Stovkin Record of the Embershroud Company
Faithfully penned by Aurich of once House Stovkin
23rd of Highsun, 1519 - First Year of the Company
As the sun rose this morning, and the Sparkmoon Scintilla fell, we saw the sails on the horizon. My old friend Reginald Farhand is finally returned, and none too soon. Our supplies are dwindling woefully and the attacks on my people have only decreased them further. In point of fact, Hanmik was taken last night - the captain of my house guard and the sharpest military mind we had. His loss is devastating to the Company, but I cannot risk any more of the Edge's people risking those depths again. Well, no use dwelling on that now. I must lead the Company and the Edge as best as I can, and right now that means convincing Farhand that we deserve more supplies than I have goods to trade for...
...
For the first time, I have true hope for the Company, for the Edge, and for my family. Farhand may have left me with only half the supplies I needed, but the Sovereign Isles sent me five new Sparks, and they feel... different than the first group. Yes, they still make my skin crawl, but they have already done more than any before have. After a few drinks, they told me of what happened down below... below the Edge in the Tangle.
They told me of fungal monstrosities that claimed the minds of the townsfolk, and of my fallen guard. The only one they could rescue was Hanmik himself, as he was evidently only partially into the process of transformation. The rest were quite mindless; they assured me, and I believe them. I saw the terrors they wrought upon the living last night during the Full Sparkmoon. Anyways, they told me of a shrine of sorts deep below the Edge, and hot springs and living quarters - I wonder if this could become a safe haven if the walls of the Edge ever fall...
Anyways, deep below the Edge, they found a bound demon by name of Lauvitssin - a demon of life they said, bound there over 1,500 years ago by the great Lunetar himself! Incredible! The very founding history of our Isles, and we are at the forefront of its discovery! This Lauvitssin - the Colony it called itself - was bound to power the protective wards on the city walls; to repel the undead, and because of its demonic nature, it had to do this thing. However, it also created fungal monstrosities that attacked and kidnapped our people, dragging them away. The Sparks bargained with this demon, and later defeated it - killing its thralls with no deaths! Only Haljo the Lantern lost an arm in the conflict.
Well, as the sun falls from the sky, I can only say that things are looking up for this Company. No longer are we defenseless. With Hanmik returned to us, we have a military leader, and with these Sparks, I see great prosperity to come.
27th of Highsun, 1519
Its been four days since the new Sparks arrived, and things have been calmer than ever before. The skies have been bright and filled with sun as the Sparkmoon recedes into the night. As we are no longer plagued by that demon's minions (could it truly have been a demon? What other horrors does this land hold?), I have been able to organize work parties to start cleaning up the Edge. Farhand may have left us with less than we needed, but the various merchant Houses of the Isles are more than happy to sell us those foodstuffs we will require to supplement our stores.
...
Fair news, for our scouts see sails on the far horizon! What new peoples are here from the Isles I wonder? The winds are not in their favor, and we expect to see them by midday of the morrow.
30th Highsun, 1519
Brick, Kenzie, and Haljo came to me today to divide the people of the Edge into worker groups: farmers, laborers, soldiers, and such. It is a good idea, and one I should have been working on before this. Those three have departed now, off south to the tower amongst the hills in the distance. I pray they return safely to us.
...They have returned, praise to the Highest Face, and they have brought a monstrous blue head with them! They spoke of a crater among the hills to the south, filled to the very brim with scattered bones turned the deepest of blues! Extraordinary! Further, this head they have recovered leaves me baffled. The beast itself must be as large as four men together. They said they would return the next day to recover the rest of the corpse with some of the townsfolk.
3rd Goldleaf, 1519
The last few days have been steady, though of little event. Brick, Kenzie, and Haljo returned to the southwest with some of the townsfolk to recover the rest of that blue beast, then they delved back into the Tangle beneath the Edge, though they remained rather cagey about what they found down there... All I got was something about pink slime, walls, and a cat, and even that much information took almost a full keg!
More seriously, there is unrest in the Edge. That man, Kain the Broken is stirring up tension between human and other races of our town. Brick, Kenzie, and Haljo confronted him and his 'Golden Prophets', but I fear we will have to do something more serious to curtail him in the future. His daily speeches have been talking about a great "Revival" on the 7th of Goldleaf - I can only hope we have a solution to him by then. At the Sparks' request, I have begun putting together procedures for a Police Action against them, should their "Revival" get out of line.
12th Goldleaf, 1519
Treachery! Damn and damnable treachery by that man Kain and his goons. During the Independence Day celebrations, he kidnapped several of our citizens and absconded north from the Edge. Luckily, our Sparks were hot on his trail and managed to recover them from his "city" of "New Albion" as he calls it. Absolutely despicable - as if we didn't have every other thing on this continent against us, that racist has to go off and found a splinter faction. I can only thank the Highest Face that nobody (on our side) was hurt, though I have heard several of Kain's men met an... unpleasant end.
31st Goldleaf, Last of this Month, 1519
From treachery to the capturing of New Albion's spies, this month has been good for the Embershroud Company. The undead have continued to bless us with their absence, the force of New Albion is quiet in the North (for now), and Selanar Daenala, Loremaster of our Town believes she knows a way into the dark tower that haunts my dreams with its sinister potential. She wishes to send the Sparks north and west through Albionese territory - to some ancient shrine or temple or such. Like most things, it seems nonsensical... but that has been my life here in Akratia. At least... at least it she is still safe, despite our trials and trevails.
For all that Goldleaf has challenged us, I know in Harvesthaul, the Embershroud Company shall triumph!
16th Harvesthaul, 1519
It has been thirteen days since Keelin, Lucah, and Brick departed the Edge on Daenala's quest for some... Power Gem or whatnot. It should have been five days there, and five days back... but there has been no sign of them across the Plains of Butholia and now I wonder. But perhaps I should back up some.
It has been a truly exciting set of days since I last documented our trials. Shortly before the Sparks departed, three great vessels appeared on the horizon. When they came into port, they dispatched none others than the Firehawks, a legendary company of pious adventurers! "We quest to purge a great evil that threatens to awake" they said, and though their quest was dire they spent three days after the Sparks left constructing a chapel in **Akratia's Edge**! Their quest takes them south, and though they know not their final destination, they provided coin and promise to send trade caravans back here for goods and services that they will require
After the departure of the Firehawk company... well... the skies darkened once again and our town patrols started reporting undead wandering the edges of the forests and hills. It culminated this last night in a horde assaulting the walls - luckily the mettle of our warriors held and by dawn they were driven back. But, without our brave Sparks, who can take the fight to the undead and that damnable tower? My men certainly are not capable of such a heroic feat. I keep my eye trained on the north as I find myself wandering the riverside walls, searching and waiting for the return of Keelin, Lucah, and Brick.
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