A new Start on the High Seas.
Personal log of crewman Beringeir Strauss (the sea Shrike) 5/29/61.
It has been some time since i've had time to sit down and write out my thoughts. i'm homeless now, my family is gone, my home, taken... a group of brigands calling themselves the Zalkutz or "ghost swarm" attacked my home, the peaceful village of Thillis. i was training with my father guardsman Roderick at the time. we were nearly done with our daily drills when the shouting started. my father told me to run home and barricade the doors. i didn't of course, i wanted to help. i thought i could at least use my magic to aid him from a distance, i watches as he joined wit the other guards and soldiers as they rallied against the attackers. they fought their hardest, but were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of these bandits. i saw my father run though with a spear.... i ran, i wanted to get my mother Headmistress Lucinda Strauss from the school for the arcane arts. but when i reached the school it was already swarming with the Zalkuts! how did they get past the wards? the ward stones are inside the barriers, some one must have shattered one of them from the inside before the attack?!? a spy? a traitor? or just bad timing? i couldn't get into the school, i just home mother got out of there in time, but i don't think she would have just left her students so quickly...
After a few days hiding on the outskirts of town, dodging brigand patrols and occasionally take one or two stragglers out, i came to the realization they weren't just pillaging and moving on like pirates and bandits normally do, but they are occupying Thillis! defiling my home with their presence!... i've heard of a place that might have stones with enough arcane energy to act as a replacement ward stone. i just need to get there and back. i've met an archer, Vincent, he knows little of magic, but is a skilled combatant. together we found passage to this island, an illness of magical origin had ravaged the area. those affected by the illness were compelled to climb to the top of the island's mountain, once there they had their life force siphoned by an unseen malevolence. that is where i meet the crew of the sea shrike, a band of pirate hunters!
Together with the crew of the sea shrike, Vincent and i escorted the villagers back to their homes before resupplying and heading back up the the mountain. there we discovered the cause of the sickness, some sort of demonic entity had been imprisoned on that mountain, the arcane bonds that held her were weakening though, and she could now influence our realm. against my better judgment we shattered the stone that kept the infernal creature in check, releasing her into our world so we could put her down properly. it was a hard fight but we finally managed to kill the demon with no losses on our side. and i managed to recover a pice of the stone large enough to replace the once at the academy.
The Captain of the Sea Shrike a rather malodorous man named Phlub agreed to allow Vincent and myself join the crew. i agreed to work with them, even though i have the stone i needed, i still need allies as well as more power if i'm going to retake my home. the individuals i interact with most seem to be a good lot, i sometimes worry i will wake up in the reptilian one's mouth though. i've never been on the open ocean before, it's thrilling, but a bit terrifying too, i wish i had learned some spells that would help with the water, maybe i'll look into that at a later date. the first few days on the water were rather uneventful, until we were attacked by a pirate vessel! they called it the "Black Bride." it was much larger and more intimidating than the Sea Shrike. i heard some of the crew talking, they said a boarding party would be the best cause of action. so at the first chance i did just that, i wasn't expecting to be the first one on the enemy ship, now be alone for so long! thankfully the pirates swordsmanship was hardly what you could call..... competent. the greatest threat was the pirate mage, i used one of the first spells i learned and blasted her over-bored! i think she couldn't swim, because i never saw her again after that. i'm sure she wont be back anytime soon!
While myself and the other close range fighters were holding off the pirates aboard the black bride, the casters were taking shots from a distance, i was in the melee, so i didn't see what happened, i'm guessing an errant or well aimed fire spell hit some black powder kegs and ignited them, the explosion was had me reeling, my armor was scorched, my ears were ringing, my head was throbbing! i noticed the rest of my allies were jumping over-bored, so i followed, Lawrence, one of the other casters had transformed himself into a giant frog to carry us back to our ship. a second explosion sand the Black Bride as wer were climbing back aboard the Sea Shrike. the Capitan seemed pleased, he gave us a share of the loot as well as some of the bounty for sinking a pirate vessel. i was given some new armor, finely crafted! not my favorite color, but i'll get used to it. i also got a scroll containing a fascinating spell i've never seen before! it's still beyond my understanding, but i think i'm close to deciphering it! the others got their trinkets, weapons and potions too. we did lose out friend Jim though, i'll miss him, we played cards together just that morning, a shame, he was a great singer too.
As i write this we are about to make port for some repairs and shore leave. as long as we arent distracted by anything in the next few days, i'd like to get a few spell components, i do miss my little Klein....
well that's it for now. end of log!
-Beringeir Strauss.
A new Start on the High Seas.
Personal log of crewman Beringeir Strauss (the sea Shrike) 5/29/61.
It has been some time since i've had time to sit down and write out my thoughts. i'm homeless now, my family is gone, my home, taken... a group of brigands calling themselves the Zalkutz or "ghost swarm" attacked my home, the peaceful village of Thillis. i was training with my father guardsman Roderick at the time. we were nearly done with our daily drills when the shouting started. my father told me to run home and barricade the doors. i didn't of course, i wanted to help. i thought i could at least use my magic to aid him from a distance, i watches as he joined wit the other guards and soldiers as they rallied against the attackers. they fought their hardest, but were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of these bandits. i saw my father run though with a spear.... i ran, i wanted to get my mother Headmistress Lucinda Strauss from the school for the arcane arts. but when i reached the school it was already swarming with the Zalkuts! how did they get past the wards? the ward stones are inside the barriers, some one must have shattered one of them from the inside before the attack?!? a spy? a traitor? or just bad timing? i couldn't get into the school, i just home mother got out of there in time, but i don't think she would have just left her students so quickly...
After a few days hiding on the outskirts of town, dodging brigand patrols and occasionally take one or two stragglers out, i came to the realization they weren't just pillaging and moving on like pirates and bandits normally do, but they are occupying Thillis! defiling my home with their presence!... i've heard of a place that might have stones with enough arcane energy to act as a replacement ward stone. i just need to get there and back. i've met an archer, Vincent, he knows little of magic, but is a skilled combatant. together we found passage to this island, an illness of magical origin had ravaged the area. those affected by the illness were compelled to climb to the top of the island's mountain, once there they had their life force siphoned by an unseen malevolence. that is where i meet the crew of the sea shrike, a band of pirate hunters!
Together with the crew of the sea shrike, Vincent and i escorted the villagers back to their homes before resupplying and heading back up the the mountain. there we discovered the cause of the sickness, some sort of demonic entity had been imprisoned on that mountain, the arcane bonds that held her were weakening though, and she could now influence our realm. against my better judgment we shattered the stone that kept the infernal creature in check, releasing her into our world so we could put her down properly. it was a hard fight but we finally managed to kill the demon with no losses on our side. and i managed to recover a pice of the stone large enough to replace the once at the academy.
The Captain of the Sea Shrike a rather malodorous man named Phlub agreed to allow Vincent and myself join the crew. i agreed to work with them, even though i have the stone i needed, i still need allies as well as more power if i'm going to retake my home. the individuals i interact with most seem to be a good lot, i sometimes worry i will wake up in the reptilian one's mouth though. i've never been on the open ocean before, it's thrilling, but a bit terrifying too, i wish i had learned some spells that would help with the water, maybe i'll look into that at a later date. the first few days on the water were rather uneventful, until we were attacked by a pirate vessel! they called it the "Black Bride." it was much larger and more intimidating than the Sea Shrike. i heard some of the crew talking, they said a boarding party would be the best cause of action. so at the first chance i did just that, i wasn't expecting to be the first one on the enemy ship, now be alone for so long! thankfully the pirates swordsmanship was hardly what you could call..... competent. the greatest threat was the pirate mage, i used one of the first spells i learned and blasted her over-bored! i think she couldn't swim, because i never saw her again after that. i'm sure she wont be back anytime soon!
While myself and the other close range fighters were holding off the pirates aboard the black bride, the casters were taking shots from a distance, i was in the melee, so i didn't see what happened, i'm guessing an errant or well aimed fire spell hit some black powder kegs and ignited them, the explosion was had me reeling, my armor was scorched, my ears were ringing, my head was throbbing! i noticed the rest of my allies were jumping over-bored, so i followed, Lawrence, one of the other casters had transformed himself into a giant frog to carry us back to our ship. a second explosion sand the Black Bride as wer were climbing back aboard the Sea Shrike. the Capitan seemed pleased, he gave us a share of the loot as well as some of the bounty for sinking a pirate vessel. i was given some new armor, finely crafted! not my favorite color, but i'll get used to it. i also got a scroll containing a fascinating spell i've never seen before! it's still beyond my understanding, but i think i'm close to deciphering it! the others got their trinkets, weapons and potions too. we did lose out friend Jim though, i'll miss him, we played cards together just that morning, a shame, he was a great singer too.
As i write this we are about to make port for some repairs and shore leave. as long as we arent distracted by anything in the next few days, i'd like to get a few spell components, i do miss my little Klein....
well that's it for now. end of log!
-Beringeir Strauss.