We had but a few days remaining before our trip to Yampfield after I returned from the trip with Arcus. I didn't have very many pressing matter to attend to in the city so I simply decided to make some extra money by helping out Argon in the forge. It was quite a sight watching Argon do his work. He could merely mold metal as one would mold pottery. His titan strength and natural fire would allow him to heat the metal and bend it into the form that he desired. I was relegated to menial task finishing off the weapons such as sharpening and quenching, but this did allow Argon to do what he did best instead of having to stop to do what he asked me to do. After only a couple of days Gawain too returned to Dayhill and at this point Galahad was a massive beast, so big in fact that he was able to ride her. We then discussed our plans to head to head to Dayhill as it seemed that everyone was in agreement. We told Balgus about our plans and oddly enough there was a quest to try to complete around the area of Yampfield that we could complete. The plans were made and we decided to set off within the next two days.

During this time Gawain came and talked to me and revealed that Percy had been a member of his dragoons, but he had no memory of that period at all. He told me that he looked the same and even had the same scars he had during his time as a dragoon. This put me in a strange place as I didn't want to take someone else's member away from them. The only good thing about the situation is that now Gawain at least knows the location of at least one of his dragoons. Gawain fears that the rest of his dragoons has suffered the same fate as Percy in that their memories probably have been removed in some way. That should definitely be oen of the many things we try to accomplish after arriving at Yampfield.

Two nights before leaving for Yampfield I was awoken by Jiro and we entered his room, or Scarloc's I can't remember as I was awoken in the middle of the night. In there was a cloaked woman who called herself fox. Her request was that we would help expand her operations in Yampfield as the clergy had done a fairly good job clamping down on these actions. I was entirely against these actions as was Gawain, but Scarloc wished to helped as he believed he could learn a great many things from her or her organization. It wasn't until Fox told us she knew a great many things. She claimed she Knew what Antonius was up to. I stood dumbfounded for a second because I believed him to be dead. I didn't believe her words, but I was curious as to what she was talking about. I agreed to help her out for this one task as Scarloc desired this and she claimed to know the location of Gawain's Dragoons. We all agreed to accomplish this one task for her. She thanked us and then left through the shadows, but not before saying the "Caelina would be proud," as well as acknowledging she knew some of the things that I have done in my past. I had spent the last few years trying to atone for my actions and control myself to prevent anything like that from happening again. Her knowledge of these events unsettled me greatly as it showed just how far her influence reached.

On the last night before we left Dayhill we went to Balgus' tavern as we usually do and to our surprise all of the friends that we had made had gathered there. We had a merry old time and talked and drank and ate. Later on through the night, after I probably had entirely too many drinks, Percy joined us and I shouted out that he needed to catch up in how much the rest of us had drank. Paraxio dropped in some black liquid into an ale. After he drank it he almost instantly was knocked out. I thought to myself I can handle it much better than Percy and requested the same drink. Past that point I have no recollection of what happened during the night. The next morning I had a right terrible headache, but nonetheless we had a journey ahead of us that we must begin.

It had been a few months since the slaughter of my tribe. I have been following leads on who or what had committed these atrocities. Revoking my pledge of killing my body count skyrocketed. I always thought to myself if my family knew of what I had done, I would for sure have been exiled. Though Exiled of what? A tribe no longer alive? Family I could no longer return to? and fiance I never had a chance to start my life with? These questions I asked myself were the exact reason for revoking my pledge. I no longer was a petty thief stealing from the rich I am now a murderer, hell-bent on revenge using and killing anyone or anything that gets in my way.  Upon coming across some information in Dayhill about a group of dark elves who had done some killing just north in the forest, I had also heard about a mercenary group taking up a contract to slay them. I never joined… at first, but i tried to track them down following them for a day or so I ended up losing them. While trying to find the trail I had lost I heard swords clanking together , loud shouts, and yells even some roars. I went to investigate and ended up getting myself caught up. Not usually my thing but I must of been angry or was it bloodthirsty? All the killing is driving me down a path I never intended to go down but alas it seems I have been delving deeper and deeper into territory that I should have never have gone to. (Killing hasn’t been bothering me lately but I hope I do not get so accustomed to it that I enjoy it.) I managed to kill an Orc and climb a tree to disappear from sight but they had a troll and i was not used to these trees.  They were nothing like the ones back home, not easy to climb. I ended up losing my footing and when I fell The troll grabbed me and I was getting hurt pretty bad, to no avail of escaping I was reaching the point of unconsciousness. Thoughts went through my head “ was this it? Was my tribe ever going to be avenged? “ As I was about to black out I notice a short man with two axes slaying the giant as everything goes black. I woke up in a building of some sort and inn maybe? I saw the short man , but looking at him I could tell it was Dwarf, no man would dare take a troll on his own. There was a man with a weapon that looked like it could be used anything, very versatile. There was another man had the look of jester of maybe someone who looks full of himself. I don't like his face ,something about it seemed…unnatural. A hooded figure ended up walking in, I was thinking what was with the secrecy but considering myself and my masks I shouldn't judge He may just be another one I kill as well as the other three that are here. This one seemed familia , his body make seemed familiar… Yet different. He came in looking for work and we were told about the dark elves. My eyes widened but I quickly kept my cool before anyone could notice. We ended up leaving the next day on a mission. Has my time for revenge finally arrived? Can I finally please my tribe for for their destruction? What will I do when it’s over…? Which brings me back to the same thoughts. Where will I go with no Tribe? Who will I associate with, with no Family? What family can I start with no fiance? …Where will I go?

<meta />

It's been quite a hectic few weeks.

The mission we were assigned turned out to be sent from none other than Alec himself, the traveler who we recently met. He lied about the payment and was generally pretty shifty. We reacted accordingly—all of us (even Lucius, the sweetheart of the group!) ganged up and yelled at the boy. It was cathartic letting that out, but we really hurt his feelings and he left the next morning. Normally I wouldn't care, but we wanted to see what was so special about the mission. We tracked him down and, after a bout of pouting from him, rejoined forced with Alec. 

We came to a bizarre dungeon of an orc chieftain, filled with powerful magic and a labrynthine layout. While we did not encounter too many common enemies, we were forced to answer riddles, discover chambers, and indeed battle some arcane foes. During this time, Alec was somewhat frightened but was a great combat ally. His bizarre magical properties served to be a boon to the group. His worry was honestly somewhat endearing, and though he is insanely annoying, I started to grow rather fond of the boy. 

Gawain came into a near-death situation involving a golem and a riddle, but through his fabled wit and wisdom made it out. At the other end we found a strange room where human experiments were being conducted. On either end sat a powerful artifact; one being a dangerous, dark gemstone, the other brimming with restorative properties. As a sorcerer, I wished to collect it, but Alec was fearful I would try to steal it for myself. The bastard even called me untrustworthy (rich from the pissant who left us stranded in the wilderness because he is too sensitive.) Scarloc ended up carrying the wand. On top of it, we found a large cache of magical goodies—it was quite remarkable! I was brimming with excitement. I even found a ring of sustenance, an object I was pursuing for quite some time. We happily left, riches in tow. 

However, before we could escape, we were faced with yet another puzzle. The others to this point were surmountable, so we (I, rather,) went into it somewhat gung-ho. This proved to be a bad idea. To make a long story short, the room was filled with lava and we would need to act quickly to escape. We tore a door off it's hinges and used it as a bridge (Alec and I were champs,) resulting in us finally unlocking the door. However, as we made our escape, Alec was stuck behind the sea of molten rock. I insisted we stayed to rescue him, but the rest insisted we left. While I am not going to claim we always got along, there was something so crushing about seeing his face growing more and more distant as I was pulled up the stairs to the exit. It was Phethian all over again.

However, my laments wouldn't last long. As we arrived outside, we were ambushed by a tribe of vicious orcs. At this point, our lives were gone and that there was nothing left we could do.  However, the cheiftain struck us a bargain; he would let us live if we not only gave him most of our loot, but also we agreed to help him when he needs us in the future. We had no choice but to comply. First the loss of Alec, now the loss of our riches. What a spectacular day.

We made our way back to Dayhill, greeted by the Hand's trademark dwarf, Thoric. He informed us that Alec was not dead, and that we had a means of communicating with him. We got the chance to speak to him, and he informed ups that he made an escape after a mere day. This made me ecstatic, almost removing the frustration of losing our goods. At the very least, we could keep a new ally—and were about to make another one. That night, I stayed up and performed a ritual to unleash Teto's potential. He entered the sweet, small scorpion we knew and exited a beautiful masked arbiter of the dead, a Nosoi Psychopomp. Truly badass.

With newfound courage, I told the group I wished to speak to Lucan Valerius head-on and stop avoiding my problems. They gave me their blessing. Although I was terrified, I finally mustered the courage to knock at his door. I was met by the familiar green eyes of the cute court wizard's mage, followed by the deep voice of Headmaster Valerius granting me entry. I was practically shaking as he invited me to sit down with him. However, I was not met with the hostility or scheming resentment I was expecting. Instead, he seemed rather exhausted—an indescribably refreshing emotion to see him wear. 

It's rather embarrassing to admit this, but I think I might have made a mistake. Over the next hour or so, we discussed the events that had unfolded over the last few years. Firstly, he informed me that my parents were still alive and well—I was incredibly relieved to hear this. However, he also explained that the fall of Annell Tower was at the hands of the forces of Abaddon, the most fearful plane known to man. He risked his life to protect the tower that day, resulting in horrible injuries and a potential curse. The beast I saw him conjure that day was not to aid him, but rather for him to bargain with. Apparently, the beast's noticing of me resulted in Valerius' ability to keep him maintained, in a way saving his life. I saved Lucan Valerius' life…now that's a sentence I never thought I would say. We parted ways after a while. While I cannot be sure if what he told me was even remotely true, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to trust him.

Before I could finally retire for the night, though, Scarloc entered my room followed by a shadowy figure. The figure told us to meet her on the south side of town the following day. We complied, but were ambushed and knocked unconscious on our way there. We awoke to the shadowy lady once more. She gave us our assignments: Scarloc was to break Morton Salt, a raider prisoner, out of jail, and I was to learn more about a project of Lucan's called Ironclad—no more information than that. Could Ironclad be an evil plot? Perhaps I was too quick to associate with the headmaster. 

I approached the headmaster's door once more, and he once again welcomed me in. He seemed a bit impatient, but before I could even ask him about it, he told—or rather, showed me what Ironclad was all about. In the corner of his room, a once hidden behemoth of a man materialized. It was clearly human, but also clearly…wasn't. He told me that he has been experimenting with magic to 'upgrade' the guards of the town so we would never be in danger again. Knowing this would be my last chance to do so, I asked him if I could assist in his project. To my surprise, he agreed, stating that he would also help me finally learn Protean during this time. I was taken aback at his agreement…it made me oddly happy knowing he liked (or at least tolerated) me enough to work alongside me for 12 hours a day, even after our rocky past. I gave him a thankful bow and left him to discuss matters with Scarloc. Before I left for the Hands I finally decided to make a move on that cute maid girl, but she started freaking out and ran back inside. Huh, didn't expect her to be such a spaz. Oh well, I am sure I will get into her pants at some point.

Now, I face a dilemma unlike any other…I am torn between two mysterious individuals. I could either truthfully support Lucan through his endeavors, or simply act as reconnaissance for the mysterious lady. Headmaster Valerius…the man I spent the last few years running from, who caused me so much anguish and sleepless nights…just like that, he completely changes in my perspective. It makes me sad that I can't trust anyone. I feel somewhat alone. While it would be wise of me to assume Lucan is simply lying through his teeth, I want so desperately to have a mentor…a real father, even. Oh well. At least I have you, Teto.

We finally have a couple days off. The day started pretty normal woke up talked with the other pretty normal. However I noticed that Jiro and Scarloc went to talk privately. I decided to eavesdrop on it, turns out some lady contracted them to look into Mortan Salt. Well I decided to talk Scarloc, He's young and doesn't understand how cruel the world it is. I was concerned that by agreeing to help this mysterious women he would be forced to steadily do more and more evil deeds, and I would rather not happen to a friend. I couldn't dissuade him from his task, but warned him that should anything happen to, Salt who is my contact with the bandit incursion, I would be very cross.  However much to my pleasure Scarloc didn't make it to his rendezvous. However the prison was burned down and all the prisoners died, I must look into it, Salt was the best chance to convince the bandit leader to help us against the orcs. Without him we have no potential allies to call upon. The next day however was a day to be excited about! The double date with Matrena.  The date went pretty well, any day I see Matrena is a good day. The date was me and Matrena and Scarloc and Valtyra, Scarloc seemed a bit awkward though, but he's young he'll catch on.  However earlier in the day I was shocked to hear about that scouts in Yampfield have gone missing. I was worried about my men, but Matrena managed to calm my nerves. Later, I went with my druid teacher Neela in hopes of expanding my druidic knowledge. Turns out Neela is a Nature Warden, people devoted to the protection of nature, and lands sacred to them. Neela also showed me the animal companion that she has bonded with. She was also able to use a spell that allowed her to travel between any two trees. We traveled to her warded territory which was in llluvegiliath. The things I learned there, words can't even describe properly. I deepened my connection to nature, learned to speak with trees. Towards the end of my training Neela gave both me and Galahad a task. We had to find a intruder who was not native to her lands. After tracking it, I found the creature it was badly wounded; and it had the ability to turn its foes that it stares at into stone. Luckily both me and Galahad managed to overcome it. Luckily I managed to calm the creature, and in return for treating its wounds it left. Neela was not far away and congratulated me. Neela made me question what I really fight for, I must reflect upon this further. However we had a ritual to commence, a ritual to deepen my connection with Galahad. After the ritual not only did I feel my bond deepened, but Galahad was full sized due to Neela and her druidic arts! I wanted to stay there forever. but Neela said we had to leave, she casted the magic which allowed to to return to Dalehill.

As I awoke the next day I went to the serpent and the wold to grab a bite to eat, as I usually do while in Dayhill. I talked to Balgus about who would join me in my conversation with the nobles of the town about the possible orc threat. He told me he would find someone who knew both the orcs and the area we encountered them very well. I thanked him and went to Methis' shop and found Jiro there and Scarloc eventually joined us as well. From him I purchased a magic belt that granted me immense strength. We spent a rather long time talking and wondering what to purchase from Methis that I had to hurry over to the Great Hall where the nobles stay. As I entered I saw none other than Eldor, the leader of the Hands of Heironus, on the other end of the table. At first I thought it odd that he would be sent as I felt he probably had more pressing matter, but I realized that the orc threat was very dire and Eldor more than likely had a wealth of knowledge about the subject. I half expected to have Eldor take the lead in discussing the amtters, but he was very taciturn and merely confirmed the warnings that I gave to Lady Folcey and Lord Smallwood. Lord Smallwood appeared to believe that the court wizard, Lucan Valerius, could handle the situation with his so-called ironclad initiative.

Afterward I went to go talk to Lucan, but he turned me away, and I swore that he asked if I was the paladin, which caused me to be slightly suspicious of the situation. Nonetheless I left him to his work and continued about my day. After going to sleep I was roused in the middle of the night by Gawain who asked me to help witness something. As I was very tired I truly had no clue what was going on. He then woke Jiro and it seemed to me that he and Scarloc received some type of mission from a strange hooded woman. It seemed that Scarloc was told to release one of the imprisoned bandits of the raid named Morton Salt. I obviously could not let this happen and rushed off to the prison cells to try and stop this from happening. Upon reaching the prison cells there was a lot of commotion as it appears that the giant had somehow gotten out of its chains and was wrecking havoc inside. I attempted to help, but the guards told us that they wanted to make sure that the giant remained alive. Lucan Valerius then appeared behind us as apparently Jiro had attempted to cast a spell on one of the guards. I would've chastised him as well, but Lucan appeared to have handled it. Lucan told us to return to the Hands as he was capable of handling the matter so we did. Scarloc appeared behind us and told us that he was late to trying to meet the hooded lady and was worried that he had failed or upset her. Hopefully she won't try to cause any trouble, at least for her sake. Very uneasily I went to bed, still shook up about the incident as well as the thought that Scarloc and Jiro would try to go behind our backs with such shady individuals. Hopefully I can turn them onto the right path before they attempt to associate with the less reputable members of the town again.

After speaking with the nobles of the town and the rest of the sentinels I proceeded to have a drink at the Serpent and the wolf and had a great conversation with Balgus. Oddly enough Gawain, Scarloc, Matrena, and Valtyra were sitting at a table behind me and I somehow didn't notice them until much later in the night, probably since my head was still fully focused on the prophecy that Valtyra had told me. However, upon noticing them I also saw an armored individual in the corner of the room with the symbol of my Goddess, Iomedae, as well as the sigil of the Golden Legionnaires. I went over to talk with him as his armor was rather splendid and it had been quite some time seeing a fellow worshipper of Iomedae. I told him of my interest in joining the Golden Legionnaires and he seemed willing to see my skills in combat to decide if I was worthy to join. He told me to meet him at the front gate in the morning of the next day to join him on a mission that he was assigned. Of course I met him the next day as the prospect to join such a renowned order was very enticing to me. Arcus and I traveled north in the general direction of Yampfield and Arcus told me about his time as a legionnaire and how he himself joined by picking a fight with some of the legionnaires that entered his town. I also learned the the Knight of the Hawk, the being that helped us and brought Gawain back to life as well as giving us the Morningstar Jewel, was in fact the leader of the order. As we continued traveling we encountered a man that was surrounded by a band of orcs and ogres. The man fought valiantly against such numbers managing to slay one of the ogres as well as one of the  orcs, but was knocked unconscious by the larger Ogre and more trained ogre. Me and Arcus managed to slay the remaining orcs and ogres and I channeled my God's positive energy into the unconscious individual. The man awoke and told me that his name is Percy. Arcus told me to help the man to return to a town so that he could be healed as well as to protect him from other dangers of the road. Arcus on the other hand told me that he was going to continue on his mission, but to seek him out in the area north of Yampfield during the Time of Inheritance. Me and Percy continued back to Dayhill and I questioned why he was out here and what his plans were. He told me that he was searching for a living somewhere and that the band of orcs had a bounty on their heads and he was attempting to claim it. He was a fellow paladin of Iomedae and I thought he could be a great boon to the sentinels as I saw great promise in his skills. I requested that he joined me and the other members of the Sentinels of the Blazing sun as my cohort. He graciously accepted swearing to serve me. We continued our journey back to Dayhill with idle chatter and my hope for a bright future.

Proceeding the battle, we were asked to escort the prisoners into their jail cells. Lucius and I were instructed to do so. For the first time since I met him, the sight of Lucius, now a good friend of mine, angered me. The notion of his ‘unconditional’ justice irritated me, regardless of its legitimacy. The hatred I felt after the battle felt trivialized by his mere presence. I asked Lucius if I could escort the prisoner alone, stating that he should assist the injured Kneecappers. Being the kind soul he is, he agreed, but seemed to see more of my scheme than I had originally expected him to. Regardless, this was not going to stop me.
    I arrived at the prison, met by a somewhat kind man who watched over the establishment. He said I could take the prisoner into the cell, and I later persuaded him to let me ‘interrogate’ our new friend. I informed him that the prisoner was in a critical state and that he might not last the night. He believed me, but clearly had an inkling of suspicion. It seemed he shared a similar complex to Lucius. He subtly peered at me during my conversations with the man, keeping a close eye on us.
    The prisoner, bloodied and battered, addressed me in a brusk and trivializing tone. He clearly seemed to understand that the townsfolk didn’t believe in executing prisoners. Unluckily for him, I am not like the simpletons of Dayhill. Drunk and thrilled off my sheer hatred, I told the prisoner my plans of killing him with a large grin on my face. I was practically shaking with excitement watching him tremble and beg. I began to conjure a deadly spell, however, the guard was onto me and asked me to leave. I was not going to let this man live, though. As I exited the cell, I had Teto stay back and conclude the spell I was preparing, one of my lethal snowballs that has fared me so well in the past. I attempted to distract the prison guard as the tiny scorpion let forth the barrage of snowballs. Sadly, however, Teto completely missed the mark, alerting both the guard and the prisoner to my schemes. Now with blades drawn to me, I knew the gig was up. I smiled and attempted to play it off as a joke, to moderate degrees of success—I left with my head, but also with a bad reputation on it. 
Still…I am not sure what has come over me recently. Never in my life have I felt such a sheer, unbridled desire to slaughter in the name of equity. Like a man lost in the desert parched for water, my insatiable urge for their blood has plagued me since that day. I managed to bridle these emotions for the time being, though. I met up with the team once more and we decided to call it a well-deserved night.
The following morning, I decided to purchase a flower to lay upon the grave of Phethean (and one for Marnay too jokingly one for that little girl in the Kneecappers.) I could not get the thought of Thoric, Lucius, and the jailer out of my head—it sickened me how sympathetic they could be to such scum of the earth. I only knew of one bastard in the town who could possibly share this frustration with me—Crastur, the man who scammed us earlier in our journey. 
I approached what was left of the 3-walled bar and let myself in. Inside stood a distraught Crastur and two strangers looking straight at the ground. Sympathetic, I went to the counter and attempted to console the upset barkeep over the loss of his pub, letting him know that I would be happy to help in any way that I can. Unsurprisingly, he snapped back at me asking what I was trying to pull, while having one of his cronies threaten me with pointed blades. So typical of scum like him. I smirked and simply told him that I wanted to help him out, and that while I deeply respect the Hands, I wanted to perform a more effective type of work on the side. The bastard had the audacity to snap back once more, accusing me of disloyalty. My jovial front was now gone. I called out the lowly piece of horseshit for what he was, and got up and left. He told me he would be in touch. Typical bottom-feeding trash, they are. They don’t deserve a hero like myself in their ranks.
After this irritating meeting, the Sentinels met up once more to receive our reward from the lady of the town herself. This excited me, as royal connections as well as lavish praise have always been a soft spot for me. Gawain seemed rather anxious around the company of royalty, but I didn’t press him on it—I wanted this experience to be as painless as possible for all of us. Disappointingly, however, the lady of the town simply offered basic praise and little reward, wrapped around the finger of her obnoxious advisor, Shortwood. Oh well. Typical royalty. She did inform us of the court wizard’s arrival, stating that she would introduce us to him. I was happy to hear this—I love getting to know fellow arcanists. But there was nothing I could do to prepare for the man who entered the room: Lucan Valerius himself.
No. Forget this town, forget the Hands, forget everything. All bets are off. I had dedicated my entire life to fleeing from this man, and my friends merely ask that I relax as he stands in front of me? Scum, all of them. I returned to the Hands of Heironus to both announce my withdrawal as well as say goodbye to the Kneecappers. I entered the north wing to Marnay and Thortona watching over an injured Matrena. I did not have time to explain the specifics, so I gave Marnay the last rose I ever would hand to her, and Thortona a rose to place on Phethian’s resting place. Upon hearing of my departure, Matrena had the audacity to call me a coward. How could they not realize I was doing this to protect them? I would expect nothing less from scum like her. I left the room and took my things, only to be met by a somber Thoric blocking my exit.
The sullen dwarf who I had grown so fond of was deeply insulted by my departure, going as far to say I would become an enemy of the Hands. You can call me a traitor, you can torture me, but having a man like Thoric express his disappointment is just off-limits. And yet, here he was. He did, however, reassure me that it was either I die alone in the wilderness, or die fighting against the evil that stood before us. Lucius and Gawain chimed in as well, echoing this sentiment. I had never been more conflicted in my entire life. However, after an internal battle, I knew I had no choice but to stay and face Lucan head-on. Shaken, I agreed to remain within the ranks of Hands of Heironus. However, literal seconds after this, Thoric decides that it would be a great time to send us on a scouting missive from an anonymous contractor. Ah, dwarves and their famous subtlety…

I cannot truly express the pain I feel after the loss of our friend, Phethian. Despite my days of wayfaring and reckless abandon, this was the first time I had lost somebody truly close to me. Knowing I could have done something to stop it eats at me from the inside. Sweet Marnay was saved in the process, but who can truly determine the worth of a life? There is a good chance I may never look at her in the eyes again. I was foolish to allow myself to get close to anybody.

                After slaying the giant, we set up camp on the trail for the evening. Scarloc, however, noticed a faint gleaming in the distance. Cautiously, we decided to inspect it. Despite our hesitations, it turned out to be a young sorcerer named Alec. He was a charming, handsome fellow—though his presence in the middle of nowhere did make me somewhat suspicious. Regardless, I felt foolish for being so paranoid. I like Alec. It was nice to finally meet somebody who didn’t get on my nerves.

                My lamentations over Phethian couldn’t last long, though. Upon our return to Dayhill, we came to the city being ransacked by bandits and thieves looking to make the city their stomping grounds. Furious, we supported the city’s defence and defeated whichever invaders we could. It was a strange feeling—I had never quite felt such a rush from killing. It felt good. However, drunk off the high of battle, I became careless and left my flank open. A hill giant managed to stumble behind me. By the time I had realized he was there, his massive club hung viciously above his head, preparing to smash down upon me. In this moment, I had accepted my death. I got a bizarre sense of relief in a way, knowing I would soon be reunited with Phethian. The gods, however, had other plans, in the form of a rampaging blacksmith. As I stand preparing for death, Argon, the friendly giant, smashed the hill giant’s head in with his hammer. I suppose death would have to wait.

                Upon breaching the gates, the battle continued on the inside. It was a horrifying sight to behold—burning buildings, pillaging, families being killed in the streets…I may never forget the sights I saw that day. However, I did not have time to focus on these horrors. During the battle, we managed to catch a glimpse of, presumably, the new court wizard. I could not properly assess his power, but I got a strong feeling that he was unfathomably powerful.

We finally managed to quell the invasion and restore a semblance of peace to the town. The fellow Sentinels as well as the Hands as a whole seemed more relieved than anything. However, I did not share this gleefulness. There was no joy in what we saw or did. Something changed in me. A part of me must have died that day.

After slaying the giant and returning to Dayhill we found the town to be under siege by a oddly very organized bandit raid that included the like of trolls and giants. We manage to cut our way through the front gate after watching Argon slay a giant with a single swing of his mighty hammer. We then proceeded into the town where Tennoculus told us that the three walled tavern was on fire, which I had yet to visit beforehand. We then proceeded to the bridge over the river where the chief of the bandits slayed the head of the guard and Gavin, the second in command, slew the chief with ease clearing the path to the Hands of Heironus. As the group and I continued across the bridge Gavin also killed the giant that was accompanying the chieftain. As we approached the Hands of Heironus it was surrounded by bandits and trolls that were easily dispatched by us, Balgus, Miya Darcy, Thoric, and two other members of the guild. We then moved to the northern part of town towards where the nobles lived where we saw the newly appointed court wizard slay a giant with a single blast of arcane energy as well as several other bandits. At this point the denizens of Dayhill, with a small support from us, managed to clear the remaining bandits that had infested the city. We managed to capture one of the bandits and he revealed that the giants of Troll Crag mountains were pushing them out of there homes and they were attempting to take land for themselves. During the battle many citizens of the town as well as a large number of guards were slain. We talked to the Kordar Kneecappers after the fight and they said they wished to take a break from adventuring after losing Phethean, bequeathing us their share of the gold for slaying the giant. Hopefully they manage to get back on their feet in short time.

Upon returning to Dayhill after the trials in the cave I found that Dayhill under attack. Good thing I’m use to hunting down humans so I had no trouble. Argon is a concerningly strong, what he did that other giant, it's terrifying. It was good to see Matrena and the survivors of the knee cappers. It was annoying that the guard had was stationed around the nobles typical. Good thing that Gavin was here to kill those giants.  Didn’t even feel like we did a lot, the town had a lot of hardened soldiers like Thoric and Balgus.Shame that so many civilians died though. I want back to the Hand to check up on the Knee Cappers. They weren’t holding up to well, the death of a friend really hits hard. I informed that Thortona and Marnay could come to me if they needed anything. As for lovely Matrena I informed her that my door was always open to her, and that since I had returned that she owes me a date. She does however need time to heal, which is understandable; they all deserve to take time off to heal both physically and mentally. Before I could continue my blatant flirting with Matrena Lucius barged in, which was a bit annoying, but he is my comrade in arms, and I would not want to arm wrestle him. Scarloc was also there staring rather intently at Valtyra, maybe I should talk to him? Humans don’t like to be stared at so, still Scarloc is a good guy, just for some reason I find myself checking my coin purse around him. J was off interrogate the prisoner, hopefully he has enough self control not to kill him when the guard aren’t looking.