Kai NRG

A Journey of Exploration

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A Journey of Exploration

From the Kaliphlin Desert to the Heights of Mitgardia - and Beyond!

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March 15th. Ageven Deraim (my "Lord Duke", I suppose I should say), has now taken to touring the country - perhaps I should say Guild - of Kaliphlin - indeed all Historica. 'Tis always the problem with writing - you must start from the beginning or else end up explaining yourself at every twist and turn. Well then, first and foremost, there are three - no, I have forgot again - four of us (Azc would have the number at five; he considers his teddy bear almost a separate person). Firstly, there is me - Gad - I suppose I shan't attempt to describe myself, but Ageven (ah, yes, I caught a hold of his diary!) described me thus, "a hard worker, noted for his skill, as well as his prowess with the sword. He has none of the scribe learning of Azc, but also none of the strange habits." Apparently he did not put me in the "firstly" position I have given to myself. At any rate, next - mark that - comes Azc, who indeed has both strange habits and great prowess with the pen (although I have yet to catch his diary). And then there is also Raz (no diary at all, I do believe), who for some reason is always paired with me in my "solitary" journeys of exploration. Ah, and of course there is Ageven. We originally came from a land far to the… well, no matter, I never yet got directions correct. It was most certainly far, that I can assure you, and - well, I will plunge at once into the present - I believe Ageven has a return expedition planned for me and Raz - that ought to be Raz and me, I suppose. The fact is, Ageven, during his tour of the country we have arrived at - I shall interrupt myself here to explain; you see, we traveled from far away to Kaliphlin on a raft, the four of us, and have landed here just last October. Of course my Lord Duke must needs tour the country; and during that tour he has, I believe, been observing with some concern the comparatively large followings of some of the most powerful nobles. I make no doubt that he has become assured of his utter inability to rule as a powerful Duke should he remain with only three men. Well, the only way out would seem to be the equipment of yet another raft - indeed, perhaps a full-fledged boat, and allow (or rather, command) Raz and I to return and bring him a suitable following. A most disagreeable possibility, I assure you.

March 16th. I was interrupted yesterday by Ageven, who asked me to come to talk over "possibilities". 'Tis fortunate that we are not near a seaport, else I verily believe we would have been made to put to sea then and there! At any rate, that was not what Ageven had on his mind; instead - ah, I must not have done a good job of explaining previously - you see, we have arrived at Petraea, the capital of this Guild. There is a budding university here, and Azc, always wishing to learn more, apparently desires to remain and study. Well, Ageven saw no reason to deny the request, but of course that put him out of his scribe. Raz does not have the most legible handwriting, rather the opposite; but apparently Ageven thought I could fill Azc's place (doubtless only until he sends us away to augment his following). Personally, I rather wish I could stay at the university - not to learn (although I might not mind that) - but because I have heard that there are even hot tubs here - quite a luxury! Regardless, Azc is now enrolled, and we proceed on our "journey of exploration" in three days.

March 18th. The three days are not yet up, but I thought it advisable (besides, I have a good deal of time on my hands, there is no one to argue with now) to give you a summary of our travels thus far. After landing on a small island, we proceeded up to the mainland. The area where we landed next has a few mountains and seems, on the whole, a place where one could build a strong castle. Besides that, there are no inhabitants at present (or, at least, none to be spoken of), so it seems up for the taking - indeed, I believe Ageven has made up his mind to stay there once he joins the guild. At least, he has picked a name for his city - Auner, and I verily believe he would not pick a name if he did not have a location ready in his mind - and what other location could he pick? Regardless of how that may be, no sooner had Ageven got his hands on a map than he must needs set out to explore. So we trekked along the coast up to Ras-el-Akhen, a port city "nearby" - on the map at least - and located dreadfully near a marshland. Here we discovered that the Qar-akhen River is navigable almost up to the city of Qarker, and so we traveled upstream, pressing ever farther into the Siccus Badlands. Qarker is a large city, located as it is at the foot of the mountains, where many peoples live, and right at the head of both a river to the sea and a road to the capital. 'Tis said it has never been captured, and I can well believe that, for it is heavily fortified. Indeed, I am sure it was there that Ageven first realized the smallness of a band of three. Be that as it may, we took the road through the Parched Lands to Petraea - and I must say that I can by no means recommend it. For days we struggled on, in burning heat and blinding glare, wondering if the sun would ever go down or the desert come to an end. Ageven, however, seems to have forgot this immediately upon his arrival at Petraea. Indeed I cannot wonder too greatly at that, for this city is rich beyond belief. We seem to have left the lawlessness of the Badlands centuries behind, now we are in a different age entirely. Beautiful statues line the streets, houses, or rather, palaces rise high into the sky, and the bustle and noise of the market is incredible! And the University! It attracts members from all five Guilds - from Mitgardia in the north, Avalonia toward the west, Valario, the island of Historica, in the far west, even Nocturnus in the east - and of course, there is no end to the Kaliphlin who study here. As I have said, Azc has persuaded Ageven to permit him to stay and study. At the same conference, Ageven proposed traveling to Barqa along the Oil Road. Raz and I took one look at the map and our destination was changed to QueensCross. No more desert roads for us; if we must needs go to Barqa, at least we could go by the Arkbri river, which leads from QueensCross down. So we proceed tomorrow to QueensCross, leaving Azc here to study in the hot tubs. Ha!

March 23rd. We are now in QueensCross, an attractive city located on the beautiful river of Arkbri. The traders here do a good deal of business; Ageven even got himself a new sword. I believe our travel plans have now become more or less consolidated - we will travel downriver to Barqa and thence along the coast of Avalonia - first overland to Eastgate and then we will likely hike through the Wither Woods until we meet the road to Albion, the capitol of Avalonia. I doubt we will go out of our way so far as the Mystic Isles or the Enchanted Forest, although personally I should enjoy seeing what they are like! Doubtless the idea is to proceed toward Mitgardia, then down to Nocturnus by way of Kaliphlin - though our stay in Nocturnus will likely be a short one. And then - to say truth, even Ageven does not seem to have planned farther than that - though sending us off seems an all too likely possibility.

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March 29th. We are traveling downstream to Barqa today - it is so hot I think Raz would gladly jump into the river for a swim (and so would I, for that matter). It is almost my turn to steer, although I do hope we put ashore before then. Something must be up - Ageven is watching Raz, who is leaning over towards the water as far as he can, and … over he goes! (Raz, of course, not Ageven.) It is indeed a fortunate thing that I was not writing at the moment - Ageven gave the boat a sudden twist, causing Raz to fall out with a splash. Enough of this, my book will soon be soaked!

April 9th. After a short stay in Barqa we have proceeded up the coast to Avalonia. We spent the last night next to a herd of cows - fortunately, they were enclosed in a pasture. That did not prevent them from mooing half the night long though. In general, Avalonia seems a nice place (especially if one desires to be a farmer - or an elf), there is a lot of beautiful green vegetation, lush forests - indeed, it is an entirely different world from the deserts of Kaliphlin. We will soon visit Eastgate, and then travel through the countryside to Albion, the capital of this immense kingdom. Raz still retains the hope of being able to convince Ageven to go out of his way sufficiently to visit at least the Mystic Isles, but I have no faith in his argumentative powers.

April 13th. My faithlessness has proven correct; Ageven has expressed, in no uncertain terms, his desire to spend the summer in Mitgardia after a weeks stay in Albion - with no Mystic Isle or Enchanted Forests involved. Everything Raz could think of availed nothing, so we will set out for Albion as soon as we have gathered the necessary provisions here at Eastgate. I had thought, upon looking at the map, that Eastgate was in Avalonia - there are no clear boundaries drawn. Apparently however, I was misled, we are still in Kaliphlin - although it is no longer desert; this is a flourishing port. I am still not sure where Avalonia begins, but presumably the Red River marks its border. However, the scenery here is the same as in the rest of the countryside until Mitgardia or, if you travel east or west, Cedrica or the Mystic Isles. It is said to be "a melting pot of cultures", and here is where the GEAR Co. has their headquarters. We have been invited to dinner with the lord of the city, Dugal MacLean, the occasion being his engagement.* Both Raz and I are heartily looking forward to it; it should be a welcome relief from the fare of biscuit and dried beef we have been attempting to consume thus far.

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April 14th. What a banquet it was! I know I could not eat another frosted pijara by the time I was done, no, not even one more of the sugar and honey coated raisins we were plied with all dinner long. There were sumptuous beefs and turkeys - even a roast peacock was laid on the table - bountiful spreads of fruits and vegetables, sauces without number or name, fish and pig, egg and potato, all dressed to perfection. Does MacLean feast like this every day, I wonder? No, I should think not; he lives up to his name to truly for that, and he did not eat sparingly last night. And the deserts! Every kind of Kühen and pie, all the berries you could imagine - sweets and delicacies, all ready for the taking - I could not bear even to look at food after the meal!

Next stop - Avalonia!

And if you read this far, thanks a ton! This is the longest section (since I had to do a bunch of explanation at the beginning; my goal was that you don't have to have read my previous story or even know much about the Guilds to understand this), the rest will be shorter… I think. :wink: (I'll be editing the tags with the date of the latest addition.)

Of course, C&C are more than welcome!

*[sorry, I had to play around with the date… And don't blame me, it was NM's idea (right?)]

Update; Oct. 20th: see here.

Part three (Nov. 9th) here!

Part four (Nov. 27th) right here.

The Hut in the Forest

The Robber's Lair

Part 5

Inn on the Arkbri

Return to the East (the end)

Edited by Kai NRG

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I like it! Really cool that you MOCed that!

We will give you a very detailed map as a parting gift , for Kaliphlin's border is not the Red River, but we own the entire southern portion of the Witherwood on the west side of the river also. Also, please take fresh supplies, linens, silks, fruits, and oil to start your campfires.

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Thanks guys! :classic:

And part two (much shorter! - they'll all be about this length now):

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Visiting the Elves in Avalonia!

April 29th. Gathering supplies took us longer than we expected; although there are many farms and villages along the way, we had to have at least sufficient to get us through the Wither Woods, and Ageven always packs three or four times what is needful. Regardless, we made it through the woods with great speed, and have spent our time agreeably since, going from one beautiful homestead to another, stopping to admire the beauty of each passing city. Last night we met with a band of Elves, our first meeting with any creatures save humans. They were very hospitable, and were more than willing to explain to us the origins of Avalonia. Long ago, there was a group of creatures they called Druids, who created a spell of peace and harmony and then hid it in a sacred shrine, whereupon, having finished their task, they disappeared into dust. Or so says the Legend (why they hid it in the shrine - as well as why they later disappeared - is a mystery to me). A dark time settled upon the land, as all races and classes strove for power there. At last, a group of noble-hearted Elves (and this was the part our host took the most care to elaborate), came and vowed to protect the hidden power until a suitable ruler could be entrusted with it. Why they had to protect a concealed power no one could find is beyond me as well, but however that may be, a group of warriors led by humans and known as the "Flight of the Dragons," arrived. They vanquished all their enemies and took control, ruling justly and well. We were all amazed to find that this was only two years ago. By their description, Avalonia has changed drastically, turning from a land full of strife into a gorgeous countryside. The liberating warriors were placed on the throne, and Artorious Rex is now the leader of this kingdom. And what with the cracking warmth of the fire, the rounds of delicious pastries covered with apple butter, and the beautifully crafted benches, we were all very sorry when the story was over - with perhaps the exception of Raz, who had a go around with the cat.

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May 3rd. We have arrived in Albion! The "Pearl City", a thriving, bustling metropolis, is located right at the junction of the Cadarn and Draconem rivers, providing it with great security and an easy way to do business. Inside the city, there are two sections, one of which is called the "Inner Sanctum," home to the Great Keep, and also some of the most beautiful houses I have ever seen, rivaled only by the palaces of Petraea. The first telescope on record is housed here, and has been used by the Avalonians for centuries to defend their kingdom and spot any intruders. The entire city is very prosperous, and Avalonia's young ruler, Artorious, is doing his best to fortify the city and make it as rich as any other.

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Just getting around to reading this now, and wanted to tell you to keep up the good work! Great little vignettes, especially the Avalonian ones. And I don't mind the lengthy story at all -- it's nice to see someone bring the countryside to life this way! Keep up the tour, and watch out for elementals!

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Just getting around to reading this now, and wanted to tell you to keep up the good work! Great little vignettes, especially the Avalonian ones. And I don't mind the lengthy story at all -- it's nice to see someone bring the countryside to life this way! Keep up the tour, and watch out for elementals!

Thanks! And especially thanks for moving it to the top, saved me the trouble of deciding whether to edit my post or bump it! :laugh: And glad you like the story so far, there's plenty more coming! In fact, here is part three:

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June 1st. After a long stay in Albion, we trekked up the rest of the countryside, spending many a pleasant hour in the farms and towns scattered all along our way. As we went farther and farther, the climate became colder and colder, and I began to see why Ageven had chosen to be here in summer. Fortunately, Valholl is not too far toward the north; not only will that save us from some of the cold, but higher up there are said to be trolls and other hideous beasts hiding in the mountain caves and caverns. And of course there is Ondylion, where we are now, located along the road to the capital, a well fortified town that has nothing to fear from any enemy.

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June 7th.

Finally, and despite the grueling cold and winding mountain paths, we are in Valholl. Here resides Persifiya Tarfazi, the Kaliphlinian ambassador in Valholl. She herself gave us a tour of the city, around the walls, especially through the Kaliphlin Coin Trader's area, (where Ageven must needs add a gemstone to his sword), into the bustling market, culminating finally in a visit with the great Jarl (or King) Nibelung, the ruler of Mitgardia, a kind-hearted older man with the strategy and tact of Persifiya herself.

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But despite having enjoyed myself here in Mitgardia, I will not be sorry when the day comes to leave this cold behind and journey back to the desert!

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I hope any readers enjoyed that section as well, there are a couple more photos of the vig here as well!

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MK, thanks! There will be action... even in this one, but it will get more dramatic, I promise you! :grin:

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June 14th. We are traveling now through the Malakaris Swamps, and it certainly does not excel its name. Through rows of crocodile teeth and wallowing hippos we paddle by day, and by night we do our best to find a grassy plot where we can lay down without becoming soaked through with mud. We are heading toward Port Wrath, and I scarcely have high hopes for this one either. Be that as it may, our stay is sure to be a short one; in fact, we seem to be going to Nocturnus only for the bragging rights. The capital, Abyssan, is surrounded by the Moruth Swamplands, and they sound no better than the Malakaris. I can see why the Drow, Orcs, and Dragons flourish here, as well as why humans do not. And I cannot see why we have traveled here rather than the Enchanted Isles! The leader of the guild, Lord Ssilyrrlith, is not as powerful in his own realm as the other guild leaders in theirs. The Drow, accompanied by several allies, launched an attack on him. This was all the excuse Avalonia needed to do battle against the Drow, and that in turn convinced Mitgardia to war as well. However, as the land is now facing deadly elementals, and every Nocturnian feels that an enemy today might be their last hope tomorrow, the fight has tapered out (besides, the removal from power of one of the most influential Drow leaders may have changed the situation).

June 21st. Reaching Abyssan was as much a nightmare as I had feared. We had to fight our way through reeds and swampy marshes every foot of the ground. But now we are floating down the Lick of Salt, having had to walk along the first few miles until we reached the Qarker-Cedrica Road, where the tumultuous rapids slowly cease as the thirsty desert absorbs all the water it can. Fortunately, the river is navigable up to the Oil Road, right near Petraea, although we have been told that in summer the width of the river dwindles so much that only the most shallow of barges can voyage through.

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June 19th. We have been attacked! In the dead of the night, just as the midnight moon was beginning to rise, a dreadful band of robbers crept up on us. We were sleeping peacefully when they came, and the first we knew of them was their tremendous war whoop as they charged down upon us. I turned over - I was closest to our weapons - and in an instant had my sword, only in time to defend myself from the robbers, who had kicked over our casks and crates, scattering all left and right. Ageven sprang for his sword, and Raz went toward his as fast as he could in the circumstances.

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At first I had thought there were only two robbers, but suddenly an arrow whizzed past me, and I glanced up to the top of the nearby sand dune. There stood an archer, clad in nothing but a band round his waist, and next to him, in a full suit of armor, stood the leader of the band. He seemed indifferent to what was going on, but he watched all with his piercing eyes. We were pushing them back now, and in the end, they left off, but not before taking our most valuable chest - the one with all the Ondylion delicacies. As I stood, panting with exertion, the bowman turned back to look at us. With a self satisfied look, he raised his bow in a strange salute. Then he disappeared behind the dune. I was startled - a fearful conclusion seemed to force itself on my mind. Even Ageven, usually so cheerful, seems to be filled with foreboding, and only Raz is his usual self. And at every unusual sound I cannot help but remember the strange salute, and wonder what it could mean.

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Thanks for reading! C&C are welcome, hopefully this one had some good action! :classic:

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Nice addition to the story and I really like the build in this one! Using the boat for shelter is a great idea and you did a great job with the transition from water to land. It reminds me of the banks of the Nile for some reason. And great cliffhanger ending, now I have some questions you better answer in the following segments... :tongue:

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Now why the heck didn't I think about using overturned boats as shelters in Challenge V? I've got a stack of them I've been staring at for a while... :wall:

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@MK, thanks! I hope this will answer them... even if it leaves you hanging a bit farther on! :grin:

@mrcp6d, glad you (almost) found that useful... I've been using boats for shelters ever since I read about NA explorers and fur traders doing it... although they did use canoes... :laugh:

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June 22nd. Back in Petraea, we have met up with Azc again, who has been having a wonderful time it appears - no robbers, elves, or blizzards, no mountain peaks, no lowland swamps - instead, the peak of the academic world and the only swamp he has known is Professor Steranthor's algae experiment. Regardless, he will take back his job as scribe again, and seems most eager to visit Cedrica and learn all he can of the history of this land.

July 5th. We are traveling along the road to Queen's Cross once more, and I must say I sighed with relief on leaving the bulk of the parched lands behind. As I write this we are at the camp of the Nadur refugees; their village was destroyed by attacking elementals, and they have sought refuge at the Temple of the Red Ruby - a fabled place, said to have been constructed by a clan of dwarfs who foresaw the devastation to come upon the city of Kaligem, once the capital of Kaliphlin, and built a temple to protect the ruby which, legend says, led the founders of Kaligem to the location it then had. It is said that only the man destined to reconstruct the city of Kaligem will be able to take the ruby from its place, and to protect that man there is a hidden power somewhere in the temple. I wonder what would happen if the right man is not here? I could see, while the refugees told us the story, that Ageven was rather desirous of trying his fortune as that man himself, but nevertheless, we depart tomorrow and leave the Nadurians to fend for themselves.

July 9th. We have come to the Arkbri river - once again. Azc seems to enjoy watching the moving water flowing rapidly down to the sea - truly there were no such sights to be seen in our homeland; the puddles that go by the name river there are nothing compared to this. We will soon set out - upstream this time - for Cedrica. It seems there is one spot, early on in the journey, where the waters become more turbulent, but we have been told that, though the portage is not easy, it will not take much more than a day.

July 12th. We are sailing upstream as I write this, and I can already hear in the distance the roar of the cataract that marks the beginning of the rapids. Doubtless the next bend in the river will disclose it to view. Azc is looking eagerly ahead; though he saw the waterfalls near Quaker, it seems still to be a novel sight for him. We have rounded the point now - the scene is really very beautiful, the waterfall crashes with a loud roar - in fact, there are actually two waterfalls, a smaller one, quite near to us already, with a shack located near it, and, farther on, a much grander one, three or four times the size, and ever and anon, through the bursts of spray, a rainbow shines for a second, quickly falling again into the ever flowing river. "Go ahead, Azc," remarked Ageven, "You're welcome to explore while we unload." Azc bounded instantly over the side, and we remained, for a few minutes, gazing up at the awesome spectacle. Then, as though shaking off some strange feeling, Raz sprang overboard, turning the boat's head to land as he did so. Instantly a cry rang out - from the hut issued two bandits, springing down on Raz, who was floundering in the water. I could scarcely believe my eyes - the one who was on the rock, his sword clashing with Ageven's - it was the same one! The commander, the one who had attacked us, with three companions, only days ago! I could scarcely think, suddenly I recognized the other robber as the one with the bow, from our night's brush with them - I sprang up and let an oar fly, but the thief was too agile for me.

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The next instant they were in full retreat, dragging, or rather pushing, Raz along with them, the commander covering the rear.

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It was two against one, Azc would soon arrive - doubtless he had heard our shouts - but they knew the terrain, and made good use of that knowledge, as they dove through the underbrush, following paths that only they could have known. Raz struggled, but he had been wounded, and though we were running fast, they were faster - in a short time we were left, alone, near the banks of the Arkbri river.

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As it is, of course, impossible for Gad to know what is happening to Raz, I think I'll do a short story (one post, different topic) with him before going much farther with Gad.

And here are a couple more pictures of the build it self:

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Nice work :thumbup: :thumbup:

The waterfall give the idea of movement :wink:

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Thanks guys! Well, it's been quite a while I see, but with Challenge VI pushing on me, I really had better get a move on with my story... so here's the next part! I plan on wrapping up Gad's diary fairly soon, so I can switch to third person for Challenge VI, so there might not be too much more here.

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August 2nd. For the last three weeks we have roamed the countryside, scare knowing what to do with ourselves. We returned to the place we saw the robbers first, but they are too clever for us. After each day we hang our heads farther down. He will not admit it, but I can tell Ageven has nearly given up hope. Indeed, such a long time has passed, that even had Raz been able to free himself, there is little chance of our finding him here. We are right now in the desert, just before Queenscross; though the heat is sultry, Azc has started a fire to cook our supper. Ageven studies the map; I wonder where he plans to go next. It is all the same to me, though, likely, the best place would be Cedrica; at least, since that was where we were heading, it would be the most likely place Raz would go. Whatever happens, I do hope we stop in a house tomorrow. This nomadic life does not suit me, not at all. There seems little use in talking of that which befell us, after all; and we heard some alarming news, not long ago, while we passed a group of travelling merchants. They did not seem to be very sure, but Victor Revolword is near as he can be to Cedrica. I for one think it would likely be dangerous to visit, as it is likely Cedrica could only be taken in a pitched battle. But there is no telling such a thing to Ageven. Where we will be in a months time is more than I can say!

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August 4th. After months of tireless search, we have finally found Raz! Or perhaps I should better say, he has found us! We were staying at an inn alongside the Arkbri river when Ageven, who had gone outside for a breath, burst in suddenly with the amazing news that Raz was outside - along with, of all people, the same robber leader who had first attacked us. I must say we are all eager to hear more about his life, but that must wait; we travel to Cedrica without delay. Ageven wishes to see the city before Victor arrives, and, if necessary, be available to give a hand in it's defense. I most assuredly hope that is unnecessary.

August 17th. It is with great sorrow I write these words; Cedrica, the gem of Historica, has fallen. Not by force - even for Revolword, that would be too great of a fight; no, he has taken it by strategem, by cunning, by underhanded operations - but all that was over a week ago. We - all five of us, for Kaflar, the robber knight as Raz calls him, is one of us now - were forced to go in hiding. Both the king and his son have been killed, or so we have heard. Indeed, Raz saw the king's son murdered with his own eyes. Gedius, a young Cedrican, accompanies us in our flight, as he wishes to aid in Historicas struggle against Victor.

Edited by Kai NRG

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