So I saw some of my companions writing in a journal. I thought perhaps it might help to get some of my thoughts on paper, and maybe once I am gone from this world someone will remember me fondly reading these pages to Satis.
First, I suppose I should start at the beginning. Well, the one in this world at least since my former life doesn't seem to matter here because in THIS world I have no choice but to be an "Adventurer" and join the "Guild". So much for life after death being peaceful. At first, I was scared, but now I am rather upset that my Goddess has allowed me to be whisked so far from her reach. What if I die here? Will I go to her loving embrace or some pretenders? Ugh.
My first day here was one of jarring shock. My memories between fighting a Lich and watching it toy with and kill my companions one by one before turning to me, helpless in the face of it's magic, to strike me down and then suddenly waking up on the cobblestones here are...seamless. There was a momentary glow of magic on it's hands and then BAM I'm in this world. For a time I thought it was the after life, and feeling the Mistress of Ravens so removed from me I was upset that I had failed her. Slowly over the next few days, and working with the orange temple to reconnect with her I regained some sense of my powers and this place.
Here we were soldiers in a war, and nothing more. It was promised to me that after a life of suffering, pain, and a likely harrowing death that after death I would find peace. There is no peace in this world but the peace that you take.
We went on our first mission to scout out owlbears to the north. I know precious little about the creatures, any of them, that we have fought so far so I just tagged along. I even stayed behind at the farm for part of the day as they pushed forward hoping to find some small amount of solace. I could not sleep easy though, knowing the others were out there risking their lives. I wouldn't say I am a hero, but I am a good soldier. I can't sit by while others are fighting for their lives.
After we returned I spent some time among the "Greens" just getting back into the rhythm of work like we had at the Temple. The backbreaking work we did was the best way we trained both body and mind at once.
After that brief respite, the party reconvened at the Guild hall. I guess I should say something about them, but to be truthful I am attempting, even to the present, to not get too attached. People die. I still can see the Lich laughing as he blasts my companions into dust. Maybe I'll wait until I catch up to the present.
After reconvening, we took some quests and one was in town, so went spent some time investigating. The wizard and I found out there was a cache of necromantic components in the hotel we were watching for the bad guy from. Apparently he and the paladin went back to investigate and the paladin was captured. Regardless, we headed out of town to find him. A few days walk, and we came to an ancient Dwarven Fortress. The first person we encountered released a slime to consume us and the children he had chained to the stone pillars. After I landed the killing blow on the slime the man quickly surrendered. The Duke, the wizard, and I interrogated him and he kept spouting things like his Master would save him, and he would have life beyond death and so on. Eventually we extracted all the useful information from him and left him there chained up.
Unfortunately, in the middle of the night Ghouls came and grabbed him. Well, you know what Ghouls do with their prey if you've read my other book.
But finally! Ghouls were something I knew! The rest of the place, except for some spiders were just Ghouls and Banshees which were easily defeated. After that we returned with the kids to Prism before heading out again to an even further keep to defeat an orc who was an "Adventurer" like us but set him self up as some kind of warlord.
As we got close the cleric and the Duke snuck closer to see what was waiting for us. About 20 minutes after they left, the Duke came back and said they separated but the cleric never reappeared at the meeting place. Luckily, I had just obtained a Crystal Ball for scrying and so I could tell she was at least safe. The next morning the 4 of us mounted an assault on the keep. We freed our cleric, and her new Orc friends who went and rallied their apparently oppressed people to fight the warlord's men and we pressed deeper into the keep.
Eventually we found and defeated the warlord, captured him, and even cleared out the remaining areas of the keep that a simple puzzle had kept from him. He was not the most intelligent of orcs. In one of these rooms we found an ancient song called the Chosen that some nobles wanted to sing at their wedding.
On our way back, he did manage an escape. He ran into the hills after slowing working out of his chains, and was killed at the entrance to these ruins. Our quest was technically alive or dead so we retrieved the head as proof and left the rest for whatever had killed him. As we chased him down, we also rescued a druid from two ogres in the forest. The druid followed us back to the town and ultimately back to Prism.
Once we got back to town, the paladin left us...he decided to settle down on the farm and adopt the little girl we had saved.
We once again separated and pursued our own interests. Suddenly now having money and an inkling of an idea what to do with it...well you know what I started to do. I also began to make contacts so I could generate passive incomes of my own away from the party because as you well know, it will take a lot of money to set my plans in motion.
So now for my party, so you have a little more context going forward.
The Dragonborn Paladin, he seems pretty straight forward and honest, but at times his emotions get the best of him. I will admit I've let mine slip a time or two here on this world, but not so far as to try and burn a man's hands off.
The Elf Cleric, she is very nice and perhaps the only one with a real moral compass she sticks to. She seems to like to help the children and honestly, if I didn't creep out kids so much I wouldn't mind helping her.
The Duke, what can I say? Flashy, vain, definitely a showboat, but at the end of the day seems to have the skills to back up his bravado. I honestly expected a noble like him to wilt and wither but it seems like he is thriving here.
The Wizard, very interested in vivisecting bodies, seems to know a bit about the necromantic arts. Definitely keeping an eye on him.
The Druid, as most halflings I've met in my world, the druid just seems mostly content to coast through life and have fun. We'll see how long he lasts in this world...no warzone of constant danger. Some of us are cut out for that life, but I'm not sure he is.
Now, there's someone knocking at the door...who could that possibly be? It's the day of that stupid noble wedding, surely the Duke isn't expecting us to attend? Ugh.