supplies and so serval members of the party went shopping. Outside, I am immediately greeted by a half orc man. He is gray but stands out with his shock of red hair and what appears to be fins on the side of his face. He shows me a wanted poster and asks if I can help. My group agrees to pursue this once we finish our errand.
Cordelia is relentless when it comes to a bargain. We wound up gathering flowers for a special potion and I got a bizarre potion in return. When leaving the shop with our whole party, we saw the man Urthan was looking for. We pursued him to an alleyway where I thought we had him cornered. It wasn't just him. It was The Barrel Boys gang. After crushing some heads (and possibly making one kiss) we emerged unscathed. Kahla called us violent but I have a suspicion he's more lethal than he lets on. Turns out my father killed his. That's going to make thing awkward at least.
Give Me a Heart Attack That's Fine
Its dark. The night echoes with the sounds of the ceaseless waves crashing on the shore miles away from here. The is little light here. The sun does not shine on this city. It is always dingy, quiet, and dangerous. Gage is somewhere mom would go without me. She never would discuss it but I think she had to take a ton of precautions to travel there. As an adult I completely understand her point of view. But as a child, it still hurt. I had friends but my mother was my closest. She needed me. Couldn't be without me, said so herself.
I regret what I said when I left on my journey but I do think it was necessary. I'm not a child anymore. But then again, am I really an adult?
A pair approaches our party and introduce themselves as Cordelia and Khala. They own an inn and offered to take us in. I'm suspicious but I can see my party desperately needs rest. Reluctantly, I follow along. When we entered the inn, there were patrons gathered there without supervision. Like a well oiled machine Kahla and Cordelia sprung into action. They shoved us in a closet. I could hear Cordelia performing and Kahla serving drinks. I want to practice with Cordelia. After what felt like an eternity we were let out. I fell, of course. We were offered rooms and I chose to stay with Neolani. After the visions she had I don't feel comfortable leaving her alone.
We share the straw bed with our backs to each other. I hope she will be ok. That portal took a lot out of her.
In my dreams I don't like to have meetings. Especially in a chapel. The stain glass is covered in the image of my balrog. I see at the pulpit a book. It is large and as I get closer I find I have a pen in hand. The book has...names? Wait! That's my mom's name. Or well, maiden name. Idris Whitbinder. Why is she... I hear a noise behind me. I turn and see a demon sitting in the back pew of the church. Of course. I head his direction because I need answers. Leave me alone! Before I can say anything, I wake up.
The bed was soft and wet. Wait wet?! I turn and to my horror I see Neolani coated in blood. I immediately try to put pressure on her neck to stop the bleeding. I scream for my friends and hold tight as she seizes. Thankfully Sam arrived and quickly healed her. She seems to be okay now but I think she could be putting on a brave face. We are called to another room and see elements of blood magic. What is happening?
Kahla takes us to a private room underneath the inn. It appears he is some kind of spy. And he is looking for my father. Oh gods, my father. I haven't really thought of him in years. He left me. He left us. He left us and destroyed whatever chances we had of a normal life. All those people murdered and for what? His pride? Power? Mom won't tell me. "She can't"- she says. Its too awful. I can't say if I hate him. But I do know he certainly ruined my life. I am nothing like him. I will never be like him.
The Forbidden City
I hate that diplomat. I was able to wrangle some information out of him. People are being taken north for some kind of cult sacrifice. Sam theorizes this is why everything is getting so cold. We were blessed and ran into some Mordrin guards. They were looking for Orsen, our unwelcome guest. A pervert and a seditionist. Perfect. The guards had us travel to a portal. On this trip our group went on a trip. As in meditation led by K. I could see everyone's visions. I feel overwhelmed by the hyper realistic and visceral dreams we have. Can't someone dream something positive for once?
The portal....the portal...would take us...home? To Sgand. The amount of effort opening this portal was extreme. Its far away so to me it made sense.I felt like I was going to die and so did Noelani. Fortunately we lived. The others began to hop through the portal. Going home doesn't mean I have to face anyone, right? I took a deep breath and could feel the brine before crossing the portal. My mom. Would I see her? Tidus?
To the North
The prince is kind of a jerk. I understand that royalty has specific responsibilities. I worked in tavern and occasionally had requests for private performances. One lord took a liking to my horns and now I don't do those unless I am invited into a palace or something like that. We told him and he treated us with a ton of skepticism. When Connor told him what happened to us he believed us. Being on a floating mountain and escaping the rages of war were not enough to hide my frustration with him. He confessed he did not believe in gods which is fine by him I guess. Sam said I didn't but I completely do.
I believe gods exist because we need them to. The believers need something to commit their lives to and that earnestness manifests our gods. It didn't make sense to Sam of course but I guess my faith really isn't his decision. We decided to re-supply back up and head out. I found three items that I will treasure. A rock that returns to me when thrown, an endlessly billowing cloak, and a bag of holding. This cloak radiates chaos and I welcome it with open arms.
I like Risix. He's the goblin who is ferrying the rock we will be traveling on. He is willing to teach us this magic and I want to take him seriously. So far I've understood his lessons. I just need to be disciplined. Sam practiced his sparring skills. He needs to be ready for orcs to play dirty so I punched him in the back of the head. I misread the whole situation and apologized. I arranged for alcohol to be available to us on our travels. I had Sam try a long island iced tea. He needs to relax once and awhile.
I had another troubling dream. It was of my balrog, leering over a crib. Disturbing to say the least. Hope that isn't supposed to be me. In the morning I was surprised. A goblin man claiming he was and diplomat. He was urgently begging us to take him to my homeland. He wouldn't give his name and it raised a lot of red flags. Also this man is giving some creeper vibes. The poor men had to fend off his advances. No one should ever be treated like that. I want to throw the man away but we agreed to drop him off at a location so I can't.
If he so much as looks at my party members funny he's out in my book. Consent is vital stranger.
A Sticky Situation
"Your spider shouldn't bite me, I have ligma!" The priestess asked, "What's ligma?" "LIGMA BALLS BITCH!" I yelled back. Neolani proceeded to throw one of her iron balls and nail the spider. The chaos of battle began but I wasn't focused there. At the top of the cave, I saw a scout wrapped in spider web and he was being pulled by someone. I could make out if they were a friend or not but I wasn't going to risk it. I created an illusion of more rock to hide this person's activities. I think in total we killed Lulfy four times.
Good. I think that priestess will bring him back again but I'll be ready to kill him again. Neolani is an absolute legend. She managed to steal some type of religious artifact. Looking at it is giving me a bad feeling. That person I covered for is actually a monk named K. The scout's name was Connor. It seems like she had a troubled past a bit but is pretty sheltered. This will be fun. After looking through the telescope with the scout I got more of that bad feeling in my stomach. Mountains are covered in webs and it appears a major ice storm is incoming. We wrote to Middlefink to go back to the prince to let him know what was happening. I think we saw her running as fast as she could.
We started to run down the mountain. Thanks to Neolani's spells we knew they wouldn't come after us yet surely. I saw her focusing more on this "boon". I don't feel confident about it with the look in her eyes but I'm going to choose to trust her. I see a storm swirling above us when we reach the bottom of the mountain. Neolani looks to the sky, back to us, and then lifts her arm. All I know next is lighting. I see flashes of light and sinking feeling. The lighting seems to not have hurt anyone in our party but I feel amped. I could take on 100-no 200 more orcs. I feel this rage from a deity in my head. I learned that its reasonable to just go along with what the gods want so I apologize.
In return I see a vision of myself being devoured by spiders. Lulf and I aren't on good terms, that's fine. I'm not sure but I feel a connection to everyone else. I think we all see it but its millions of drow and orc armies invading all countries, including mine. We have to tell the prince. Now.
The Battle Part 2
I'm more capable than I gave myself credit for. I did not strike any killing blows but managed on my own. Neolani is a terrifying force. Her powerful spells disrupted armies and took down two large tyrannosaurs rexes. I suggested we take the beast hides to make armor in the future. We gathered those and took a moment to take in our environment. War raged around us but a magnificent tent was set up near us. This had to belong to the prince. On our way I spotted my friend Middlefink. She wanted a part of the action and to be a hero. Its not that I do not doubt her skills but this is a wild battle even for my even more skilled party members. I invited her to travel with us.
My second meeting with the prince could have gone better. It appears he takes stock in dream meanings. I confirmed with him how we sign out in case the worst came to pass. I hope he did not take that poorly, I just needed a back door. We determined we would climb the mountain to determine where his scouts have gone. He gave us magic paper and emphasized staying in contact. He also gave us a crate of health potions. I could be almost invincible with that. Almost.
There was a lot of riding and battle. I came out unscathed besides a slightly torn bag. I was able to sew it shut once we stopped. We reached a camp for rest. Three soldiers there seemed depressed. Their description of the battle scared Middlefink. I recommended she head back to the king and she agreed. Sam cured some of the majorly injured. We were advised to send our horses to greenhorn and travel on foot for this adventure.
Without a light, we traveled forward in the dark. Sam seemed alarmed by something but didn't specify what he saw. I'm really concerned about him. After passing out I wonder how much he is hearing in his head lately. I think I feel sorry for him. Not enough to change anything but definitely concerned about his well being. It begins to pour rain on us. I hoped it would conceal us from any passing orcs. They can't see us, we can't see them. The environment begins to take on a rusty smell. Walking forward my foot bumps into a floating limb. In the darkness, I could not tell if it was an orc or other species.
Neolani sent her raven ahead and she needed me to guide her. She had a birds eye view of the field ahead of us. We saw a tent and several sleeping enemies. We snuck through successfully and I found their secret war plans. Thank you mom for teaching me comprehend languages before I left! Would I ever see her again? I hope so.
Our climb up the mountain was unnerving. I felt the ground shift underneath my feet constantly. I glanced down for a moment a saw them in the pitch dark. Spiders. Thousands of them. I alerted everyone to the issue but we couldn't really guess what that meant for us. As we walked in the dark more and more webs emerged. They were thick and overwhelming. I was worried about pulling to hard and alerting whatever made these. Eventually, spiders did attack us but we took care of them relatively carefully. We moved further up and we paused for a rest.
When we stopped a letter apparated in front of me. I saw the pink and blue ink and immediately knew it was my mother's hand writing. I reached out to grab it and I felt a hot pain in my chest region. I first think it was an odd enchantment from someone who got ahold of her letter but I moved my hand to my chest and feel an arrow shallowly burrowing. I took it out and read the note. I'll have to compile my thoughts later and most likely deserves its own journal.
Noelani a few minutes later began to connect the dots with her dream she has been having. As she started to explain this we heard a commotion in the distance. Lulfy and some kind of drow priestess were in front of us discussing the rise of the house of Dozvelok.
Then the biggest spider I have ever seen came out of a cave. I felt like we were losing control and I should have killed Lulfy when I had the change. "FUCK YOU LULFY!"
The Battle Part 1
We found an alcove to take cover once we reached the battle ground. Turns out this was the same place as Neolani's visions. I'm terrified of what's coming in the morning but I'm going to use that fear to motivate myself. Wish me luck and let's pray I don't meet my balrog too early.
I've been drafted
I'm beginning to think my life's circumstances are out of my control. My party members have all had vivid dreams and each seems like a foreboding prophecy. I am terrified of mine so I can only imagine how the others feel. My group decided we would be joining the army. This is because it would be a fast track to Borris's vision. I'm terrified. I don't want to die in a war. I'm not a soldier. I'm just a 19 year old girl! The gold, however, will make it worth it. I purchased some enchanted chain mail so I'm hoping that will be a saving grace. I the evening Sam said his prayers or something and seemed to know more about my vision. I think I'm in critical danger? Or something like that. My family had some sort of deal with a Balrog and either something has gone wrong or it has come to collect. I'm so frightened. Neolani thought she would comfort me with her raven but all that did was cause the universe to unfold in front of me. I am cursed and there is no escape.
Murder and Romance (And Saving A Life Too)
Its hot. Unbearably so. I am sweating but that doesn't bring me any relief. I see the flames in front of me climb higher and higher. I look for a way to escape but none are in my line of sight. Something else emerges from the smoke and ash. A demon, ginormous and red stands before me laughing. I see his blood stained lips and him raising his goblet to add a fresh coat. I see that its human blood. He looks into my eyes and I know I am his next glass.
I woke up to Sam calling Neolani and me to check on Borris. He is not doing well. His veins appear to be greenish and a large dark bruise is growing on his side. Sam attempted to use a healing spell but it didn't accomplish anything. I tried putting a little bit of the fountain water on his forehead but I mistakenly gave him a small burn. Ugh he stunk to high heaven. Neolani pulled out a block of incense of dragon's lavender. It mostly smelled like the sweet flower but had an almost rusty tinge to it. Whatever was in it worked. Just in case though, I stuffed some fresh smelling grass in my nose.
We determined heading to Greenhorn would be the best chance at getting Borris help in time. We ran for a majority of our journey. When we arrived at this town, a legion of goblin tents surrounded the outskirts. They recognized us and saw Borris's state. They took him from us without a word. I assumed they were taking him to a healer. The rest of the party and I headed into town to find somewhere to rest. Before we could make it to the tavern, we heard shouting from the other direction. Turning around there was a woman with several guards men. She looked like a mess.
She has clearly been crying and hasn't gotten any sleep. She wobbles on her feet and points at Sam. "That's the one who did it. He's the man who killed my husband!" Sam protested and we defended him. There's no way Sam could've done that. He was with me the whole time. The guards arrested Sam on the spot. Neolani was extremely upset. She and the woman argued. The woman began to cry even harder and demanded for her to go away. I felt suspicious about the encounter. I interrupted the argument and introduced myself. I offered this poor woman my services as a bard for her husband's funeral.
Her name was Tracy and something was clearly off. I went to her house with her. Neolani allowed her raven to sit on my shoulder as I entered. I believe she could see everything that happened through it. Entering the house I immediately saw the giant blood stain in her kitchen. Shakily, she recounted the murder. She said a man entered their house last night and killed her husband Draden. I asked if he had any enemies in town but Tracy insisted he was a humble butcher. He was well liked and loved his village. I couldn't get a read on Tracy. She seemed distraught but the bad feeling in my stomach stayed. In my head just as I was deciding she was innocent, Neolani messaged me. "Why is she smiling?" Tracy had been covering the lower half of her face during our conversation. Could she be responsible?
I had only one option to get to the bottom of this. I'm not proud of it but if it got a result I would be happy. I have always viewed romance as something like a tool. Like resin for a bow string or a grinder for an axe. I turned up my charm to eleven and asked Tracy if she felt something between us. To my surprise she did. I'm not interested in her but I feel almost proud of myself. She takes my hand and says, "Come with me." I was terrified about where this might lead to next. Maybe the raven should leave? Tracy opened the door and to my relief I see that her comforter is soaked in blood. "What happened?" "I did it. I can't stand being in this town anymore. We have the money and I just desperately want to leave. Can we run away together?" I agree and gather the comforter and murder weapon. I lie and say we have to hide the evidence.
I message Neolani and have her prepare by the door. I take Tracey by the arm and lead her outside. We grappled her and dragged her to the jail. I was able to provide evidence to get Sam out of jail. They asked her why she did this but she didn't provide any more information. I asked her if she still liked me and she wasn't sure. This probably isn't my proudest moment but I know I am the best thing that could've happened to her. I leaned forward and kissed her but this seemed to cause more distress. I don't understand, I've kissed people like two or three times before. It couldn't have been that bad right?
With Sam freed, we went to the goblin camp to find Borris. They were going to attempt to heal him. We took a long rest while we waited.
Its hot. Unbearably so. I am sweating but that doesn't bring me any relief. I see the flames in front of me climb higher and higher. I look for a way to escape but none are in my line of sight. Something else emerges from the smoke and ash. A demon, ginormous and red reaches for me. I try to escape but my hands are bound. I know I am next.
Borris was doing worse in the morning. We traveled with Markus, a man the others seemed to know, to the stables. After a lot of debate, we got three horses and an ox for Neolani. Sam is surprisingly generous. He gave me a dog! I love dogs. This is the biggest one I have ever seen but I adore him. His name is Fenris but I am going to call him Fin for short. As we mount our horses, Neolani asks me what I am going to name my horse. It takes me only a moment to think of the name. "Tracy, named after that horse faced bitch!" We galloped to Greenhorn. Our hope was that we would find a healer of some kind for Borris. The journey was long and exhausting. Fin needs a lot of training. At one point I was dragged around and thought for sure I was going to disappear into the wilds with him.
The town we arrived has a better infrastructure than the previous one. The guards stop us and let up know the prince is here. Maybe I'll get a chance to make a better impression at some point? Gods bless the Moradins! I got a flash of home when a healer from their country arrived to assist Borris. They took us to a temple-like structure to heal him. We decided to find somewhere to rest because we were exhausted. At this inn they required us to give our party name. We settled on the Cursed Crusaders for now. We heard Borris is going to live. We now just have to wait for him to get up.
I hope it takes him awhile. I'm exhausted.
Foreboding
I am running. The ash is thick and I can only smell smoke. I am coughing but it doesn't seem to make a difference. In breathe in ash. In and out. Over and over. It is dark and so hot. I can hear my footsteps on the stone beneath me but that doesn't help me figure out where I am. I am afraid. I hear several loud thuds behind me. I am running from something. Or someone? The thuds speed up and someone grabs my hand. It hurts. It hurts so much I stop breathing. My nerves are on fire. I hear a voice in my ear. "Gotcha!"
I woke up smelling smoke. After quickly checking my surroundings for fire I don't find anything. I make eye contact with a pair of yellow irises. Neolani looks like she had a bad dream as well. I invite her to breakfast to talk it over. While getting ready I see Sam laying on the floor. I smile a little and see that he has fallen asleep with Boris's axe. How sweet he's that worried about him. I think he was having a bad dream. He kept saying "help" and "get this off of me." Sounds like yet another stressful dream in our party. I'll ask him about it when he joins us at the table. Boris is back. Idiot. Glad he's alive.
Neolani found a waffle maker. That was the biggest thing at breakfast. Oh and there was a guy called Caz. Wouldn't tell me his name until he had an ale. I'm used to this kind of person. They frequently gravitate towards the taverns I perform at. Sam was alarmed but I don't think he's really been around people like this before. Talking to Caz, I smelled that smoke again. I should probably be more concerned but Caz's focus was on finding his drinking buddy Keenor York. Weird name but its not my business. Sam decides it is our business. I want to like him but he can also be invasive. His sense of right and wrong is so strong it doesn't allow for the grey. The world is in different layers of grey, not black and white.
We overhear a large crowd in front of the bulletin board in the lobby. We approach the board and see three slips are left. One is for killing rats, one silver apiece. Another is requesting a live troll for research. The final one was kittens for sale. The idea of running with a tiny animal army of a horse, dog, and several kittens made me laugh. We decided to go troll hunting. The college of mages is stuck up but who would be surprised by that? Not me. They require an endless series of unnecessary appointments just to get in. We convinced them to let us in.
Raymond Keenly is one of those people who looks interesting. You'd expect him to be full of information/stories. He was honestly one of the most boring people I met. He had a smell of lollipops and had no reason for it. However, when I introduced myself to him and offered him a handshake I was concerned. I smelled the smoke again. Am I having a stroke? He just emphasized to not kill the troll and gave us the cage we would need for catching it. Caz thought he saw one in an alleyway but I'm not sure of that. I like drunks, I think they are great fun but their memories can be shit. Sam wants to gather information about trolls.
Before even discussing it he takes off. He's not that fast but its entertaining to hear the pitter patter of his feet on the stone. We decided to follow him but took a wrong turn somewhere. I hear strings in the distance. My people! We accidentally arrived at the bards college. I met Middlefink Puddleblast, the leader of the bard college. I feel like we could be really good friends. She taught me Akeen's Big Foot, something I am eager to try out. I would have spent longer with her but our group needed to get the troll. Sam suggested under the bridge. A bit basic but why not?
He was right. I saw the eyes peering out underneath the water. Knowing it doesn't like fire, I set a fake blaze around him. He sank into the water and disappeared. Sam went on the bridge and drew it out with gold. Bad idea. He got beat up. Poor guy. I though maybe I could distract it from him while it while the others beat him up. All he would say is "Talking food?" I think he was too distracted to hear me. One broken knee later and the troll was unconscious and in the cage. From underneath the bridge Keenor emerged.
He is able to get us access to the mage's college as long as we let him partake in the credit for it. No problem for me, I make up tales all the time. Caz finally seemed to regain a little bit of his memory. Greenhorn is a hotspot for trouble currently. He saw the tall one raising an army of the undead and knows an army of 100,000 orcs are coming here. We need to leave ASAP. Sam wants to warn the prince but surely he already knows. I smell smoke again and decide I need to get to the bottom of this. I have to write a letter to Idris. Hopefully she'll reply soon. I'm not sure we have time for delay.
I Need To Talk About Jim
I may have made one of the worst mistakes of my life today. I am not coping with it well so I figured writing my feelings/journaling may be helpful. I was extremely selfish and it led to my first murder.
In the morning (or whatever it was) my new friends and I grabbed breakfast in the tavern. That is where I met him. Jim is/was a waiter. I made a flippant comment towards him and seemed to offend him. I found out goblins do not have a sense of time and I thought that was stupid. My party wanted to return to the dungeon they were previously explored. I was invited to join them and I agreed. Speaking of, I need to make a note Noelani bought my breakfast. I owe her one, she seems really sweet but I feel like there is more going on under the surface. Boris and Sam were both offended when I mentioned their height. I was just making an observation and they decided it was a height/race thing. That wasn't my intent at all. We visited the shop and did some trading. Boris hired a few goblins to work with us on our expedition.
We made a quick visit to the goblin temple. There, we learned about the Tall One. This appears to be a wizard/warlock who may be responsible for the goblin's sudden increase in intelligence. There is also a strong arcana magic radiating from the high priest but I can't put my finger on what it is supposed to be. They claimed it was a protection spell but I'm unsure about that.
I went back to the tavern and invited Jim to come with us. We decided it was his birthday and the thing he wanted the most was a boat and damn it, he was gonna get one today. It was the least I could do to make things right . The party decided to travel by boat and needed a vehicle/captain. I covered our journey by improvising a song about the captain. When we arrived in the cave we entered several rooms. In the first one there was tall grass and glowing lights. There were also mushrooms. We heard a noise in the dark. I, missing the sign that said not to do this, shot a firework at the ceiling to illuminate the room. These octopus like creatures ate two of our goblins. We gathered some leaves from the mushroom and ran into the next room. In that room there was an orange potion on the floor. I picked it up and considered drinking it but changed my mind. This turned out to be a wise decision. When encountering a large bug I decided to splash some of it on the creature. I missed but the floor melted a bit.
We went further into the dungeon into a room with several columns and an orb of water in the center. Sam figured out the columns had an alchemy recipe. When he mixed the ingredients together the orb opened up to a fountain. Most of us were cautious but Sam went ahead and drank from the fountain. He appeared to be stronger and to have gained some kind of alchemy insight. Borris drank the water and grew a third arm. Its impractical but it looks like it works well for him. Noelani drank from it as well and I did too. I currently have a cloud of white that glitters around me and I feel like I have more strength before. I felt amazing. Better than I had in years.
Running high on the ecstasy of this fountain, I demanded Jim to drink from it as well. He enthusiastically said yes and took a drink from my flask. I stepped back and eagerly waited for his transformation. He smiled at me and promptly vomited black ooze, leaking it onto my shoes. I stepped back from him and looked in horror as the man exploded.
Jim died and it was my fault. Accidents happen but I'm more than likely cursed or caused this to happen.
The Sickening
Once we got off the boat I tried to hold a funeral for our captain and Jim. Turns out a lot of people found Jim annoying or hated him. Poor creature. Well, he isn't going to be forgotten by me.
We arrived back to the goblin city and spoke with the general store manager. I offered the shop keep a deal to get an actual store in the kingdom but my party disagreed. Borris wanted to hold on to the white bow for a friend but provided her with the maps of the dungeon as promised. I hope she doesn't actually pursue the treasure and sells the map to the next group of adventurers to take on the challenge. Back outside the shop we noticed the town seemed empty. After speaking with a goblin, we learned the goblins have started to travel to the festival the prince invited them to.
We decided to rest at the tavern before traveling. The wait staff mentioned Jim's absence and I felt sick. Fortunately I kept his wand and was able to return it to them. Ugh, wish I could just return the employee though. I feel a little better I was able to bring one piece back to him. It feels good to be a good person I think to myself and drift off to sleep. I think I heard some noises from Sam's room overnight but I mostly slept well.
In the morning we purchased some rations and headed to the entrance. When we were outside of the mountain we heard a loud noise and saw the clouds move I had hoped we wouldn't have to handle that. There was a long debate on whether or not we should sell our cart. We decided to sell it. A bidding war began among goblins. A few priests from the temple got involved. One of our party members offered some of the magic water to whoever bought the cart. The priests were immediately alarmed and went to confiscate our water. I managed to deceive them and kept my water skin full of the magic substance. Everyone else lost theirs. What can I say? I'm pretty good at being charming when I want to be!
They had us return to the temple with them where they promised to explain everything. I felt like they didn't offer a lot of answers. They knew the water was magic. They haven't experimented with it much because it doesn't feel safe. Terrible things have happened to all goblins who drink it. There was a lot of back and forth and the gist was the same. Looking back on this, Borris was quiet. Too quiet.
He volunteered to drink the water. The party, the priests, and I all begged him not to. After what happened to Jim who know what will happen to a gnome? He was insistent and eventually the priests relented to give him a small glass. They guided into a small chapel and shut the door behind us. I was terrified we were going to witness a gruesome death. I took Borris's backpack and asked him not to do this one more time. That didn't seem to phase him.
Borris took a drink and seemed fine for a moment. All hell broke loose. Borris's third arm shriveled up and black ooze began to spurt out of the hole the previous limb occupied. His color paled and he began to vomit. The smell came over us all like a tsunami of sewage. I believe everyone vomited, including me. Every time I thought I would gain my composure another wave of stench would flood my senses. I'm pretty sure any food I ate in the last month is out of my system. Borris ran around the room and I thankfully dodged him. I tried to shield the goblin priests and open the door. Unfortunately the door was too slick with vomit and ooze. Borris managed to get the door open and we all piled out. We realized in the chaos Neolani had gotten ill and fainted. We worked to rescue her and I bought myself a new pair of shoes.
My new shoes need to be broken in. They are made of a comfortable leather but you can tell they were made with a cheaper material. I think I've finally removed the stink from myself. As long as I stay away from Borris. Ugh! Borris you fool. We headed out of town. I was concerned that Borris's smell would cause the town to hate us. I'd rather be on their side considering they built statues of us in their town center. Don't want to be a recognizable face if I can't fit in. Got enough experience with that for life, thanks.
We left the mountain on foot. We kept Borris at a distance we could tolerate. Poor guy threw up every 15 minutes or so. I think he might not be long for this world but I'm going to try to remain optimistic for his sake. That loud noise from earlier kept repeating and the clouds kept moving. I wanted to move faster to avoid it but wasn't able to convince the others. We reached an open field that seemed empty. It was not.
Tiny shrubs leaped out and surrounded us. These were handled with no problem. The large shambling heap, however, was rough. I realized it was in the clearing the moment it stepped on me. I thought I was dead for sure. The sensation of the vines tightening around my neck was haunting. I managed to avoid the vines getting tighter. Neolani was going to blast its foot with fire damage but I managed to escape before that was necessary. Once I was free it was easy to take down the shambling heap.
Borris's attacks were critical for taking that creature on. I hope he survives but I got another whiff of him a few minutes ago and wished for him to go away for now. Is that a bad thing?
A Curse is Just a Mindset
Needless to say our goblins in our party were terrified. We were all horrified by the result. Its clear what happened. Jim must have drank this water before. We asked our goblins if they have ever drank it before but they weren't familiar with it. Borris theorized the water could be mixed in the mud they are born in. We all take some of this water to keep with us just in case but all agree we can't drink it again. We decided to leave this chamber. I picked up Jim's wand and put it in my bun. I'll figure out what to do with it later but for now we need to keep moving.
Sam led us to a dungeon-like area that had several doors that seemed to be walled off. Sam took the orange potion from me and used it to melt open one of the doors. We found a piece of paper showing this area belonged to Askrim the bold and this was his forgotten keep. Sam took some supplies. We grabbed the white bow and an empty booked containing information about Gnang in a room with a large drain in it. We decided to move further into the dungeon thanks to the map we received of the area. This next room was exciting to say the least.
In there we saw a pool of water and a draugh drinking from it. He spotted us due to a loud noise created by one of my party members. Completely unprofessional! He drew his weapon and commanded us to surrender. I cast comprehend languages to translate what he was saying. Borris is a fierce fighter. His cloud of daggers is formidable and his rage benefits everyone. Maybe I shouldn't talk about height in this group anymore? I asked the being what they wanted. He said we needed to surrender and come with him because they were coming. Who were they? Mind flayers of course.
Those are creatures that appear in my nightmares. My mother told me stories about them growing up and I think those stories worked. We moved into a cease fire. The creature introduced itself as Vulfananar. I tried to negotiate with him but Noelani sensed he wanted to take us as slaves to his underground city. A sudden loud buzz began. My party and I immediately took off. We ran as fast as we could through that dungeon. The buzzing grew louder and louder until it was all I could here. I climbed a large net as frantically as I could. We finally made it back to the entrance and we hopped in the boat.
That is where we found our dead captain with a hole in the back of his skull. With the mind flayers behind us we set off. Fortunately I grew up in a coastal town so I was somewhat familiar with how a boat worked. We managed to outrun the mind flayers but I suspect its because they found something else they would rather be doing.
I'm not sure what to think of Sam. I find him to be confrontational and serious. The man brought up his religion I assume because we were trapped on a boat and couldn't escape the conversation. He pressed me on my beliefs. Its not that I don't necessarily not believe, its just that I haven't found anyone worth serving yet. I'm a free spirit and want to keep my options open. However, I do think there is a power in manifesting. The soul's desires are a petition to the gods. Whoever I worship will be the one who listens to me on that day. Sam did not like that. Noelani took a blood oath and seems to worship Odin I think. Borris did not elaborate on his religious beliefs.
I am definitely cursed. Sam has seemed to be really wary of my and I decided to confront him about it. He pointed out I was a tiefling so I should be used to it by now. I asked what that had to do with anything. I have been missing a crucial part of my heritage. Tieflings are born because someone in our family line made a deal with a demon. All offspring were cursed with my kind of appearance afterwards. My mother will have a lot to answer for whenever I feel like seeing her again. I don't know what deal was made but the idea of it makes me feel sick to my stomach. Noelani saw my distress and she said that she was cursed as well. She said she took a blood oath so its not exactly like my case. Noelani says that a curse is only a bad thing if you make it one.
I think my father would say otherwise.
A Goblin Funeral
Dear Tidus,
I thought I would write you a letter to update you on my journey. I recently arrived at Mt. Goblin. I know our maps back home don't show anything here but its time for a bit of an update! On the once empty mountain top there is now a layered goblin city. Yes, I wrote goblin city! These creatures seem to show signs of intelligence. When I came to visit, they immediately saw the violin on my back. I was instantly hired to perform at a funeral. This town is strange because of its inhabitants, not its features. There is a town square with the typical shops, village homes, and other basic necessities to run a small society. The unique part is down the lift.
The lift took me to another level of the village encased in the mountain. There was a small coastline and I was reminded of home. A goblin named Borris passed away from what appears to be an unfortunate lift accident. This may be the strangest funeral I ever attended. Upon entering the ceremony I was handed a shirt to put on. I looked at the crowd and found everyone in attendance had the same shirt on that said "We hate Borris." A bit difficult to approach my process with decorum after that but I did my best.
Afterwards I saw the first creatures that weren't goblins. Sam, a halfling, Neolani, a hag raven, Boris, a gnome. The three seemed friendly and I decided to tag along with them on their errands. I didn't have anything to do until my performance at the tavern that evening. In town I put on a fireworks display for my new friends and young villagers. One goblin boy told me about Gnang, a prominent song writer in their culture. I want to learn more about his music but I'm told the content is too explicit to repeat. In the town we found the goblins preparing for some kind of conflict. Gazal, some kind of goblin officer told us prince Philip was about to attack their mountain. My new party and I agreed we needed to stop the conflict.
I may have met the love of my life (or at least one of them.) Philip was reasonable and willing to listen to us. He invited the goblin society to a feast to celebrate becoming allies. We were sent back to the mountain to relay the message. Goblins immediately began travelling. We went ahead and returned to the tavern. I performed my new song "Carriage License" and it well I think. I will hopefully have more to write to you soon. I miss you and I can't wait to make you proud.
Love,
Aerilyn
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