Interlude 7: Origin, part 2

Iris sent Tonber down to the city to scout around. The team waited silently and nervously on the top of the hill. The dwarf returned after ten minutes. “Looks deserted. No demon attacks.” Tonber wasn’t very talkative, even for a dwarf.

Iris and her team approached the ruined city. When they got to what appeared to be the city square, she stopped and turned around to face her group. “Alright, here’s what we’re doing. We’ll split up into teams of two to search for the cult’s hideout. Alger, you’re with Marco; Tonber and Sara; Verol and Alyssa. I’ll remain here and act as your base. If you find anything suspicious, return to me immediately and do not engage. If you get in trouble, shout and the other groups will come help you. Now, move out, and good luck.” As Alger went towards Marco, Iris grabbed his arm and whispered in his ear, “be careful”. He smiled that charming, confident smile of his and kissed her on the forehead before getting on his way.

Iris found an intact bench and sat down as the groups moved out, but couldn’t relax in this environment. She kept her mace and shield in hand as she watchfully scanned the area. The silence of the ruins was deafening, and Iris couldn’t keep track of time. So when Verol and Alyssa returned, saying they’d found traces of recent activity in what appeared to be the remains of a school, she had no idea how much time had passed. She shouted for the rest of the groups to return. Alger and Marco got back first, followed quickly by Tonber and Sara.

“Glad to see that your scouting missions were uneventful,” said Iris, shooting a glance at Alger, “except for Verol and Alyssa. Lead the way, and everyone be ready for trouble.” It seemed to be about a ten-minute walk through the silent streets to the school. As they approached, Verol pointed out some disturbed dust on the ground and that the front door was in good condition.

“Tonber, you first,” Iris said. The dwarf expert at trapfinding went slowly down the hallway on his hands and knees, inspecting every inch for anything suspicious.

“Definitely people here,” Tonber proclaimed. “Went this way.” He crawled along the ground up to a door at the end of the hallway. “Trap here. Just a moment.” The dwarf went to work, only taking a couple minutes to disarm it. He stood up and cracked open the door to peek in, then suddenly fell backwards on the ground, a crossbow bolt sticking out from one of his eyes.

Iris’s eyes went wide at the dwarf’s sudden death. They must have known we were coming… Marco! She turned around so she could kill the wizard for his betrayal, saying “Arm yourselves! We have to--” but her voice was cut off by a blade through her lung. She stared into Alger’s eyes as the man she loved smiled and pushed her off the end of his sword, letting her drop to the ground. Then all was black.

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When she awoke, Iris realized a few things immediately. First, she had been stripped of her gear and was in her plain underclothes. Second, she was chained to a wall by her hands and waist. Third, she was in a small dark cell, lit only by firelight from beyond the bars. Fourth, her wound had been magically healed. “Sara? Verol? Alyssa? Anyone?” she called out. A noise came from outside the cell, and Alger entered her field of vision, smirking. Iris strained against the bars. “You son of a bitch, when I get out of here I’m going to rip your fucking throat out.”

“Good to see you too, my dear,” Alger responded calmly.

“Don’t you dare call me that. Where is the rest of my team?”

“Oh, but does all our time together count for nothing? What a pity. I’m afraid Marco and Verol didn’t make it; they weren’t useful to my master - not like you, Sara, and Alyssa are.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Haven’t you guessed? You knew this was a Lamashtu cult. The Mother of Monsters has use for healthy females, you know.”

A cold chill ran down Iris’s spine. She said nothing, thinking about her options and planning how to escape and rescue the other women.

“Nothing to say? That’s a good girl. Listen, I have to go check on our other guests. But I’ll be back, don’t you worry.” He smiled at her, then walked off to another part of the dungeon, leaving Iris alone in her cell once again.

Interlude 6: Origin, part 1

Iris Barristan walked up to the gates of the new palace in Nerosyan, where the King of the newly founded nation of Mendev awaited her. She didn’t know why she had been summoned, but she knew it was important, obviously. Entering the throne room, she knelt before the King. “Your majesty.”

“Rise, Lady Barristan,” the King replied. This one was fond of formalities, which irked Iris somewhat. Still, he was a great warrior and leader, so she couldn’t complain too much.

“You’re probably wondering why I’ve summoned you here,” he continued. “I’ll let Marco explain.”

Marco was the King’s court wizard and his most trusted advisor. He stepped forward, his gold and red robes swishing along the stone floor. “It has come to my attention that a cult of Lamashtu worshippers is active in the Worldwound. The King has graciously chosen you to lead an assault on their headquarters. We believe they are in the ruined city of Thornwatch, three days march from here. You are to leave in two days’ time after selecting your men.”

Iris stared at the skinny, beady-eyed man a moment, then turned to the King. “Your majesty, I need more details than that. And do you expect me to take orders from your court mage? I thought, as your military advisor, I outranked him in these matters.”

The King cleared his throat. “Yes, normally you would be right. However, this is not just a military operation. Marco discovered the cult through his divination magic, and he also sensed some powerful arcana coming from their location. We are worried that they’re planning something big, something that could be a threat to the entire crusade. Which is why Marco will be accompanying you and your people.”

Iris shot a glare at the mage. “Your majesty, I must protest. Marco is a diviner, he is not trained for combat and he will only slow us down. I can take another mage to investigate whatever the cult’s working on-”

“That’s enough, Iris. I trust Marco absolutely to carry out his job. Can I trust you to carry out yours?”

“...Yes, your majesty. I apologize,” Iris sullenly said. Marco looked even more smug than usual.

“Good. Now, if you’ll follow us to the war room, we need to go over the details of the mission…”

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Iris was to march three days northeast from Nerosyan to the ruined city of Thornwatch. As they didn’t want to attract undue attention from any wasteland dwellers, she was permitted to bring no more than half a dozen soldiers along with herself and Marco, so she had to choose her team carefully.

“Come on, you know you want me to go along,” said Alger. The tall, muscular human swung his blade, which Iris expertly parried with her mace. She went in for a shield bash, which knocked Alger to the ground; Iris stepped forward and swung her mace at his head, stopping inches away.

“I would bring you, but it looks like you’re dead,” she said with a grin. “Again.” She held out a hand to help him up, which he took.

“I was distracted by your beauty, my lady,” he said, holding onto her hand and kissing it once he was back on his feet. “Again.” Iris sighed with exasperation, though she wasn’t entirely displeased by the public show of affection. The two had known each other for five years now, when they both arrived from separate parts of Golarion to join the Worldwound crusade. They quickly became sparring partners, then close friends, then lovers.

“Of course I’ll bring you along. You’re one of the best fighters we’ve got,” Iris said. “Which isn’t saying much,” she quickly followed before Alger’s head grew too big. “In fact, I need someone I trust. The King insists that Marco join us.”

“Marco? That weasel? I’d say I wouldn’t trust him as far as I can throw him, but I could probably throw him a pretty good distance. What business does he have in the Worldwound?”

“Marco said he sensed powerful magic coming from the cult’s location, and the King wants him to examine what they’re doing to see if it’s a threat to the crusade. Which seems innocent enough, but still… I need a second pair of eyes on this one.”

“Well, count yourself lucky, then. You’ve picked the prettiest pair of eyes in Nerosyan!” Iris sighed again, then laughed. Alger’s exaggerated ego was part of his charm.

“You’d better get ready for the mission; we leave tomorrow at dawn. I need to go select my other soldiers.” She kissed him, then left the sparring arena to go find a few good men.

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Choosing her other five people was difficult, but she eventually selected a well-balanced team. Along with the warrior Alger and the mage Marco, she needed another couple of fighters, a scout, and probably a secondary divine spellcaster; she herself was a cleric of Iomedae, but she had been neglecting her priestly training recently in favor of improving her combat skills.

For the fighters, she brought Sara and Verol, two of her strongest soldiers. The scout she decided on was Tonber, a dwarf ranger who was excellent at spotting traps. And her cleric to round it off would be Alyssa, faithful priest of Sarenrae all the way from Osirion.

With the team gathered the next morning, it was time to leave. Marco apparently had neglected to pack three days of gear and rations, however; he had never been in the Worldwound before and didn’t know what was necessary. Iris had to drag him back to the palace and pack his gear herself. Then they could finally be off.

They were prepared to fight some demons on their three-day journey, but the trip was surprisingly and suspiciously uneventful. Iris and Alger kept their eyes on Marco, who was looking around in wonder at their surroundings and scribbling notes on a long scroll.

Three days later, Iris held up a hand to stop her team. They were standing on top of a hill; on the other side they could see the ruins of a city. “We’re here,” she said quietly.

Interlude 5: The Sword, part 3

Six hours later, we were deep into the Worldwound, deeper than I’d ever gone before. We’d set up a camp - if it could be called that. It was really just all of us laying on rocks in our armor; no bedrolls, no tents, no fire. Had to be ready for battle at any moment.

I lay close to Leo, with Harriett about a meter away on my other side. We were all too nervous to even doze off; the three of us were talking in hushed tones.

“Hey… can I ask something?” Began Harriett. Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “Are you two really…”.

But Leo cut her off. “I do believe that’s none of your business,” he whispered sharply.

“Sorry,” she muttered to herself. We were silent from then on. She seemed a bit dejected.

“Hey, it’s alright,” I whispered to her. “Just focus on the mission though, okay? We’ll talk later.”

Just then, Leo sat up abruptly. “Everyone get up,” he said, just loud enough for everyone to hear. “We’ve got trouble.”

We all got up as quickly as we could while remaining quiet, and fetched our weapons from where they were lying. “Zinon, go see what’s up,” said Leo. Zinon the gnome was a stealth and scouting specialist. He silently crept off in the direction Leo pointed, where he heard something.

A few tense minutes passed; we all glanced nervously around at each other, not sure what to expect. Then we heard a noise from above - a shrill noise that started out softly but kept getting louder. Suddenly, we realized what the noise was, as Zinon plummeted from the sky and splattered on the ground in the center of our camp, and four shadow demons appeared around us.

They started talking to each other as they stood around us; fortunately, Abyssal is a standard part of our training, and we were able to understand them. “We’ll finish off these ones our spy said were the most important,” said one, “then we’ll go back to their camp and help our allies slaughter the rest!” We were all shocked - a spy in our camp - but we had to forget about it as the invidiaks attacked and we had to defend ourselves.

My nonmagical axe was no use against their misty forms, so I had to resort to what basic magic I had learned, slinging small orbs of light; my main use was standing between them and Harriett, protecting her as she used her holy powers on them to some decent effect. Leo was by far the most effective, cleaving through them with his enchanted cold iron greatsword as if they were mere imps. They were still too powerful for most of us, however, and by the time Leo finished off the last one, Lyric and Nazzareno had fallen; only Leo, Harriett and I remained.

______________________________________________________________________________

“We need to get back!” I shouted. “They said - “

“I know what they said!” responded Leo. “Let’s hurry; we can come back and bury our allies later.” We hustled as fast as we could back to the camp, but it was several hours to get there even at a quickened pace, and we were simply too late. We saw the flames rising from our war camp.

The ground of the camp was littered with the bodies of the crusaders, as well as the corpses of the demons that attacked them. They had to have been summoned there to get past the Wardstones. I knelt down by Reem’s body and said a prayer for her. It seemed the battle was over, with not a living soul in sight, until we heard a noise like soft chanting coming from a tent - the tent that belonged to me, Harriet, and Ramazi!

We rushed in and were confronted with the sight of Ramazi standing in the center of a fiendish symbol drawn on the ground in blood, chanting from a scroll he held. Leo drew his sword and rushed forward to slay the traitor, but he was too late; a burst of light and force came from Ramazi’s body as the wizard screamed in agony. His scream blended directly into a demonic howl, and as the light cleared we saw his body replaced with that of a demonic Marilith.

“You two run, get to safety and find help!” shouted Leo as he squared off with the powerful demon. “I’ll hold it off.” The Marilith hissed at him and drew its six swords.

“Come on, Casimir! We’ll be killed if we stay!” said Harriett.

“No, I won’t leave him!” I said defiantly. I drew my axe and tried to rush around to a flanking position, knowing that nothing else I could do could help Leo against this monster. I saw Harriett run out the tent, and I prayed to Iomedae that she got to safety.

Leo dueled the Marilith with his sword and paladin abilities. It was the first time I’d seen him really exert himself in battle, and I have to say, it was incredible to watch. He was truly one of the most skilled warriors of his generation, ducking and weaving through the storm of blades to launch impossibly fast attacks with his huge sword. Sadly, though, the Marilith was simply too much for him; though he had wounded it grievously, it skewered him with three swords through his chest, and he went down.

I screamed in anguish watching my friend fall. The Marilith turned to me, grinned, then turned away and went out the front of the tent. I realized it was going after Harriett and that I had to do something. I was almost out the door when I heard Leo’s weak voice.

“Casimir… wait…”

I knelt by his side. “Just hold on! I’ll get you a healer!”

“It’s… too late… for me. Listen… you need to… save Harriett. It’s almost… dead. You can do it… but you have to... take my sword.”

I picked up his precious greatsword, the cold iron glittering orange in the firelight. “I can’t lose you,” I said softly, tears in my eyes.

“You won’t,” he said. “As long as you… have that sword… I’ll be with you.” He smiled, clenched my hand in his, and closed his eyes.

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I stood up, my head still bowed, and offered a prayer to Iomedae for his soul. Then, knowing I had to save Harriett, I rushed out the tent with his sword in my hands.

The Marilith had cornered Harriett against a tree. The brave little halfling, bless her soul, held her mace and holy symbol in front of her as if she could do anything, and her expression was fierce rather than terrified. The Marilith knocked her mace out of her hand and laughed.

“Stop!” I screamed. “Turn and face me, demon!”

The Marilith turned around and eyed me. “Who are you calling demon, little one? You should know your own kin when you see them!”

Harriett seized the opportunity to hit the Marilith in the back with a ray of searing light. It winced in pain, then slithered to a position where it could see both of us. “You two have got some fight in you. I’m impressed! Fortunately for you, though, it was never the plan to kill everyone. We have to leave someone alive to spread the tale, after all. So I only have to kill one of you.” It eyed us both. “I’ll choose… you!” it shouted, as it lunged towards Harriett.

I tried to jump in the way, but I was too far, and I watched in horror as all six of its blades pierced her tiny body. She didn’t have time to scream as she fell. The Marilith laughed, looked at me, and said “Hope I see you again, demon boy!” Then it vanished, and I was left alone.

I rushed towards Harriett. To my shock and relief, she was still alive, if just barely, and I grabbed a potion from my pack to pour down her throat. It wasn’t enough to get her conscious, but it kept her breathing.

I don’t know how long I sat there, cradling her in my arms. It could have been ten minutes or ten hours. Eventually, I heard marching in the distance; as it came closer, I saw it was a patrol from Mendev’s army come to investigate the fight at the war camp. Thais was at the front of the line; when she saw me, she shouted my name and ran towards me with an embrace. It was then that I realized the nightmare was over.

The next few days were a blur of explanation. Harriett and I weren’t there for the battle at the war camp, so we weren’t much help there, but we were able to inform them about Ramazi’s treachery and Leo’s bravery. I told them of Leo’s last words, and I was allowed to keep his sword in his honor. They asked me to say a few words at his funeral, but I couldn’t; I wanted to, but the words just wouldn’t come.

It was a few months before either I or Harriett were back in the field. Neither of us were the same as we had been before that night, but our shared experience blossomed into something wonderful. We shared six years together before we were both killed by a Glabrezu out on a mission together. I was resurrected; her soul had found peace and didn’t want to return. Of course, I’ll never forget the time I spent with her - or my time with Leo, as short as it was. Both of them helped mold me into the person I am today. Along with Leo’s sword, I carry Harriett’s holy symbol as a keepsake.

I guess that’s how things tend to go in the crusade, though; it’s important to remember that none of us live forever.

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After I’d finished, Arueshalae was speechless for a moment, and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “That was incredible. I’m so sorry for you - to lose so many people you loved like that…”

“Like I said, that’s how it goes around here. Everyone I’ve ever loved has been killed by demons; most of the other crusaders have similar stories to what I just told you. That’s really why I hate the damn things so much.” I wasn’t sure, but I thought for a second Arueshalae looked uncomfortable. Probably my imagination. “I hope you never have to go through anything like that with Galfrey… but it’s important to be prepared for it. I don’t know how I’ve even made it this long.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re still here,” Arueshalae said. She hugged me tightly, then stood up. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go cuddle my girlfriend and think about what you said.”

“Of course,” I replied. She hugged me again, then went back inside. I sat in the courtyard by myself for a while, thinking about lost loves of the past and present.

Interlude 4: The Sword, part 2

The camp was laid out in a simple straight line, with tents on either side of a long dirt road. Leo first led us to the armory to get outfitted. I picked out some heavy armor, a shield, and my favored weapon, a battleaxe. Harriett got her hands on some chainmail sized for her and an almost comedically small mace; I would’ve laughed at it, but I’d seen her in action enough times to know how capable with it she was. Ramazi took nothing; he had no need for armor or weapons, and already had himself a stout wooden staff.

We then were led to where we’d be staying. The three of us would be sharing a tent; it was surprisingly roomy, with separate chambers for each of us blocked off by curtains. As soon as we’d deposited our equipment, we heard a loud horn blare outside. The three of us rushed out of the tent. “What’s going on? Are we under attack?”

A nearby dwarf woman laughed. “Nah, just dinner!” I shrunk back, somewhat embarrassed, but Harriett ran right up to her and introduced us. She had a habit of doing that.

The dwarf’s name was Reem, and she was nice enough to lead us to the mess hall. As it turned out, she was the camp’s blacksmith. “Mighty fine axe you’ve got there, boy. I remember making that one! One of my favorite pieces. Take good care of it, y’hear?”

“I will,” I promised. I liked her; it seemed Leo wasn’t the only one here not blinded by prejudice. We soon arrived at the mess hall, the largest tent in the camp, situated at the far end of the road from the entrance. We walked in, and apparently we were late, because the place was already packed.

I started looking around for a place to sit, but I heard a voice call out, “Casimir! Over here!” Leo was waving us over to sit with him by the head of the table, and the three of us obliged. When we sat down, Leo stood up, and the hall fell silent. “Good evening. This is a special occasion. We have three brand new crusaders with us tonight; Casimir, Harriett, and Ramazi have joined our fine camp. They’re part of our family now, and I expect all of you to treat them all with the respect they deserve.” He glared a moment in Onesimus’s direction as he said it. “Thank you, and enjoy your meal.” He sat back down and started eating as the hall grew noisy again.

I was seated at the corner of the table, with Leo on my right and Ramazi on my left; Harriett was on Leo’s other side, right across from me. “So, Casimir,” said Leo between bites of mutton, “How’s Iris doing?”

“Quite well, thank you. She’s retired from field missions now and is mainly training fresh recruits, like the three of us.”

“Casimir’s mom is the coolest!” chipped in Harriett. “And she’s super badass! She’s slain a thousand demons and was never afraid for a moment!”

“Iris is Harriett’s idol,” said Ramazi. “She was her theology teacher and started her on the clerical path.”

“Fascinating,” replied Leo. “And what about you, Ramazi? We don’t get many arcane casters in the crusade, especially ones so young. How did you get started?

“I’m not from Mendev. My family came here from Ustalav as political refugees shortly after I was born. My father was a mage and he taught me the basics. I joined the crusade in order to make him proud.”

“I see. That’s wonderful; I’m sure he’s very proud of you already.” He looked at the three of us in turn. “Now, I don’t want you to think of me as your commander - at least, until we’re in the field. I want you to think of me as your friend.” It might have been my imagination, but I think he held my gaze as he said it.

The rest of the meal was quite pleasant, as we chatted with Leo about our pasts, about the camp, and about what to expect in the future. We would have another couple weeks of training before going into the Worldwound for the first time on a brief excursion. Ramazi and I were nervous, but Harriett seemed a bit too excited for her own good. At one point during the dinner I was glancing over the crowd, and I happened to lock eyes with Onesimus. I looked away quickly, but not before I saw him sneer and draw a line across his neck with his finger.

After dinner, Leo pulled me aside. “Casimir, can we talk a minute?”

“Of course,” I replied.

“I know what it’s like to be an outcast because of your blood, believe me. I was raised by elves, and being a half-blood among them is often incredibly difficult. But I’m sure it doesn’t compare to what you’ve faced. What I’m trying to say is, if you encounter any trouble with anyone, come to me. I’ll help you out however I can.”

“Thanks, Leo,” I said, “But I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.”

“Fair enough. But still, the offer stands. Since we’re close to the same age, I expect we’ll be getting along quite nicely. Come to my tent anytime you want to talk, day or night, about anything or nothing. You’re always welcome.”

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That night, in the tent before going to sleep, the three of us were chatting.

“So what do you think of Leo? Pretty great commander to have, right?” began Harriett.

“I don’t know… he’s a bit too laid-back for me,” responded Ramazi. “It’s a bit hard to know I can trust him in the middle of combat with such a chill attitude.”

“Well, I think he’s brilliant!” Harriett shot back. “And he wouldn’t have gotten to be captain of a whole war camp if he wasn’t totally competent. What do you think, Casimir?”

I had barely been paying attention, lost in thought. “Huh? Oh, yes, he seems nice.” I excused myself and went to bed.

The next few months had some of the hardest training we’d gone through in our preparation for the crusade. The three of us trainees had different training to do, so we didn’t see too much of each other except at dinner and in the evenings and mornings in our tent. Fortunately, the camp was big enough that I could steer clear of Onesimus. In lieu of time with Harriett and Ramazi, I started growing closer to Leo; we became fast friends almost immediately, spending all our limited free time together. It was amazing how much we had in common, both loners from childhood because of our race, and both paladins of Iomedae. We were often together late into the night, and I’d get back to my tent early in the morning to catch just a few hours of sleep before sunrise, making sure not to wake Harriett or Ramazi.

Three months after I’d arrived, I finally felt at home in the camp. After a few trips into the Worldwound, I was starting to be accepted. Even Onesimus had stopped his overt threats in favor of simple glares. How much of this was because of my actions versus because of the time I spent with Leo, I couldn’t be sure, but I didn’t much care. I was just glad to feel like I belonged.

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Four months after my arrival, Leo stood in front of the gathered crusaders. “This is the most important mission we’ve undergone in months. We’ve had reports of invidiak scouts just a few miles from the border, perhaps gathering information for a massive attack; as such, we’re taking only our most elite soldiers. That’s myself, Lyric, Harriett, Onesimus, Zinon, and Casimir.” I wasn’t sure how exactly Harriett and I ranked among the camp’s “most elite”, but we accepted the duty without question. “We leave at sunset. Be prepared for anything. Remember, this is a reconnaissance mission first and foremost; we can take one or two shadow demons, but any more and we retreat. Is that clear? Onesimus?”

The elf sneered. “Yeah, yeah. What’s clear to me is you’re bringing your little demon boytoy with you for some fun while we do all the work.” The crowd was silent, except for a few gasps and mutters of shock. For once I was glad I had red skin, so nobody could see how deeply I blushed.

Leo, to his credit, remained as calm as could be. “You’re off the mission, and no longer welcome in this camp. Pack your things and leave immediately.”

“Yeah? Or what? I’m the best damn soldier you’ve got; you can’t do without me!”

“I won’t say it again,” Leo said coldly as he unsheathed his greatsword from his back. Everything was silent and still for what seemed like an eternity. Then Onesimus spat on the ground, turned, and walked back to his tent. “Anyone else have a problem with who I choose for missions?” Nobody said a word. “Good. Onesimus will be replaced by Nazzareno. Be ready to leave in two hours.”

He walked over to me as the crowd dispersed. “I’m sorry about that, Casimir.”

“Thanks. But… why are you bringing me along? Harriett and I only just arrived; are you sure we’re ready for a mission like this?”

He put his hand on my shoulder and looked me square in the eye. “If I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t be bringing either of you. You’re both incredibly capable, and you’re the right people for this job. I’m confident in that fact. Now go start putting your armor on.”

Chapter 6

After talking with Irabeth, I went to find the Queen to see how I could help the city post-battle. She was in her war tent, talking strategy with Arueshalae, Vincent, and Hulrun; the four of them grew silent as I approached. I greeted them, hoping to simply get back to business, but the Queen insisted on making sure I was in the right mental state to work. I assured her that I had no problem being here, so we got back to business. Galfrey sent Arueshalae and Hulrun to pick off demon stragglers who were still outside the city, and sent Vincent to round up paladins to assist with the healing effort. Which left me.

Galfrey was apparently still upset with the way I had exercised my duty earlier, because she said I should get help with my “anger issues”. I responded that I did not lose my temper during the Saggaroth incident, and she mercifully dropped the issue. She suggested that I get some rest, but I did not want to feel useless after the battle, so she said I could go help repair the temple Saggaroth damaged. Then she left to go rally some more troops, and I headed over to the temple.

When I got there, Saggaroth was using his magic to make repairs - using his powers for something constructive for a change - and Fay, Felix, and Wynn were standing around. I hadn’t seen much of Fay in a while, so I made sure she was doing alright with her damaged ankle. Then I noticed a priest I hadn’t seen there earlier watching Saggaroth as well - I surmised that he was the one who was murdered, and I went up to speak with him. What was meant to be a simple greeting to make sure he was doing alright after coming back to life turned into a long conversation about a number of topics. Somehow I felt… comfortable talking with him. He struck me as a good man, if a bit awkward and socially unpracticed, and since he was complaining about never getting out of the temple, I offered him service in my personal retinue. He jumped at the opportunity, and went and fetched a strange device he called a “firearm” to show me. I had seen them before briefly, but never so close up. Fay was quite fascinated by it as well, so the priest - his name was Volley - went out back to demonstrate it to her.

After I finished helping repair the temple, I started walking around the city to see how things were going elsewhere. As I passed through the wrecked marketplace, I caught a glimpse of Vincent comforting a little girl. I’m afraid I watched a bit longer than I should’ve, admiring his compassion, and though I tried to leave before he saw me staring, he caught me nonetheless. I slightly awkwardly greeted him, a bit flustered at having been caught.

“Casimir, is there something you want to tell me?” he said with a wry smile.

“I, uh… n-no. I… have to go.” Blast my indecisiveness. Though feelings rise up in me every time I see Vincent, they’re complicated and strange; after these difficult few weeks, I’m not sure I can trust my emotions. I made a mental note to think on this further.

I got back to the palace where my companions and I were staying. Felix could tell something was up with me, unfortunately, but I excused myself to bed without explaining. If I were to talk about Vincent with anyone, it certainly wouldn’t be that chef.

The next morning, I received a summons to see the Queen. Apparently my companions - oddly including Saggaroth - as well as Vincent and Hulrun received the same letter. We were escorted to the Queen’s presence, where we were told we had been selected to lead a council to decide how to rebuild the city. It was a great honor, and though I am no civil engineer, Felix was oddly adept at allocating funds. It took eight hours, but we hatched out a six-week repair plan, leaving some funds for the military as well. At the end of the meeting, though, Hulrun insisted on building his own barracks for his demon-hunting inquisitor regiment. Although I couldn’t see the harm in it, Hulrun still strikes me as untrustworthy; I must make sure to keep an eye on him.

It was late at night by the time we were finished, so I went straight to bed after that exhausting day of business. The next morning, Felix made the most amazing pancakes I’d ever smelled, a welcome treat after the events of the past few days in our war-torn city. The heavenly breakfast inspired me to seek out Irabeth, since I hadn’t seen her in a couple days, not since our tense discussion. I found her not far outside the palace, still busy helping people. I’ve always admired her compassion. I invited her to breakfast with me, and she accepted, though she made sure to emphasize that it was only breakfast. Fine, I could deal with that.

Though our conversation started off somewhat awkwardly, the discussion quickly got easier. During breakfast, she mentioned that Vincent had asked her earlier about flowers; she’d given her personal opinion that lilies were the best. We also discussed Hulrun; Irabeth didn’t trust him either, and I asked her to help me keep tabs on him. We got back into our old rapport; I’ve always got along great with Irabeth, and she’s always made me feel at ease when I’m around her, like her empathy and understanding dispel any hardness in the air. Dammit, there are more important things going on than personal relationships; why must I be so distracted with sentimental feelings for not one, but two people? My relationships in the past have never been so… juvenile.

Just as I was thinking that, I felt a tap on my shoulder, and Irabeth’s eyes widened across from me. I turned around, and there was none other than Vincent - holding a handful of lilies. “Casimir. These are for you.”

“I… don’t know what to say,” I responded honestly.

“Well, say something, please.”

I turned around to Irabeth. “Can you give us a moment?”

“Take all the time you want,” she said, and got up and left.

I turned back around to Vincent and stood up. This was going to be difficult. “Vincent… thank you. I’ve had a very stressful few weeks, and I’m not sure how I feel about anything at the moment. I’m not saying no… but I can’t say yes right now, either.”

“If it’s not yes, than it’s no. I’m not going to wait around.” He was acting like he was unfazed, but I could see the hurt in his eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

He left the lilies on the table and walked away without a word. I stood there a moment, feeling awful about myself, then I went to go find Irabeth.

Before I could, however, Fay ran up to me, shouting something about Saggaroth being dead and Felix being catatonic and something about Nocticula’s mark. I followed her with haste back to the small temple of Shelyn, where I found Saggaroth’s body, as well as Felix, who had been the victim of what some call “Charisma drain”. I calmed Fay down and reminded her that she could cure Felix, though there was likely nothing we could do for poor Saggaroth. Perhaps I was wrong about him… though he was impulsive, trigger-happy, vain, selfish, and somewhat dangerous, he did die trying to help someone, trying to do good. Perhaps he truly redeemed himself in his final moments. I never thought I’d say this, but… I’m going to miss him.

Chapter 5

Well… I’ve learned a lot today. About the world, about my friends, but mostly about myself.

The beginning of the battle for the western wall went fairly well. With the aid of Ragathel, our trumpet archon ally, we allowed our small army the opportunity to advance, and we even finally destroyed that advanced shadow demon who had been plaguing us - the one who had possessed Admiral Thrune in Cheliax. The demons did break through the gate, however, but I met a lieutenant in the army, a cleric of Sarenrae by the name of Mishra, who came forward and helped fight. Just then, we saw a red dragon flying overhead due east - the Red Rasper. I could not let him reach the city, so I handed command of the army to Mishra and we teleported after him.

The Red Rasper tried taunting us before attacking. I tried getting a spell off at him that should’ve done some major damage, but I could not overcome his resistances. Unfortunately, I had moved up in a position that placed me closest to him, so he came straight for me… again. After a couple of spells cast on me, I was plummeting to the ground. I believe my last thoughts were “Ugh… not again.”

I awoke in a most peculiar place - the outpost in Cheliax, with Saggaroth and Vincent. I demanded an explanation. Saggaroth said that after they finally killed the Red Rasper, he took my body to a priest in Mendev for healing. Unfortunately, Saggaroth had taken the form of a bat to be able to fly, and since he didn’t bother changing back to actually talk to the priest, the priest assumed that this was some demon, and attacked Saggaroth with magic. Still not turning back into a person capable of communication, Saggaroth responded with a fireball spell, damaging the church and instantly slaying the poor priest.

I was appalled at his actions and demanded that he take us back to Mendev at once. Vincent came too, saying that he had permission from his queen to join the battle, but that he could not, sadly, bring any other troops; something about the slave rebellion costing too many resources. When we got back to Mendev, I immediately placed Saggaroth under arrest and called for a man who could deal with him - the witch-hunting Inquisitor Hulrun, known for being ruthless and dogged in his persecution of wicked mages. I also talked with Irabeth, but she seemed a bit upset at the situation and left, after continually reminding me that Saggaroth was my friend. Mishra showed up as well, saying that the battle had gone well, especially after Galfrey and her cavalry arrived.

When Hulrun arrived, he surprised us all by being rather lenient with Saggaroth. He kept looking for excuses to pardon him or reduce his punishment for murder. I simply argued that the punishment should fit the crime, that nobody was above the law no matter how powerful; we decided to hear what the Queen had to say about it. Saggaroth had very little to say in his defense, even supporting my own position at times. After Hulrun left, however, I followed him and confronted him about his strange behavior. He claimed that the stories about his ruthlessness were blown out of proportion, that he was really a man of compassion at heart. He also kept saying that we were at war and Saggaroth’s power could be a useful tool. After he brought up my race to try to sway me, I bid him good day and went back in the church.

When Queen Galfrey arrived, she had Saggaroth explain the situation. I had assumed that she would be on my side, but I was mistaken. She, too, saw Saggaroth’s good deeds in the past as excusing this action, and insisted that he give a monetary fine to the church of 20,000 gold pieces, as well as undergo an additional punishment as selected by me. I decided to have Saggaroth help us reclaim the Sword of Valor - a sacred banner that could ward a whole city against demonic invasions - from a nearby citadel, then he could go on his way.

Additionally, I tried to talk to the Queen about Mishra’s role in the battle. I commended her for her bravery and good job leading the troops after I went for the Red Rasper, but Galfrey shocked me by saying that we had lost more than half my force of 800 men in the battle, and that they all would have been killed had the Queen not arrived. What’s more, she placed the blame for this tragedy on my shoulders, which was probably deserved. Perhaps I should have stayed and led the battle at the front, but I felt I had to go after the Red Rasper to prevent him from wreaking more disaster on the city, and for justice for those tens of thousands killed in Cheliax. Galfrey also said that I “needed to stop upsetting Irabeth”, and suggested that I go talk to her.

I asked around and found out from Vincent that Irabeth said she was going to go scout out the perimeter. Vincent also said that he was getting dirty looks from the other crusaders for his Hellknight armor; I assured him that once they knew him like I did they’d see that he was a good man. I went looking for Irabeth, but first I found Inquisitor Hulrun. He tried to chat with me about the Queen’s verdict in Saggaroth’s case, which I found irritating - he seemed smug that the Queen had taken his side. He then shocked me by inviting me back to his home for dinner, which I declined with an excuse about having to help rebuild the city. As if I’d ever be interested in that smug, slimy Inquisitor… something about him really puts me on edge.

I found Irabeth shortly thereafter. She was sitting alone on the remnants of the battlefield. I tried talking to her, but she blew up at me. “For five years I saw the way you looked at Arueshalae, but ever since you got back from Cheliax you’ve only had anger and frustration in your eyes. And now this business with Saggaroth… is this the way you treat your friends? Am I next?” I won’t reprint our conversation in full, but she really tore me a new one… and it only hurts more because she was absolutely right. I couldn’t find the right words to respond, so I thanked her and left. I made myself busy with the aftermath of the battle so I didn’t have to think about what had transpired. Nonetheless, I have a lot to think about. I just hope Irabeth knows that I’m trying the best I can, even though I continue to make mistakes.