Written By Cassiopeia
Aug. 26, 2021, 1:38 p.m.(2/5/1016 AR)
Tonight, we opened our house, and friends and family gathered. I am left feeling warm and hopeful. The love that I've experienced, gives me strength. It connects me with who I am. I cannot wait to have more of you in our space, to share our tears and our laughter. To tell our stories, the beautiful and the ugly, and hear yours too. It is who we are, what makes us all bright like stars. There is a flush of gratitude in my cheeks. I can feel them burn relentlessly. I feel like home.
Written By Arman
Aug. 26, 2021, 12:31 a.m.(2/3/1016 AR)
Had a lovely dinner at the Tremorus manor. The Marquessa has a lovely family and excellent friends. In fact, they didn't seem even the least bit concerned about the possibility of being poisoned, a stark contrast to dinner at the Velenosa estate.
Written By Raven
Aug. 25, 2021, 10:44 p.m.(2/3/1016 AR)
I keep getting told that I need to 'realize my potential'. What in all that's holy is THAT supposed to mean? As if there were some skill I wasn't developing. Are people seeing something I'm missing or is this a generic platitude like encouraging their swordform fully aware they're unlikely to improve their current mastery? If there is something that I've missed I wish someone would tell me what it is!
Written By Svana
Aug. 25, 2021, 8:09 p.m.(2/3/1016 AR)
It's a rare thing when I make myself a piece of clothing or jewelry. When I do, it's usually because I've got the vaguest spark of inspiration from somewhere - or someone. That inspiration currently is Mistress Cufre Harrow, a friend of mine and an excellent jeweler. She makes the most gorgeous jewelry pieces; right now at her shop Heart of Glass she has a variety of things, including beaded necklaces and boxes with whole jewelry sets. I found the most lovely seraphinite set at her shop.
It goes so well with what I was already making that I didn't throw my dress form out the window.
It goes so well with what I was already making that I didn't throw my dress form out the window.
Written By Sydney
Aug. 25, 2021, 6:29 p.m.(2/3/1016 AR)
...I shall admit it freely. Seeing so many butchered before my very eyes in the streets of Bastion did not inspire charitable thoughts in me. I have never seen battle on such a large and unapologetic scope, and with so many who have no soldiering experience whatsoever caught in the thick of it, with such a terrible loss of life.
If I placed a single bottle of wine for every soul I personally saw perish, I could fill up my entire room and not begin to scratch the surface, and... how does one react to that?
They each had stories, thoughts, hopes, their own dreams for this Dream.
I have no suitable way now to express my feelings for this atrocity. I suspect I never shall.
If I placed a single bottle of wine for every soul I personally saw perish, I could fill up my entire room and not begin to scratch the surface, and... how does one react to that?
They each had stories, thoughts, hopes, their own dreams for this Dream.
I have no suitable way now to express my feelings for this atrocity. I suspect I never shall.
Written By Zakhar
Aug. 25, 2021, 2:18 p.m.(2/3/1016 AR)
Relationship Note on Rinel
This will either become a wonderful friendship, or they'll seek out how to attempt to give me a headache.
It is of their own behaviors that has brought this on. I encourage them to seek out what my name means to those in the city and beyond the walls before making their next move.
I have time.
do you?
It is of their own behaviors that has brought this on. I encourage them to seek out what my name means to those in the city and beyond the walls before making their next move.
I have time.
do you?
Written By Piccola
Aug. 25, 2021, 12:20 p.m.(2/2/1016 AR)
This is the way of discipline.
The Gods have delivered all that we enjoy. They do not demand hardship, but it is hardship that tempers the body, mind, and soul. The warrior knows that strength comes from conditioning, that conditioning comes from exercise, and exercise is daily toil we subject ourselves to. Whereas it is simple to improve the body so, it is harder to so temper the mind and soul. We must therefore fortify ourselves with denial.
A warrior who has embraced death lives in moderation. When faced with a feast, it is time to fast; when faced with drink, it is proper to abstain. The patterns by which many days are lived are, in fact, anathema to the mind, for moments of profundity are more easily noticed when the senses are wary and sharp. By refraining from indulgence and comfort, then, does a warrior discipline their souls to take joy not in physical or mental satiety but in the full appreciation of the world.
This is the fifth part.
The Gods have delivered all that we enjoy. They do not demand hardship, but it is hardship that tempers the body, mind, and soul. The warrior knows that strength comes from conditioning, that conditioning comes from exercise, and exercise is daily toil we subject ourselves to. Whereas it is simple to improve the body so, it is harder to so temper the mind and soul. We must therefore fortify ourselves with denial.
A warrior who has embraced death lives in moderation. When faced with a feast, it is time to fast; when faced with drink, it is proper to abstain. The patterns by which many days are lived are, in fact, anathema to the mind, for moments of profundity are more easily noticed when the senses are wary and sharp. By refraining from indulgence and comfort, then, does a warrior discipline their souls to take joy not in physical or mental satiety but in the full appreciation of the world.
This is the fifth part.
Written By Raja
Aug. 25, 2021, 10:04 a.m.(2/2/1016 AR)
There are only a few people in this city that are completely trustworthy. I have to say one of those people if the Archlector Felix Godsworn. I just adore that man! Not only was he my mentor, but he is just an overall good fellow. People should aspire to be more like him. If you are reading this journal, do me a favor and send him a sweet treat? If you are feeling especially generous, send him an apple for his Direhorn, Ralph.
Written By Raja
Aug. 25, 2021, 10 a.m.(2/2/1016 AR)
Since I have found so much joy in crafting, I decided to learn to craft armor! I already knew the basics and being a master smith, it was easy to pick up the techniques. So, I can now efficiently craft armor into diamondplate! Alaricite is such a picky metal. I am saving that just for weapons. If folk want alaricite armor, they will have to go elsewhere. Sorry.
Written By Raja
Aug. 25, 2021, 9:56 a.m.(2/2/1016 AR)
You know, for the longest time in my life, I never wanted a trade craft. I thought it would be boring and cumbersome. I also sometimes can't stand people. Being a crafter, you have to deal with them. However, I have never had so much joy and pride in what I do! A General bought a weapon from me and when she looked upon the weapon in adoration, I almost cried! Almost. One tear does not count as crying. Don't laugh at me scholar.
Written By Lou
Aug. 25, 2021, 7:22 a.m.(2/2/1016 AR)
I believe that I am finally coming out of the stupor overcame me after the fall of Bastion.
All I wanted to do was curl up in my bed and stay there, permanently, after the horrors that I witnessed. This was especially so with Mason being away on business, wondering if he was in Bastion at the time or if he was on his way home from whatever took him away. I've received word he may even be on his way back, and when that happened I might disappear for another week or so. And. . . well, I won't go into those details. I'm blushing even thinking about it.
I've noticed the trend of several people explaining the things they've seen in the journals, in great detail. I worry about what those people have written. If it wouldn't attract the notice of another, certain, individual, one that is closer to home. But, then, I also wonder what would happen if more people would be so bold.
The events of Bastion are what they are. The horrors there were dark things made of the stuff of Nightmare and not Dream, though the Queen bid us to remember that we are all in a wonderful Dream and not the Nightmare they want us to believe. In the wake of what fell upon us, it is hard to remember that, even for me; for I have seen so many wonderful things in this world.
So, for now, I choose to recall them, rather than the horrors of that night:
- I have shared a cave with wolves when traveling north; a whole pack of them, peaceably and without threat of being hunted or eaten by them. They surrounded us as they entered, a guard of them laid around us, while a whole stream of others went around us and to the furthest reaches of the cave. All of this was to ride out a storm that sent both my team and that pack into the cave. There was nothing magical about, other than that it was a rare moment that human and beast were at one with one another; that in and of itself is a wondrous magical thing.
- I helped to re-discover the city of wonders, Whitepeak. And while Whitepeak was no city of wonders at the time I was there, we had on both occasions found things of wonder there. The library, which was mostly a burned wreck and had laid open to the elements for centuries, still had books which could be salvaged. Many parts of the city were still in tact, and we could see the various cultures that had influenced the districts of the city. And, although the bridges the edges of the city that would allow a person to travel to different continents in a matter of moments were broken and destroyed, we were yet able to still find one that worked, hidden within the heart of Whitepeak's city center. And, for a brief moment, I was able to cross from Whitepeak into Arx and back in a matter of moments. And, lastly, I was able to find a small, griffon, made of colorful brass, that, when wound up, would unfurl its wings and fly around the room a few times before curling back up to sleep once more. The last, that treasure, is something I hold dear, and I'm sure I've shown it to far, far too many people on more than one occasion, for it is a thing of beauty and wonder in and of itself. A tiny, flying, clockwork griffon.
- I traveled to the furthest peaks of Whitepeak with a group of friends, and we rescued a family of what could only have been in myth and legend. Dwarves. Yes. I said it. Real. Living. Dwarves. They had been stuck in their cave for the better part of 800 years. Somehow, we were able to free them from an impossible situation, allowing them to go in search of their family and loved ones. During part of this journey, I got to travel to one of the tallest peaks in the Gray Forest mountains and see one of the most beautiful views ever seen, and it was as though I could see from one end of Arvum to the other, with all of the colors of our bit of the world on display in front of us in the most vibrant view ever.
- I took a team and traveled to the far, far shores of Brightshore and conversed with an island of people we have not seen or spoken to for at least 200 years or more. We got to see their brightly colorful plants, see their strange, keenly intelligent animals, and to bring home a new to Arvum metal.
And those are only my most recent voyages, not the ones of the past where I've re-discovered some of the other marvels of our history. I choose to cling to these memories, these marvels, these wonders, and not the Nightmares that we've seen. I choose to move forward from all of this, and I will once more find wonder in the world. I deny the Nightmares that which they want most from us, and that is to despair at the seeming impossibility of it all.
Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. Nothing is impossible if you but try. And, I will try. I will fight. I will endure. I will remember.
We all will. As the Compact endures, we will remember. As the Compact endures, we will regain our histories.
I am sure of it. Bastion will recover. Grayson will endure. We are not defeated. We will not be defeated.
All I wanted to do was curl up in my bed and stay there, permanently, after the horrors that I witnessed. This was especially so with Mason being away on business, wondering if he was in Bastion at the time or if he was on his way home from whatever took him away. I've received word he may even be on his way back, and when that happened I might disappear for another week or so. And. . . well, I won't go into those details. I'm blushing even thinking about it.
I've noticed the trend of several people explaining the things they've seen in the journals, in great detail. I worry about what those people have written. If it wouldn't attract the notice of another, certain, individual, one that is closer to home. But, then, I also wonder what would happen if more people would be so bold.
The events of Bastion are what they are. The horrors there were dark things made of the stuff of Nightmare and not Dream, though the Queen bid us to remember that we are all in a wonderful Dream and not the Nightmare they want us to believe. In the wake of what fell upon us, it is hard to remember that, even for me; for I have seen so many wonderful things in this world.
So, for now, I choose to recall them, rather than the horrors of that night:
- I have shared a cave with wolves when traveling north; a whole pack of them, peaceably and without threat of being hunted or eaten by them. They surrounded us as they entered, a guard of them laid around us, while a whole stream of others went around us and to the furthest reaches of the cave. All of this was to ride out a storm that sent both my team and that pack into the cave. There was nothing magical about, other than that it was a rare moment that human and beast were at one with one another; that in and of itself is a wondrous magical thing.
- I helped to re-discover the city of wonders, Whitepeak. And while Whitepeak was no city of wonders at the time I was there, we had on both occasions found things of wonder there. The library, which was mostly a burned wreck and had laid open to the elements for centuries, still had books which could be salvaged. Many parts of the city were still in tact, and we could see the various cultures that had influenced the districts of the city. And, although the bridges the edges of the city that would allow a person to travel to different continents in a matter of moments were broken and destroyed, we were yet able to still find one that worked, hidden within the heart of Whitepeak's city center. And, for a brief moment, I was able to cross from Whitepeak into Arx and back in a matter of moments. And, lastly, I was able to find a small, griffon, made of colorful brass, that, when wound up, would unfurl its wings and fly around the room a few times before curling back up to sleep once more. The last, that treasure, is something I hold dear, and I'm sure I've shown it to far, far too many people on more than one occasion, for it is a thing of beauty and wonder in and of itself. A tiny, flying, clockwork griffon.
- I traveled to the furthest peaks of Whitepeak with a group of friends, and we rescued a family of what could only have been in myth and legend. Dwarves. Yes. I said it. Real. Living. Dwarves. They had been stuck in their cave for the better part of 800 years. Somehow, we were able to free them from an impossible situation, allowing them to go in search of their family and loved ones. During part of this journey, I got to travel to one of the tallest peaks in the Gray Forest mountains and see one of the most beautiful views ever seen, and it was as though I could see from one end of Arvum to the other, with all of the colors of our bit of the world on display in front of us in the most vibrant view ever.
- I took a team and traveled to the far, far shores of Brightshore and conversed with an island of people we have not seen or spoken to for at least 200 years or more. We got to see their brightly colorful plants, see their strange, keenly intelligent animals, and to bring home a new to Arvum metal.
And those are only my most recent voyages, not the ones of the past where I've re-discovered some of the other marvels of our history. I choose to cling to these memories, these marvels, these wonders, and not the Nightmares that we've seen. I choose to move forward from all of this, and I will once more find wonder in the world. I deny the Nightmares that which they want most from us, and that is to despair at the seeming impossibility of it all.
Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. Nothing is impossible if you but try. And, I will try. I will fight. I will endure. I will remember.
We all will. As the Compact endures, we will remember. As the Compact endures, we will regain our histories.
I am sure of it. Bastion will recover. Grayson will endure. We are not defeated. We will not be defeated.
Written By Piccola
Aug. 24, 2021, 7:27 p.m.(2/1/1016 AR)
This is the way of charity.
Just as cleanliness purifies the body and prayer purifies the soul, so charity purifies good fortune and turns providence into purpose. Charity pleases the Gods: those who believe in them know not to mistake their blessings for industry and give their wealth to others: their kin; the orphans; the travelers; the refugees; and those who seek their freedom. Those who give their blessings therefore are servants of the Gods.
Those servants practice the holiest existence: faithful service. When a warrior changes their habits from selfish survival to selfless service, they turn their backs on self-interest and faces to reason. Warriors who fail to change are brutal, weak, narrow, and inefficient; they will never achieve greatness. Only when they make decisions governed by selflessness will they be seen as being strongly rooted. One must practice charity therefore to find the compassion necessary for true glory.
This is the fourth part.
Just as cleanliness purifies the body and prayer purifies the soul, so charity purifies good fortune and turns providence into purpose. Charity pleases the Gods: those who believe in them know not to mistake their blessings for industry and give their wealth to others: their kin; the orphans; the travelers; the refugees; and those who seek their freedom. Those who give their blessings therefore are servants of the Gods.
Those servants practice the holiest existence: faithful service. When a warrior changes their habits from selfish survival to selfless service, they turn their backs on self-interest and faces to reason. Warriors who fail to change are brutal, weak, narrow, and inefficient; they will never achieve greatness. Only when they make decisions governed by selflessness will they be seen as being strongly rooted. One must practice charity therefore to find the compassion necessary for true glory.
This is the fourth part.
Written By Mathis
Aug. 24, 2021, 6:37 p.m.(2/1/1016 AR)
Well, I'm here in the city now. Word of my imminent arrival apparently spread before I even got here, because I was greeted with a bevy of folks asking me all sorts of questions about centipedes. My advice on those is:
-Don't let them get in in the first place, keep your house sealed up tight so moisture can't get in, and see to any cracks in foundations and cellars.
-Lay about some ground and dried hot pepper, hottest you can find, wherever you think they might be getting in. Even if the centipedes don't care about the hot pepper, you might spice up your own life in an unexpected way.
Got to see about getting a homestead set up. Still not sure what to make of this appointment. The best I can figure, I'm one of about three Godsworn of Petrichor who could be reliably located by missive and didn't disappear into the woods immediately at the suggestion of moving more-or-less permanently to the capital. It could also be my undeniable good looks and charm, but I don't think those things are likely to sway the Dominus. In any case, no real use in ruminating on that. I'm going to do the best I can, for as long as I can. I just may need a lot of ale to do it. You're welcome to buy me some, if you see me.
I suggested based on the number of faithful I saw around the grove this afternoon that I might just set up camp there and sleep in the snow, but they seemed awfully unamused. Nevertheless it's a safe place to find me.
-Don't let them get in in the first place, keep your house sealed up tight so moisture can't get in, and see to any cracks in foundations and cellars.
-Lay about some ground and dried hot pepper, hottest you can find, wherever you think they might be getting in. Even if the centipedes don't care about the hot pepper, you might spice up your own life in an unexpected way.
Got to see about getting a homestead set up. Still not sure what to make of this appointment. The best I can figure, I'm one of about three Godsworn of Petrichor who could be reliably located by missive and didn't disappear into the woods immediately at the suggestion of moving more-or-less permanently to the capital. It could also be my undeniable good looks and charm, but I don't think those things are likely to sway the Dominus. In any case, no real use in ruminating on that. I'm going to do the best I can, for as long as I can. I just may need a lot of ale to do it. You're welcome to buy me some, if you see me.
I suggested based on the number of faithful I saw around the grove this afternoon that I might just set up camp there and sleep in the snow, but they seemed awfully unamused. Nevertheless it's a safe place to find me.
Written By Tanith
Aug. 24, 2021, 2:41 p.m.(2/1/1016 AR)
Up to my elbows in women and babies and it's satisfying work, but gods it does seem like spring couplings and babies in winter makes for some exciting births. Several times I've left the city on business of all kinds, to come back with another note and a favor being pulled. But good thing scholar: I am square with everyone this side of the Compact, it's about to flip to a batch of people owing -me- favors. I'm just happy my docket is cleared for the week, my poor husband's likely to freeze to death at this rate.
Written By Iseulet
Aug. 24, 2021, 1:09 p.m.(1/28/1016 AR)
I hate soup.
It's just a drink.
I came to chew not to drink.
If I wanted to drink I would have ordered rum.
It's not even alcoholic.
It's just a drink.
I came to chew not to drink.
If I wanted to drink I would have ordered rum.
It's not even alcoholic.
Written By Jasher
Aug. 24, 2021, 12:36 p.m.(1/28/1016 AR)
The day I arrived in Arx, a chance meeting allowed Sorrel and I to briefly reunite as I lingered in The Maw. I was glad of the opportunity, though her obvious injuries quickly altered the course of our conversation. To say I was unnerved to learn where and how she received them would be an understatement. She explained that she had been present during the attack on Bastion, then proceeded to recount her version of events to me. Had she not been standing physically in front of me, I may not have believed the encounter survivable. Not intended as an insult, as anyone who has witnessed her skills in combat would attest to its excellence. I'm merely astonished that she and so many were capable of not just opposing, but in many cases defeating his monstrous forces. Too many lives were lost, but so many were spared because people like Sorrel defended the city and its citizens against the overwhelming odds.
After rumintaing on it these last few days, it has had the effect of both heartening and disturbing me in equal measure. Were the mightiest warriors among us enough to foil his most devastating blow, or was he holding something of his true strength back? I know what I'd prefer to believe, but after reading other accounts of the battle in the Whites, I'm left feeling uncertain. Perhaps both are true to some extent. What I do know is that it will take a united force of Arvum's best if we're to stand a chance at precluding our utter ruination. Now is not the time to allow seeds of dissent take root.
I will continue to trust in the Gods. May they fortify and comfort us as we mourn, rebuild and brace for the coming storm.
After rumintaing on it these last few days, it has had the effect of both heartening and disturbing me in equal measure. Were the mightiest warriors among us enough to foil his most devastating blow, or was he holding something of his true strength back? I know what I'd prefer to believe, but after reading other accounts of the battle in the Whites, I'm left feeling uncertain. Perhaps both are true to some extent. What I do know is that it will take a united force of Arvum's best if we're to stand a chance at precluding our utter ruination. Now is not the time to allow seeds of dissent take root.
I will continue to trust in the Gods. May they fortify and comfort us as we mourn, rebuild and brace for the coming storm.
Written By Viviana
Aug. 24, 2021, 11:36 a.m.(1/28/1016 AR)
Belts are an under-appreciated fashion accessory. Such a shame.
Written By Tikva
Aug. 24, 2021, 9:36 a.m.(1/28/1016 AR)
Today, Princess Lara Grayson is six years old. She was born on January 26, 1010 AR. Her tiny life has been full. I'm not sure how much she understands about what happened to her home and the seat of her House. Her bright eyes often seem to me to see more than I could really say. But for all the tragedy that has rocked Bastion, we are having a very good birthday, with honey and pancakes, and maple sugar candy from the Deepwood. Apparently, we don't want real (or "tall") cake, only flat cake, and we are the princess of the day and pancakes we shall have.
Our people are hurting and it is our duty to help, to protect, to rebuild, and we shall. I do not even know that we can call what happened a failure of our duty, since I do not know what else we might have done, what defenses we could have brought to bear that were not. So instead, I will call it brutal, and I shall say that we will protect, that we will rebuild, and that we are grateful for the support of the Compact in this time.
But that tragedy shall also not prevent us from turning six and having pancakes. There is None Greater, and we are resilient.
Our people are hurting and it is our duty to help, to protect, to rebuild, and we shall. I do not even know that we can call what happened a failure of our duty, since I do not know what else we might have done, what defenses we could have brought to bear that were not. So instead, I will call it brutal, and I shall say that we will protect, that we will rebuild, and that we are grateful for the support of the Compact in this time.
But that tragedy shall also not prevent us from turning six and having pancakes. There is None Greater, and we are resilient.
Written By Bianca
Aug. 24, 2021, 2:07 a.m.(1/28/1016 AR)
Sleep has not graced me with its presence in some time. What do you make of that? I read and I speak, and I seek out knowledge, as day turns to night and fades to dawn, a continuous cycle. But what one knows hardly matters. It is what a person does with that gained knowledge that matters, because there's a certain honor in action that cannot be found at rest. And so I do not rest. Nor do I strive alone. There are others who meet by day and night to share what they know, some family, some friends, some who simply promise not to eat others, but they all do so in service to honor and courage and the driving ambition to be better, to do better. And in that, we are kin, all.
Written By Cambria
Aug. 24, 2021, 1:40 a.m.(1/28/1016 AR)
As anyone who claims to be an author must know, silence is the most devastating criticism.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.