Ukule

Ukule (a.k.a. Ukulele)

Ukule is a Tabaxi pirate bard who entertains with an assortment of sea shanties played on the ukulele, fiddle and concertina. He's currently on shore leave due to reasons he doesn't need to discuss.

View Character Profile
Age
22
Children
Gender
Male
Eyes
Brown
Hair
Black
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Red, black and white fur
Height
5'7

Final Ponderings

All is quiet. Shockingly so, seeing as the wedding festivities were raucous enough to fill an entire week. I suspect that once everyone’s had a bit of rest things will pick up again. For now I’m taking this moment to sit on the roof of my new home and finish writing before Brauka wakes up and realizes I’m not there with her. I don’t ever want her to think I’ve up and left her for good, she’s been far too patient with waiting for me to come home.   Home. This is my home now. Not necessarily the village in the sand or even in Rhue, but my new home is with Brauka and our child. Some day we might take to the seas, or go back to visit my parents in Everreach, even travel up North to bother Darius, but home will always be wherever our family resides.   It’s still a wonder how I ended up here. I read back through this journal, this account of everything that’s happened since I ran away from Brauka, and I’m shocked to find myself right back where I started. Same place but we’re all different people now. Different, but better. At the very least I’m now a married man, which let me tell you was the last thing on my mind when I first started this adventure.   Brauka and I were married under the most beautiful sky of stars you ever did see. As soon as Dax was brought back to us and we all had a moment to breathe Brauka appeared and, well, what else were we waiting for? I might have cried a little during our vows (okay it was a lot can you blame me) and suddenly that incredible woman became my wife. I’m a husband now, who would have thought? Admittedly we still need to go on an actual date and a conversation that doesn’t involve us seducing one another, but there’ll be plenty of time for that later.   Darius, the wonderful strong willed jerk that he is, almost left during the festivities without saying a proper goodbye or doing that song and dance he promised. Then, once I threatened him, he had the audacity to show off the single most impressive song and dance I have ever seen in my life. I can’t find proper words to explain it, only that I wish I had demanded a song and dance from the man before, if only to witness such a sight more than once. Yet this was the perfect night for such an event, so maybe it’s for the best that he saved it for now.   Out of all of our crew I’m going to miss him the most. Not just because he technically won my life the very first second we met, but because he provided a safe harbor in a storm of danger and uncertainty. I owe him so much, yet all I can do is promise to continue to be stronger than I’ve been before. I hope he finds Ursa. I hope he finds his happiness. If there’s ever a person that deserves to find it, it’s him.   Need a minute, I got sand in my eyes or something. It’s not like this is a permanent farewell. Darius better come back to be a proper godfather to Marantha. Also I taught Sargeras some good curses and I want to be there to witness his progress. It’s just… we’ve all been through so much, we’ve all changed, and now that we’re splitting up it almost feels… well, not entirely wrong, it’s meant to be this way, but it sure will feel different.   Good thing I have the Sending spell and can message any of these scallywags any time I want. Just in case they forget my wonderful words of wisdom. Now that I’m not using all my energy to send messages to Brauka I’ll have plenty of magic left. Unless I use all my energy tending to Brauka. For someone who’s about to have a kid she is still incredibly enthusiastic and has nearly unlimited stamina. Almost couldn’t keep up with her last night. Might need to exercise more or I’m in trouble.   Dax, bless her soul, wasn’t able to party as hard as the rest of us but she was still there at the festivities. She plans on sticking around with Mimzy, pun not intended, and seeing where her goddess Gya leads her. As a gift she lifted the curse off of the baby, thus preventing a part of the terrible future that once awaited Marantha. Now I can take my new family out on the waters without worrying about sending them to the abyss. I don’t know how to repay Dax for this gift, I don’t know how to repay anyone-   More sand in my eyes. I swear I’m going to be such a blubbering mess that Brauka will reconsider just who she married.   Mimz finally got that party I promised him, although I wonder if it’s such a good idea for him to be around such a feast since that’s apparently how mimics reproduce? I’m not sure, and I’m certainly not sober enough to ask him the finer details about it. Sure, the man was my best chest at my wedding, turning into The Avarice and all at my request, but still some things are best left unasked between men. Although I did give him a small guide I wrote to hopefully help him and Dax out when they start figuring out the finer details of their relationship.   And looking up in the stars above I swore I saw two new constellations I had never seen before. As a navigator on ship I prided myself in being able to recognize the sea of stars that guided me, yet as I look up now I can recognize two very distinct patterns, one a tortle, the other a tiefling. James and Herus will still be with us so long as we carry their names.   To my surprise Darius had given Mimz a gift to pass on to me. I opened it to find a pair of fancy bracers made from the egg Sargeras hatched from. When he had time to make such a thing is beyond me but the quality is far above anything I’ve ever worn. It is a kingly gift, which is fitting since Darius has gone back to his home to hopefully take over the ruling business. I’ll have to wear them when I storm the North and kick down the doors to his castle or whatever he’s going to be ruling in.   Speaking of ruling, I’m a prince now! I think. Brauka’s a princess and now I’m her husband, but her father’s still the chief or king or whatever, I don’t know how it works. Nor do I really care right now. That can be something to figure out later. Prince Ukule doesn’t sound quite right. Prince Wuvy even less so. Sam, Prince of Scarab Clan, that might have a decent ring to it. Maybe it’s time to go back to my proper name, especially since the curse associated with it is now lifted.   Looking back through this journal is an adventure in itself. It started with me running away from my wife on the back of a pig and running into this strange group of misfits, a motley crew that I was certain would only be momentary acquaintances until I found my way back to the sea. Now here I am, part of a new family, happier than I’ve ever been before.   Funny how life can surprise you that way. I had the choice to go back with Rosie and her crew, to return to the seas and abandon this hero business, and honestly I almost took it. If Darius hadn’t been there to listen to my woes and help me collect my thoughts I might have left. Then where would I have been? Best not to think about it, I’ve found where I belong.   Of course the adventure’s not over yet. Can’t keep a man like me from roaming, not when the world is bright and shiny and full of possibilities. Marantha will be born soon and I’ll be sure to show her just how wonderful life can be despite the darkness that tries to take hold.   I’m sailing in uncharted waters but you know, I’m not afraid. Not anymore. I’m ready to see where the next adventure takes me.

We've Done It

Stars above and lands below we’ve done it. We’ve made it. Despite my shaking hands my mind is clearer than it’s ever been. As always let’s start at the beginning.   We were in a void, falling through time and space once more, an unfortunately familiar feeling as of late. This time we ended up on a battlefield under a blood red sky with equally red sands beneath us, our graves positioned among a million dead and dying. A truly terrible sight.   Talion was among them, the halfling well on his way to his own grave, but it wasn’t the one we knew. This was a younger version of him. Poor soul died before we could discern much from him. Warhorns in the distance quickened our steps and we fled straight into quicksand. An army of 15 thousand strong was bearing down upon us, hulking malformed beasts stomping closer, the smell of blood thick in the air, and as we struggled to free ourselves a familiar face appeared.   That horrible fiend, the chained one that killed my Marantha, was coming after us too. If I wasn’t already about to die I would have tried to end him myself. Darius had promised to fight him with me to avenge her death, but before we could even start the attack we fell further down into the quicksand. This time we landed in water and trudged towards an enormous clock, hour and minute hands spinning wildly with each step we took.   Again we fell. Always falling, never knowing where we’re going to land.   Now we were smack dab on a bridge of light that extended out in 500 different directions. Each ended in a portal with an hourglass above them all. All around us stretched a field of unending stars. When I looked I could see myself in various moments of my life, even ones I haven’t experienced yet. I’m no expert but it looked like each bridge led to a different point in time in history. Where was this place?   As we pondered our surroundings the Jester showed up. Again he tried to convince us to join him, to wage war against the gods, to take our destiny in our own hands and spit in the face of the mantle. Now, as I have told Darius, I never wanted the mantle. I pride myself in being the master of my own fate, to captain my own ship of life, and no gods are going to tell me how to run it. If that makes me think like the Jester then so be it, but there was no way in hell I was going to join his side, not after what he did to Mari and Ra’Zeed, or what he promised to do to the rest of the world.   It’s my choice to make and I chose to fight alongside my crew. In that moment we were all in agreement, ready to stand against the adversary and put an end to his madness.   Despite how brave my words might seem I was absolutely terrified. There wasn’t much power I could use to fight against the Jester so I focused on healing those that could do the most harm to him. Of course, being a healer makes you a target and before long the Jester set his sights on me.   The feeling of his blades piercing my heart was unlike anything else I had ever felt before. I fell. I was dying, I know I was. I had told Darius of my last wishes in case I died, asked him to take care of Marantha and tell my parents what happened, as well as giving Brauka the diamond back, and while the man agreed to fulfill my requests he also said that he would not allow me to die. He told me I was a selfish man and deserved to live a long life how I wanted, with Brauka and kids and even grandkids, and he would not let me die so long as he could help it.   Well, let it be known that Darius is a man of his word. He brought me back with the same kind of potion that I used to save Brauka from her deathbed. Don’t tell him but it did taste better than the ‘grog’ I had shared with him before. One by one we fell but were revived, and we gave it our all to beat the Jester down.   At one point the Jester tried to beg for mercy. If I had the chance I would have stabbed him straight through the heart and slept peacefully that night. He made his choice, as did I. There would be no mercy coming from me.   Then the worst happened. I blinked and suddenly Herus was dead, the man murdered right before our very eyes. I didn’t think it could happen, he was so strong, so powerful, so untouchable by many a foe we faced. But there his corpse lay for all of us to see, a stark reminder of the fate that awaited the rest of us.   And then again the world came to an end. Dax followed Herus in death, the Jester ending her life with as much venom and vigor he could muster. The angel bearing the light that had ended my curse had been extinguished. All we could do at the time was try and avenge our fallen, no matter how agonizing it was to fight around our dead.   You already know that we won, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this, but the victory came at a terrible price. Was it worth it?   It fell to Darius and James to finish the fight. I healed Darius as best I could and watched the man fall further into a rage than I have ever seen before. Mimz was unconscious, Herus and Dax were dead, James was giving it his all, and even Sargeras entered the fray. The Jester had fallen further into his own madness, delving into the very depths of despair and hate, snarling and coming at us like a rabid dog that needed to be put down.   Eventually it fell to Sargeras to land the killing blow. Who knew that such a little creature (although not so little anymore, he’s had quite a growth spurt) would help us save the world? He’s a good dragon.   The light left the Jester’s eyes, and for a moment he was Marcus Siegfried, the man who had been cursed by the mantle, a man afraid of his destiny. Too bad it was far too late to pity him. He died without a prayer from any of us.   Mimz woke up and despite how distraught he was he managed to keep Dax and Herus’s bodies from decaying, which meant that we would hopefully have enough time to do a proper ritual to revive them. It would fall to me to cast that spell to bring them back, like when we brought back Ra’Zeed, although it wasn’t guaranteed that it would work and I would need a proper place to do it.   We found ourselves stuck on the platform with no easy way out. The hundreds of paths that had spread out all around us had been severed during the battle, the moments in time winking out of existence, leaving us with only a rift to look through.   The Jester, despite our efforts, had put his plan in motion. Through the rift we could see that dark and abysmal future we had traveled to before, the darkness leaking through and threatening our bright and hopeful world. It looked as if the two worlds were being forced to exist together. Two worlds trying to occupy the same space would only spell certain death for everyone, and it was up to us to put a stop to it.   Of course this would come at a terrible price. Someone would have to go through the rift and close it from the other side. I am a selfish man and did not volunteer. I tried to tell myself that I had to live so I could cast the spell to bring Dax and Herus back, but really I just wanted to live. James, a far more honorable man, volunteered to go through. Darius put up a bit of a fuss but Jimmy convinced him in the end.   I wish I had gotten to know James better. I made fun of him for being a noble but really, he is far more honorable and noble than I could ever be. He asked Darius to watch over his family, especially his little brother, and gave him a sword to return to his family. Darius and Mimz gave him some parting items and then he was on his way.   It was up to Mimzy and James to close the portal. We were so tired, so beat down, so close to being defeated, and it seemed as if this is where we would fail. Yet once again this crew prevailed. After much toil and torment the portal finally closed.   James disappeared into the void. Another one of our own was gone.   Then we were awake. Back in the cave in Rhue, waking up from a nightmare turned reality. James was gone, Herus and Dax’s bodies lay still and silent at our feet, and it was up to Mimzy, Darius and me to drag ourselves out into the open and see what awaited us.   Around us were blackened boulders that were rapidly disintegrating in the sunlight that streamed through the black skies above. As the light fell upon us, bathing our weary, wounded bodies, we could finally feel the victory we had been fighting for. We had won. The world was saved.   But there were still two that needed to be returned to this newly saved world. We hurried to Dervia, the teleportation circle feeling empty without James standing with us, and ended up back at the house we had all but destroyed. There was no way I could cast any sort of spell in the condition I was in so we all agreed to rest first.   Mari was waiting for us at the house. Darius broke the news of Dax’s death to her. I discovered a fat Ra’Zeed in the closet with an incredible hoard of cheese. Stranger things have happened. We slept like the dead that night. Well, not entirely like the dead. Those words are in poor taste.   The next day I messaged my beloved Brauka and was delighted to find her alive and well and enthusiastically saucy. Once I was able to focus beyond the suggestive message she sent to me I was able to tell the others that her village had a perfect ritual circle we could use to try and bring Dax and Herus back.   It was an uneventful journey, thank the stars above. Again, thanks to Mimz, the bodies did not turn. We still had time.   As soon as we arrived at the village we placed Herus in the ritual circle. Much like we had done with Ra’Zeed we placed items around him and said words to convince him to come back. I had a look inside his notebook and was surprised to find that our dear Herus was an artist. There were sketches of scenes from his life, from wars and battles and people he had experienced and met. There were drawings of all sorts of folk, perhaps his kin, and portraits of various soldiers, each with their own page dedicated to them. It was like looking into his life, in a way, seeing his world through his eyes. Many sketches of the woman that I assume to be his wife. There was even a drawing of their wedding.   Not every page was of joy. Herus was a man who had seen far too many deaths and carried them all upon his shoulders. And he still carried them with him even as he fought to protect us. In the notebook he drew us all, memorializing us, and included a scene of us at the Pickled Boar. Inside the cover he thanked us for everything, acknowledging that his death would be saddening, but assuring us that it was ultimately his choice.   He also offered us his home, which may have been a bit too generous of him seeing how he inadvertently destroyed the last home we were offered, but you know, we can’t deny a man his dying wish.   The ritual succeeded but Herus didn’t want to come back. He was able to tell us that he was finally happy, finally able to be carefree, and we had helped him find that peace again. Even though our time with him was brief, it was meaningful, and we were able to make the old man smile once more. He had vowed to never be the last one left alive and finally he was able to fulfill his vow. It was a tearful goodbye but a final one.   Herus was gone of his own free will. Can’t deny a man his final wishes, even if that means we are left behind.   Next was Dax’s turn. Once more we went around and gave her our words and items. I gifted her the diamond Brauka had bestowed upon me, the diamond that got me into this whole mess, the one that I carried with me all throughout our journey together. I remember seeing how Dax’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw it in my possession. Rosie had said it signified my heart, and now I was giving that heart to Dax so that she could live again. It wasn’t her time, I said, she still had so much to do, and also I knew she had always coveted the diamond from the start so she might as well have it. At the very least she had to come back so poor Mimz wouldn’t be left alone with only me and Darius to look after him.   Darius… he tried. He gave her the strange mannequin that she had constructed so that she and Mimz could… er, enjoy each other’s company in a most agreeable way. Mari, bless her heart, did not comment on that. She said her words for her sister and gave her all the love she had.   Then it was Mimzy’s turn. It’s odd seeing a self professed monster be the most human out of all of us. The speech he gave brought the rest of the orc tribe around us, and we all watched as he read her a poem he had written, gave her back the love letter and a sapphire she had given him, and even offered one of his hearts to her. Truly there was nothing else more we could do for her, not after all that Mimzy offered to her.   I cast the spell. A golden light surrounded her, the radiance healing all her wounds, restoring her to how she was meant to be. It was a truly magnificent display, yet… she remained lifeless. Mimzy lost it, holding her and sobbing his poor remaining heart out. Me and Darius started to walk away to give him space, neither of us understanding how it could have possibly failed, when suddenly…   She was alive. Dax had come back to us, it just took her a minute to find her way. Never had there been such a celebration upon seeing her open her eyes.   Among the cheering came another wonderful sight. My Brauka, my beloved, my reason for fighting and pushing through all toil and torment and trying to make a better man of myself, had arrived. All of the pain and heartache that lead up to this point was worth it as I took her in my arms. We had found each other again. Death had not parted us.   Even her father was a welcome sight. I didn’t even run away this time although his affections towards his son in law will be the end of me.   Now Brauka and me are about to be married. There’s no more time to wait, not after all we’ve been through. I managed to find a quiet corner to write this but soon enough the others will find me and corral me to the altar. I’m not quite finished telling my story but hey, when have I ever had time to finish a thought?   After the celebrations I’ll write a real conclusion to this tale. For now I have to put on my bravest face and go become a proper husband. I’ve just helped save the entire world, surely I’ll be strong enough to walk down the aisle!

Too Late

Been having a bit of a turbulent time as of late.   As soon as we returned to our temporary home in Dervia with Mari I sought out Darius. My mind couldn’t settle with all we had seen from the future, and Darius is the only one in this crew I feel I can be honest and open with. He doesn’t hesitate to tell me when I’m being a right idiot.   I let him know of my doubts as to what kind of person I become in the future if I end up abandoning my only child and wife for my own selfish purposes. Thankfully there was no judgement from the man, only understanding, and he told me of his own doubts about himself. To see so strong a man openly admit his weaknesses was a bit startling. Having Darius believe that I can be a better person helps.   What didn’t help was hearing that Darius was planning on leaving. Mimzy biting me and being his usual self seems to have gotten right under the man’s skin and left him debating if this crew is really on his side or only in it for their own selfish purposes. I’m not one to speak, seeing as I’ve spent my whole life up until now only looking out for myself, but I made it known that if he left I’d plan on going with him. Needless to say he was not too keen on the idea (honestly neither was I if he was planning on going back North).   The conversation ended with us both having a bit of ‘grog’. I originally intended to just make that magical beverage jug produce rum but Darius was interested in what it was that us pirates drank and, well, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to show off a little. Of course, ‘grog’ isn’t quite an appropriate name for it, not when you’re trying to name something that can render you blind just by looking at the fumes, but pirates are a simple lot and we’d rather spend our time doing more important things instead of coming up with fancy names. Like drinking.   Darius took the first drink like a champ. Very impressive, he didn’t even keel over! Sargeras (that’s the official name of the dragon, going to have trouble remembering that) tried some too and no one died in a firey explosion of flame so that was good. They make them strong in the North. Of course I drank more than I should and things got a little hazy from there. Might have hugged Darius and asked him to be Marantha’s godfather, both things I meant to do, but I’ll have to revisit those things in the future when we’re hopefully still alive.   The next thing I knew I was snuggled up to Sargeras in bed listening to Mimz and Darius argue in the hallway. It’s not the proper way to wake up from a ‘grog’ induced slumber so I let them know that if they didn’t sort themselves out I’d take Sargeras and we’d sail off and find our own crew as soon as I stopped being sick on the floor.   Must have fallen asleep again because once more I experienced a rude awakening. This time it was Dax shaking the everloving life out of me and splashing me with water. I thought she had lost her mind until she dragged me to Mari’s room and told me that Mari and Mimz were having visions of my untimely death. Mari was stuck in a nightmare so I cast Sending to talk with her, only to be sucked into her visions.   That Dreamcatcher guy was there, making the poor girl see terrible things, and without thinking I tried to punch him in the face. He didn’t like that. Need to remember not to punch a man with tentacles, those suckers threw me clear across the void. But when I landed on my face I was able to see the Jester there as well, standing over my cooling corpse, which had been stabbed far too many times for my liking. I tried to ask him what the hell his grudge was against me but he didn’t even acknowledge my presence. Very rude.   Mimz was able to wake me and Mari up, and Mari immediately demanded to know why I was alive, which I also found rude. After some reassurances from Dax she calmed down and was able to tell us where the Jester had been holding her captive, which turned out to be the cave where we saved those kids so long ago.   At that point I was a little bit upset at being the target of the Jester’s ire and went off to take a bath and hopefully rid myself of the exhaustion and hangover I was experiencing. Mimz went with me and we had a talk. He revealed to me that he had found a ribbon on the stuffed pig when we went to the future, and when I read the words upon it I was shocked to see that it was my handwriting.   “To my most worthwhile treasure, ye be my everything.”   Don’t know how I could get more proof than that of the pig being my gift to Marantha. Might have cried a bit at that, I was so tired and hurt at the time, but Mimz didn’t make fun of me for it. He’s a good friend.   After another failed nap I decided to spend some time with Sargeras, who I have now dubbed Sassafrass because it’s easier for me to remember. Thanks to my abilities Sassafrass can understand me, but to my own amazement he was starting to talk too! Darius had mentioned that dragons can talk but you know, I’ve never been around a dragon before so this was still a shock. Our words devolved into playful wrestling and running around the house, ending up with us thundering about on the roof, and it brought my mind back to happier times jumping around on Rosie’s ship. No thoughts, just fun. Miss those days.   Just as the fun began reality set back in with a knock at the door. There’d only be a few who’d come to our doorstep and my suspicions were confirmed as soon as Darius opened the door to see who it was.   Rosie stood at the door with Joel and the rest of the crew, a welcome and disheartening sight. They had come for me, to take me away back to the seas, and it would have been so easy to just walk out that door and go with them. Darius stood at my back, his presence reminding me that I have obligations to a new crew now. A new life. I tried to explain the situation to Rosie but even to my own ears it sounded far too outlandish to believe. Although when I mentioned I was about to become a husband and a father the doubt and sheer disbelief from the crew was a bit unwarranted….   Rosie and I, we were once thick as thieves. I love her. Whether or not she loves me back doesn’t matter now. If I could take all the hurt in her heart and put it upon myself I would. She’s a fine captain, a stronger person than I, and I know she’ll pull through and find herself back on her chosen path.   I tried to give her the diamond. Instead of accepting it she closed my hands around it and said it would be like giving away my heart. There was a tear in her eye as she turned away and walked off, her crew giving me a final one fingered salute.   And just like that she was gone.   A whole chapter of my life, arguably the best so far, ending with a single goodbye. I wish I could've run after her, tell her I didn’t mean it, that I was pulling a great big joke, but we would both know that would in itself be a lie. I can't go back no matter how much I long to.   It’s all for the best, that’s what I keep telling myself. The best for Rosie, for Brauka, for Marantha, for me. Though I still feel the call of the sea, the freedom, the adventures it brings, I know that I cannot return to the life I had. Dad understood that. He made that same choice, to part ways with the sailor’s life and live on the land with his wife and child, and he seems happier for it. Although I can recall the melancholy look in his eye any time he thought he was alone with his thoughts, staring off at the sea.   Darius thinks I made the right choice. I hope he’s right. To distract myself I asked him for some fighting lessons, which let me say was very informative but once again I found myself prone on the floor slightly wishing for death. I’m not built for combat, I’ve decided. Cheerful brawling, yes, but actual strategic fighting, no.   When the rest of the crew met up again we discovered that the Companions Four (those folks that were after the Dreamcatcher) had been captured by their prey and were not going to be able to help us against the Jester or Dreamcatcher. Talion was still in town so we went to talk to him to get some information about the Jester, who is the alternate ego of Marcus Siegfried, a previous hero that traveled with Talion to stop the world eater. If anyone has some helpful information about how to stop the Jester it’d be the halfling.   Along the way we ran into the Butler again. Through some persuasion we learned that the Butler might have been the one to bring Darius back to life, and who certainly was responsible for Mimz being awakened. Does that make him Mimz’s dad? An apprentice named Saphira learned how to do strange stuff with souls from the Butler and accidentally used that knowledge to wake Mimz up, running off before they could talk, and leaving poor Mimz to wonder just how he came to be. Maybe we’ll be able to find her, sounds like there’s some unfinished business with her and her intentions to save her brother that would be worth looking into.   We found Talion way down below in the catacombs looking at a magical teleportation circle. He gave us some information about the Jester, saying that Marcus was a man who was furious with the gods, and had been left for dead by the previous Seven. When the Seven discovered that Marcus was alive he killed them all but Talion, leaving him alive and with permanent scars.   It’s supposed that Marcus accepted the mantle to become strong enough to wage war on the gods. And if he had the ability to travel through time there’s no telling what he’d do. Suddenly having this device has become very, very pertinent to my livelihood, and at the time I figured he meant to stab me a bunch to take it from me.   I was wrong.   A guard alerted us to the discovery of another body, which turned out to be none other than the body of myself. It’s very alarming to see your own corpse stabbed through. As we examined the body though I found myself wishing that it really had been me, for the body wasn’t mine but another person in disguise.   It was Ra’Zeed. The man had been murdered and dressed up as me to send a message. That was the final straw. There would be no deaths upon my head, no more friends of mine being sacrificed because of my own existence, and we took out our scroll of resurrection and brought him back. I ended up casting the spell, a responsibility I wasn’t sure I could handle, but sure enough Ra’Zeed came back to the land of the living with a fighting spirit I’ve never seen in him before.   Once he calmed down we healed him up and learned that the Jester was after the golden sand that powers the time travel device. Gloria had found some up north and hid it in the cave, putting her notes in her book, but Ra’Zeed drank to forget the finer details. I showed him the device and he confirmed that Gloria had been interested in it, rest her soul.   We sent Mari and Ra’Zeed off with Talion for safekeeping. They’d only be in danger with us, especially since we were headed off to face the Jester. I gave Mimz the time travel device in case the Jester tried to take it from me. Once we were prepared we went through the teleportation portal, off to face the Jester and put a stop to his unknown plans.   The Jester was back in the place where I had found the time travel device, waiting for us upon the giant throne. He was in a talkative mood and asked us if we were here to help him take on the gods, to throw off the mantle and spit in the face of destiny, a destiny where we were doomed to die. We were being given a choice, an option to take our fates in our own hands and avoid the same trauma he had been through.   The thing is that I have to agree with him. Not with his methods, not with all the pain and suffering he has brought down upon our friends and family, but I agree with his sentiments that this mantle is a curse. It’s not a gift, it’s a burden, a black mark that permanently stains our destinies and will ultimately lead us to our deaths.   I don’t want the mantle. I don’t want all that the label of ‘hero’ entails. All I want is to live my life as I please and try to be better for my family. If the Jester’s holding any sort of truth to his words, even just a shred of honesty, then it sounds to me like the bearers of the mantle are doomed to a life of pain, torment, and ending in an unforgiving death.   Unfortunately the Jester, Marcus the previous hero, has gone completely insane. His words do not match his terrible actions. For a man who wants to avoid death and pain he’s sure wonderful at causing it. While I might agree with his sentiments I cannot join him, not when he could simply turn his ire towards my loved ones and cause them unending grief and misery.   As usual Darius started the fight. We wound up fighting at an enormous ziggurat with a giant hourglass filled with enough time travel sand for millions of devices. The very air was shifting around us, the anticipation of something huge about to happen hanging upon our heads, and we flew into a fight to stop the Jester before he could activate what he was planning.   We put up a good fight. Herus turned into a toad, Sassafras got a hit in, Darius and Dax and Mimz and Jimmy all did their part, and I… I tried. But I have come to realize that you cannot fight time. Some things will come to pass whether or not we want them to.   We were too late to stop his plans. Our time ran out. The hourglass turned and once more we were plunged into the void. Where… no, when…. When we will end up is anybody’s guess.

Promises

Is it possible to mourn someone who hasn’t even been born yet? Can you feel grief for losing someone who has not yet lived? I can still hear her dying screams echoing in the silence, see her being killed when I close my eyes.   I failed her before she could even be born.   Last I wrote we were falling into a void. Time and space didn’t really exist, which is why I was able to write, but reality slammed into us once more and we awoke in a tomb. Not just any tomb, but our tomb. I’ve never been one to be bothered by enclosed spaces but waking up in your own grave does things to your sense of well being and sanity, and it didn’t take long for me to start losing my mind. It was my fault we ended up there, my doing that dumped us in this hellish place, and the guilt quickly took over.   Maybe goading Mimzy into attacking wasn’t the best idea, but the pain from his teeth brought me back to whatever senses I still had left. We had to get out and see where we were. See when we were. Quickly I found a door and with a hearty kick we were out.   Well, maybe the kick was a little more hearty than anticipated. The door opened… and exploded, sending the tomb crashing down around us. Darius was mighty impressed (as he should be), but really the power came from the mark that appeared on my hand the second I kicked down the door. The mantle had found me and taken me whether I wanted it or not.   There’s no going back now, looks like I’m destined to be a hero just like the others. At the time I didn’t care what happened to me, I just wanted out of that awful place, but now that I actually have time to think I feel the weight of unfathomable responsibility pressing in upon me, weighing me down just like it weighs down the others. Being marked is never a good thing.   Once the dust settled we could see that we were surrounded by statues (with our faces, not eerie at all, no sir) and there was writing outside of our tomb. The writing that caught my eye read:   WHERE ARE THEY NOW? WHY DID THEY LEAVE US?   And under it was an odd little arrangement of candles, incense and… a stuffed pig. Looked like something someone would give to a kid yet it was clearly left for us. Mimzy fiddled with the pig a bit but he handed it over to me when I asked for it. Such a strange little thing yet I feel oddly drawn to it. Despite not having a note or name part of me knew who left it behind, as well as who it was left for, but I didn’t have much time to let it sink in.   We were attacked by a grim figure wielding chains, one who seemed delighted in making us suffer and tried to suck out our souls. No matter how much we fought it was able to resurrect itself, leaving us to debate if we should keep trying to kill it or take our chances fleeing to the never ending darkness that lingered all around us. Luckily we didn’t have to make that choice. We were rescued by a woman in a veil carrying a crystal that cast a powerful light into the dark, driving everything back and protecting us from harm.   Her name was Marantha. She was not happy. Immediately distrustful, aggressive, and not at all afraid to tell us what she thought of us. Most of her ire was directed towards me and the artifact I was stupid enough to activate. I can’t fault her for her feelings, not really, if I were in her place I’d feel the same.   Marantha explained that we hadn’t teleported to a different world, we were simply 40 years in the future. The versions of us she knew had left, leaving everyone behind to ‘change our fate’. Hundreds of thousands died because of that choice, and the world was left to a darkness that was set to take the remaining souls. What was our mission? And why hadn’t we returned?   Many unsettling things were revealed to us. Darius had died, accidentally murdered by Mimzy. Kiara was now Queen, although she didn’t seem to be scheming any more and was resigned to her fate. Everyone was due to die in a week’s time when the light of the crystals ran out. There was no one left to drive away the dark.   That was when Marantha removed her veil and I had my suspicions confirmed. Really, who could mistake a green feline person for anyone else? Never thought I would have a daughter. It was impossible to not recognize her as my own child, especially with the amazing amount of ire she directed my way. Only family can hold so much anger towards one another. But where was Brauka?   The answer was simple. I had run off to be with Rosie on the sea, leaving Brauka and Marantha behind. My own daughter and wife went looking for me, sailed out on a ship, and thanks to the curse that I passed on to Marantha the ship sank.   Brauka drowned. She died because of me.   Darius stepped up and became the father Marantha needed, took over where I failed. The pain in her eyes when she told me what happened haunts me. Was that why I used the device in this world? To travel to a time where I hadn’t left her and Brauka? Or was it for more selfish means?   Her full name is Samarantha. She left out the ‘Sam’ for obvious reasons.   All I wanted to do was hold her and tell her it would be alright. Such a strange feeling, seeing as she hasn’t even been born yet in my time, yet I’m her parent. There’s no doubt about that. The group decided to try and travel back in time, back to our present, and reset what had gone so terribly wrong. Marantha expertly manipulated the artifact and gave me a right good berating for not knowing how it works (I definitely deserved that), and ultimately revealed that it was out of time sand, which it needed to make it work.   A nearby temple held what we needed. Along the way we were attacked by the undead monster again, just barely managing to avoid it and seek shelter in the temple. Marantha seemed to know who it used to be but did not say. I suspect it used to be one of us.   We entered the temple and found a large throne with a big deal antlered guy sitting upon it. Mimz and Dax recognized him as Malamor, the same guy they talked to after the Jester of Blades attacked us and took Mari. Not sure what his deal was but he was clearly done with it by now.   Speaking of the Jester, Marantha fought like him, as if she had studied under him or taken on his mantle. I regret not speaking to her about that but then again, would she have wanted to talk to me after all I did to her?   The next room held an empty pedestal, a huge hoard of treasure, and a fountain. Marantha said that I had put the device on the pedestal before we vanished. Off to the side were all of our Jester Blades slammed into the ground in unison, along with another blade, this one bearing Samarantha’s full name. Again I could not ask her about her connection to all of this, but if I have any say in it I will ensure she never does, not in my time.   By the time we found the sand the undead monster was upon us once more. We were out of time. I had to look my daughter in the eyes and prepare to leave her again. In that moment there was no anger between us, only sadness. This would be our last goodbye in this world. I promised I would not fail her, I would not leave her or Brauka in my timeline, and this time… this time she believed me. Marantha gave me the artifact and went to hold off the monster so we could go.   Her screams, her dying wails of agony, they echo in my ears. I will never be fully rid of the sound. Nor should I. It was my choice to travel through time without thought and it’s my punishment to remember the consequences of doing so.   We returned to our present back at the ball. The pirates were still alive, Rosie wanted me to come with her, Mari was still missing. I couldn’t speak, my head was still filled with the sounds of Marantha dying, so Rosie said she’d meet me later to discuss matters further. Thankfully Mimz had his wits about him and managed to convince the pirates that the item Kiara wanted them to steal was cursed, and Darius was kind (or dumb) enough to offer them twice what Kiara was going to pay for it.   I found myself having an audience with the King of Stormwind himself and all I could think to do was beg for him not to kill Rosie or my old crew. He asked to see the time travel artifact, and whether he took pity upon my sorry state or could see that they truly weren’t a threat is not known, but he said he’d let them go. We managed to save them tonight.   Then things took a turn. Siegfried, or the Jester, or whoever he is or wants to go by, I don’t know anymore, took to the stage, inviting Kiara to join him. The peace treaty was signed with Kiara’s public execution. Apparently it had been known that she was trying to steal the artifact that was to be used in the peace negotiations or something, I’m not sure how, and for that among her many other heinous actions she was killed in front of everyone. That didn’t seem to stop the festivities. The thing that Kiara had hired Rosie and the crew to steal simply shot off fireworks, although they did have a Jester mask pattern to them. Far too confusing to figure out for now.   Mari had not been forgotten through all of this. I used magic to reach out to her and it turns out that she was disguised as a dog at the Jester’s side. We spent so long trying to figure out how to get her from him that he had enough time to simply walk over and hand her to us. What he wants with us is beyond me, he’s far too complicated for my simple mind to comprehend. We managed to get Mari back to a human shape and took her to our temporary house for a long rest. With Herus parked in front of her room, Mimz becoming the door, and Dax sitting at her side, I think she’s as safe as can be for now.   Now we’re taking time to rest and collect our thoughts. The stuffed pig is still here with me. I’m not sure if that future we saw was our destiny or a time that will never come to pass, but I’m certain I won’t let it happen. Now that we’ve seen the worst we can work to keep it from happening again. I made a promise to Marantha that I intend to keep.   I’m so sorry for how much I hurt you, my daughter, my treasure. I will take this mantle that has been thrust upon me and ensure that neither you nor Brauka have to suffer because of me. I will give up my entire world if I have to, just to make sure that your world is far better than the one I left you to die in. That is my promise.

Curses

Don’t ask me how I’m writing this right now considering where we ended up, all I know is that I have time to write and I’m going to take it. Someone’s got to keep a record of the insanity we constantly find ourselves in, although I have to question why I’m the one doing it.   As always I got to start from the beginning. Last I wrote I was watching Brauka’s hut disappear over the horizon and all that, stuck on the back of a cart headed toward Dervia, where we were to attend a ball and help ensure some ‘peace talks’ panned out the way we wanted them to. The thing is, none of us really seem to have anything to do at the ball except show up and then… what?   Not a lot to do on the cart except chat and try not to annoy each other too much. I got to tell the others about my sailing and wound up talking about the curse, the first time I had told the party about any of that, and I admit it was pretty liberating and terrifying to finally get it off my chest. Dax dragged Mimz into a talk with Darius, which went about as well as expected, me and dragonling bonded a bit (sure is getting large awfully fast, is that normal?) and then….   The Avarice. Mimz turned into the most beautiful, wonderfully jewel encrusted, resplendent, absolutely mesmerizingly gorgeous treasure chest in the entire world. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t even speak, not when faced with such a sight. Somewhere in the back of my mind said it was a trap but really, when faced with such a sight, who cares? If only Rosie could see me with my foot upon such a treasure, that’d really get her attention.   Rosie. More on her later.   Eventually we slept (Darius was kind enough to let me use him as a pillow, not that I gave him much of a choice), still out under the stars. I miss navigating by starlight, charting courses by the heavens, trying to write as the swell of the sea makes all the tools and maps fly about on deck. Good times. Hopefully I can return to them.   While I slept Dax took it upon herself to cast a bit of magic, unbeknownst to me, and the next morning she was more chipper than ever. I wasn’t complaining since I got a free brushing out of it, even if it did make me purr (a truly embarrassing thing, really, no man should be purring). We talked a bit about the usual stuff regarding relationships and life and all that, although why she was asking for my advice I’ll never know, really they all should learn by now not to trust me with the big stuff.   Little did I know that while I was asleep Dax managed to break my curse. She actually freed me. Her god granted her the power to dispel curses, and she immediately used it on me, freeing me the void that’s haunted my every moment upon the sea. So many lives lost because of my curse, and now so many more will be spared because of her kindness.   I owe everyone so much in so many different ways. And I might have just thrown it all away. But I’m getting ahead of myself.   So we get to town and we’re met by that butler. The one that Mimz seems to be mateys with. Not sure if I trust him but he did lead us to a bath so I can’t complain much. Everyone in the world seems to have shown up for this ball, lining the city with numerous tents and armies, putting everyone on edge and setting the scene for anything but peaceful times. But hey, at least we got good food, a bath, and free clothes, even if the clothes are a little too fancy for my tastes. Jimmy wasn’t much help in selecting something, but with a little of Ra’Zeed’s special tail ointment I felt like I could take on the world.   Mimz, Dax and me wandered around to do some shopping. I met up with a jeweler that happened to be on Rosie’s ship with me when it sunk- Troggi Flagbottle is his name I think- and he agreed to polish up the diamond that Brauka gave me. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he saw it, and by the next day he returned it to me in a magnificent splendor. Now I just need to figure out what to do with it… I could give it back to Brauka or give it to Rosie as I originally intended. I offered it to Dax as payment for lifting the curse, but she was kind enough to decline. Better person than I would have been in that situation, that’s for sure.   I also figured out what was going on with the Jester’s Sword, or the Sam Sword as it’s being referred to. Strange to hear my name like that but now that the curse is lifted I don’t mind as much. It’s official name is the “Sword of the Black Abyss”, tied to an underwater entity of misfortune and loss of luck on sailors, and is absolutely tied to my curse. Where the Jester got such a thing is beyond me but I have to admit that for all its terrible implications… it’s a really interesting weapon. It can grapple foes with a tentacle and create pools of seawater. No one seems enthusiastic when I offered to douse them in seawater, they must not know how good it is for your constitution. Land lubbers the lot of them.   When we all retired to our rooms I did a bit of experimenting and discovered that I could send a message (a brief one) to Brauka, so I did to see if she was alright. She… was definitely more than alright, judging by the enthusiasm in her message back. I was glad I locked the door because it wasn’t a conversation I want to share with the others. This does bring up ideas for the future if we get out of the trouble we’re currently in.   That night we all slept terrible. Horrible dreams and nightmares, and sometime in the night Mimz barged in (thankfully after I was long done talking to Brauka) to demand why I was kissing on Dax. Turns out he saw me kiss her on the cheek and hug her after she lifted my curse, so I had to explain to him that while I was feeling affectionate towards her, I wasn’t feeling romantic. Bit of a mental exercise for us both at that hour. He’s a good lad though and we worked it out.   Darius did the honors of waking me up by kicking down my door and throwing me into the bath. It’s a good thing he did because while I was bathing we were attacked by monstrous, maybe undead men infested with mind controlling worms. I did the wrong thing and ran down in a towel to help, only to be set upon by one of the worms and nearly died. Darius and Mimz helped me out, thank the stars, but it was a terrible start to the morning.   Strangely enough the rest of the day leading up to the ball was… normal. We all dressed in our finery (even the dragonling got a bowtie) and we made it inside the ball without having to give up our weapons. That was mainly thanks to an odd group of people ahead of us in line, and when we investigated them further they turned out to be none other than the survivor’s of Rosie’s crew and my former mateys! The idiots tried to lie to us about who they were but Dax and Darius got the truth out of them soon enough.   Rosie and her crew were in town to steal an artifact for an unknown buyer, who promised to pay them enough money to buy a new ship, no, a fleet of ships. We didn’t stick around to help them out, since they seemed to have their own plans in mind, and we returned to the ball to mingle and try not to cause too much trouble.   We quickly learned that James’s family was there, along with some folk who knew Herus, and Darius and me did a fair amount of people watching while Dax and Mimz took to the dance floor. Dax found herself a dress that literally enchants people, making her irresistible to many suitors at the ball. Poor Mimz, I should have warned him that many a man finds himself on the sidelines while his lady dances the night away, really it’s a right of passage, but soon I was dancing and forgot what I was supposed to be doing.   Rosie was there. Never had I been so elated and confused to see her. Quickly I took her in my arms, feeling the danger all around us, and we found somewhere more private to talk. She confirmed that she was working for Kiara, and despite my warnings she was stubborn about completing her mission to steal the artifact so she could buy a new ship. I offered her everything I had, the diamond, my gold, anything and everything I owned, but she wouldn’t budge. So I agreed to help her. I’d give everything to help her.   She asked me why I didn’t come back to the ship after we split ways and offered to take me back. I… I couldn’t explain my situation with Brauka, or the whole hero thing, it was too much to think about. I know I’ve changed, although I’m trying not to admit it, and I’m not sure if… if I can go back. Too much to think about now.   I at least promised to help the crew get the artifact, and so we returned to the others to see what was going on. Mimz had gone ahead to help, so we ran to catch up, and suddenly… it was a bloodbath. Rosie’s crew, my mateys, my friends, were all dead, brutally murdered by the guards, leaving Mimzy standing there covered in their blood. I don’t know what he was doing, what he had done, and I wasn’t about to stand around and watch their blood soak into the floor below.   It’s a funny thing, holding an object that is so obviously powerful yet knowing nothing about it. The artifact was given to me with no instructions at all, no warnings, and yet that didn’t stop me. I activated it without a second’s thought. There was no other option.   The floor fell away from us, sending us tumbling into a great cathedral made of mirrors. In each mirror stood a reflection of our greatest nightmare, each tailored just for us. Mimzy and Dax were almost pulled in, Darius destroyed his, and the rest of us chose to look away. Our demons, no matter how hard we try to evade them, always manage to find us in the end.   At the end of the hallway were statues and an ivory throne. The throne was large enough to seat four people and thankfully empty, behind it swung the pendulum of an enormous clock. We didn’t have to wait long before a man appeared, covered in bandages and wearing a cloak. He wasted no time in giving me a right good scolding, I’ll tell you that, going on and on about how none of us were prepared for the power we wielded and basically saying that I royally messed up.   Was he the one who gave me this thing with not instructions? If so then he should’ve know better, really. I didn’t have time to ask because he was busy asking if any of us would sit upon the throne. None of us did, and so with another jolt we were falling once more, down, down, down into the abyss…   No, not the abyss. The void. We were falling into a white void, with no idea where we were headed.   I’ve doomed us all.

Times Be Changing

Got a lot on my mind so I’m going to dive right in. I’ve got a vague feeling that while I’m sleeping someone’s reading my journal, so if you are, shove off and find someone else’s private musings to ponder. At the very least you could buy me a drink as payment.   Right, the tavern. Turns out Dax’s sister, Mari, was running it while we were gone. We had a grand night talking to her (wish I wasn’t so drunk, I can’t remember much) before turning in. After waking up in Darius’s room and talking to him a bit about our respective life stories I went downstairs for breakfast, to soon be joined by a very happy Mimzy. Me being the curious sort I asked him how he was doing, and he proceeded to tell me all about the appearance of his ‘little friend’ named ‘Dip’, and how much Dax liked it. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he had the gall to ask me about how balls worked.   Now, I’m really trying to shape up and be a little more respectable. Honestly I am. But seriously, what is with this lad, how could he possibly not know what he’s saying? How could he be so innocent-   Well, now that I think of it, he’s only been a person for a little while. Hasn’t had a chance to learn the proper ways of the world. I’ll have to help him learn a thing or two before he starts talking about his ‘little Dip’ to the wrong crowd. Although if he does I hope I’m there to see the looks on their faces.   The morning wasn’t destined to be a good one. Despite our sunny dispositions we soon discovered that Mari had been kidnapped. We were led on a hunt through town, back and forth and all around, leading us down to the basement of the tavern, where we were met with a terrible sight.   Mari was stabbed into the ceiling, dead far beyond any of our means of resurrection or healing. Truly one of the worst sights I’ve laid my eyes on. Death is never easy to face, especially if it’s of someone we’re acquainted with. Darius had found her first and weathered the sight far better than I could. Mimz ran upstairs to find Dax, leaving me and Darius alone with the body and all the blood.   It took a bit of convincing but I managed to get Darius to help me clean up the body. Dax didn’t need to see her sister, her last remaining family member, like this. Good thing we did clean up because we quickly discovered that the poor soul was not in fact Mari but, rather, a tiefling who had been disguised as her.   The man behind this madness is known as the Jester of Blades. He has some sort of vendetta against us, some sort of sick fascination about how we make choices, and keeps going on and on about how he doesn’t want us to disappoint him. I have no clue who he is but we all have been targeted by him.   The swords that had stabbed the corpse are frightening. Each blade has a name on it, our true names, and I don’t know how this Jester knows mine but there it is, plain as day. Darius and Talion already know, as does my parents and Rosie and Brauka, obviously, but there’s no one else left alive who should. Now the others do too. I guess I’ll have to tell them why I don’t go by the name, it’s not really a secret anymore.   It became quickly apparent that the Jester kidnapped Mari. He spoke to us through some sort of magic, made us choose between her life or that of the town’s, and although it pains me greatly to be responsible for the loss of so many innocent souls I had to pick Mari. I’ve sent countless souls to the abyss, and the town will weigh heavily on my mind, but I couldn’t look Dax in the eye if we condemned her sister to death.   We almost lost her though. Mimzy kept asking questions, kept pushing and pushing until we were almost out of time. I know he means well, that he just wants the best possible outcome, but some circumstances won’t change no matter how hard you try. It’s a hard lesson to learn.   Mari lives for now. As soon as it was confirmed I did what I always do: ran away and hid. Darius found me soon after and we talked a bit. It’s strange talking with Darius. Not that he’s an awful person to talk to, far from that, but he’s different without the others crowding around. I feel far more comfortable around him now than when we first met and he won me in the contest of strength. Hopefully the others can get to see this side of him too, I can tell he wants to break down whatever wall is between him and the others and do a bit of bonding like we have.   So far the others aren’t having much of a bonding experience. Dax was rightfully upset at Mimz, Mimz was upset at himself, and as usual he and Darius got into a bit of a row. They are both magnificently stubborn creatures, and I think any sort of talk between them is going to need copious amounts of rum to get through. Not for them, for myself. I’m going to need a strong drink to weather whatever verbal hurricane they create between each other.   I admit my own talk with Mimz didn’t go over very well. It was partly my fault, I was still agitated from the Jester and the choice we made, and instead of having a calm conversation Mimz and I ended up beating each other up a bit. Would have been a perfectly fine way of discussing things on a ship but on land… it doesn’t quite translate. Hopefully we can have another conversation where my fur doesn’t end up stuck to him and we don’t punch each other as much.   Mimz disappeared to find Dax and I wound up with Darius again. We work well together regardless of the fact that I’m his servant. Still not sure about that whole arrangement… when we tried to meet up with Dax and Mimz we discovered they went through some magical portal to who knows where, leaving behind a bunch of suspicious foliage. Instead of going after them Darius and I kept watch on a nearby roof where I finally got to talk to him about all my questions regarding dragons. We also discussed some rather sappy matters of the heart, where I learned that he was betrothed to a fine woman named Ursa. She sounds like a perfect match to Darius, although if her temper is anything like as he states then we’re all in for it if she makes an unexpected appearance.   After that I must have fallen asleep or something because suddenly he was poking me awake and Dax and Mimz were back. They had gone to some magical land to speak with a fairy king or something, someone named Malamor, and Dax received a vision and an unknown scroll. Mimz didn’t take the king’s offer, which was a surprise, but his reasons were fair.   We had barely gathered everyone together when we noticed that the town was… silent. Not empty, the people were still there, but they were frozen in a dreamlike state and covered in these awful spiderwebs. Mimz got entranced and we barely managed to get him out of it. Looked horrible, I don’t have any plans to be ensnared myself.   Another group of adventurers showed up and dispelled most of the webs in a big show of flashy magic. There was a gigantic paladin (who I desperately wished Darius had got into a tussle with, would have been a sight to see), a dragonborn scholar, an elf who was definitely way too far out of my league, and… a kobold servant who made me very uncomfortable. I hope that strangers don’t look at me and see me that way. Just because I’m a servant doesn’t mean I don’t have a shred of dignity.   They were searching for a ‘Dreamcatcher’, a faceless man who is working with the Jester. He was responsible for the webs around town. We exchanged information with the group, along with a few dubious looks, and parted ways, not quite allies but also not enemies, with is good enough for me. They gave us all a parting gift of a potion of Master Restoration, which is nothing to sneeze at.   We quickly sorted ourselves out and started the journey to Dervia, where the ball will be held. Mari and the Jester will be there, as will the right big problem lady, Talion, and most likely various other folks we’ve encountered. There’s supposed to be some sort of peace treaty signed but I’m doubtful of the outcome.   Speaking of previous folks we’ve encountered we found ourselves outside of Esparte, where we were met by a most terrifying sight. The words ‘where’s my son in law’ barely had time to register before Brauka’s father- Chief Jolbraak- made an unexpected appearance. I couldn’t hide from him this time, not like the last time we encountered one another, but thankfully he wasn’t in the mood to tear off my limbs for sullying his daughter.   No, our meeting was much more solemn. He informed us that Brauka was deathly ill with a wasting disease. She and the unborn child were in terrible danger, to such an extent that even Chief Jolbraak didn’t know what to do. He didn’t waste time telling me that he had no idea what his daughter saw in me, a fair statement seeing as I have no idea either.   It didn’t take time to convince the others that we had to go see her. The ball is swiftly approaching but so was Brauka’s impending death. It took four days to reach her. Four long, terrible, agonizing days. Never have I had so much time to think about the demise of someone I care for. I had plenty of time to make up my mind regarding my situation and loyalties to Brauka, and by the time we made it I knew what I needed to do.   Brauka was still alive. Barely, but she was still with me. I gave her the potion of Master Restoration and it worked. By the gods she lives, along with our unborn child. I could have collapsed right then and there in relief even with the rest of the crew staring at me, I don’t care how desperate I looked. She lives.   Then suddenly Mimz’s voice was in my head and once more the world came crashing down around me. He told me that the baby was cursed, cursed like me. Somehow he used magic to tell. I have to believe him, why would he possibly make it up? And it makes sense, me being cursed. I still don’t know what the curse is, beyond that it makes any ship I sail upon meet a watery end, along with the unfortunate crew, leaving me alive, but I suspect it started with dad. Maybe even grandpa, he was a sailor before him.   And now… now my child, my Sam, is cursed with it too.   Darius assured me that we would find a way to end this curse. I have to believe him. For the sake of the kid we have to find a way to break it, because they will undoubtedly be called to the sea like I have, like my dad before me, and the cycle will continue.   I spent the night at Brauka’s bedside. She was still sleeping, still recovering, so I wrote her a letter telling her that, if she would be willing to have me, I would return to her as soon as I was finished with this hero business. It’s better if I sort myself out before trying to be a proper husband and father. According to the orcs we’re already betrothed or something after spending that night together, I have no idea what that means, but I’m not about to ask for risk of Jolbraak remembering that he still wants to rip my tail off.   Again I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew we were back in the red sand dream. The hero’s dream. This time we were in a cathedral with many statues, even with statues of us. I don’t like how much prophecy and destiny is involved, but it seems that no matter how much I complain it’s going to happen.   Then the Jester showed up. He proceeded to give a long speech about how he was a hero (maybe) and that he was helping us grow (I think) and how the choices we made were disappointing (probably). I tried not to listen too much, as it was just a dream. He couldn’t hurt us in a dream, right?   Apparently he could. A fight ensued. I turned tail and ran for the open door before I could get hurt. I thought if I could wake up I could then wake up the others, since they were being pummeled by the Jester, but instead of waking up I wound up in another room entirely.   There were hourglasses everywhere. The very room was a container for time itself. There was even a giant hourglass with a diamond very similar to the one that Brauka gave me, and before me was a box with the note “To one who has yet to bear the mantle”. A little too on the nose if you ask me, but I wasn’t about to ignore an incredibly obvious offering.   Inside the box was… well, I’m not too sure. It’s something far more powerful than what I should be entrusted with, that’s for certain, but I’m not about to be giving it away to someone else. It’s about time I had a powerful artifact of my own. Hopefully I don’t mess anybody or anything up with it though, even I know that it’s dangerous to play around with this sort of thing. Have to admit that the possibilities could be a lot of fun once I get the hang of it.   Although when I activated it nothing seemed to happen. There was a commotion but before I could see what was happening I woke up next to Brauka, still clutching the gift. Immediately I shoved it in my bag, praying that it didn’t go off and mess up all the healing the potion had done. Not too keen on undoing everything I had just accomplished. She was still sleeping and remained asleep by the time Darius came around to collect me.   It took everything in me to leave Brauka’s side but I know I’ll be seeing her again. Our individual paths in life seem determined to cross at every chance we get. Hopefully… someday soon, I’ll be able to tell her how I feel about her in person instead of writing her all these letters.   I’m not going to tell the others what I found. Not yet. First I want to see what I can do with it. Besides, they got enough to focus on, since the dragon egg finally hatched! It’s a spindly little creature. Not sure how it will be able to grow into a proper big beastie but if anyone can figure it out, it’s Darius. The man’s got a knack for figuring out how to make a creature strong.   For now I leave Brauka behind. Watching her hut disappear on the horizon leaves me feeling hollow and a little lost, but I’ve got my crew to keep me afloat and on the right path. We’re headed to the ball, where we’ll undoubtedly find trouble, but hopefully we’ll be able to have some fun as well. I asked Jimmy for advice on how to be a proper gentleman and he said to do everything I wouldn’t do, so I’ve got a lot of work cut out for me.

Turbulent Tides, Calm Waters

Apparently death isn’t as permanent as I thought. Or at the very least it’s not permanent when it comes to Darius. The man’s alive and up walking around as if nothing’s happened, although after what I’ve seen I’m not entirely sure that’s the case.   The White Baron is a strange and powerful man. I don’t trust him but I couldn’t deny what I was seeing with my own eyes. Darius had been brought back from the dead, although his body was frozen and he could only move his eyeballs at first. We were told that he would thaw and be much more amiable in the morning so everyone decided to go to bed (although Mimz was very adamant about taking a walk with everybody, lad sure likes to go for strolls at the strangest of times). I couldn’t leave Darius alone like that, not alone in the dark after being pulled back from the abyss, so I took my leave and crept back down to the crypt. It wasn’t hard to get past the guards but before I could get close I was interrupted by a horrible sight.   There was a… thing standing over Darius. A cloaked creature, hooded and tall and terrible and terrifying, wielding a scythe with some sort of bird on it. It was talking to Darius, telling him he “will not fail”, and asking him if his friends were “making you weak or strong”. Darius, of course, couldn’t respond, so the creature zapped him with powerful lightning. The screams Darius let out still ring in my ears, along with the cold, creeping voice that kept demanding answers of him. Once it was finished it turned its face to me and searched the room with blind eyes. How I escaped this horrible thing’s notice is beyond me but I am forever thankful that I did.   As soon as it left I made my way to Darius, who was no longer looking around. The egg was glowing though so I sat it next to him in the hopes that maybe it would help. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew Talion was trying to steer me back to our room. There was no way I was leaving Darius to face that thing alone again, not when we had just gotten him back from the dark abyss, so I ended up spending the night in the storage closet, still nearby but a little more secure. As far as closets go it really wasn’t that bad, if a little lonely.   When I stumbled out of the closet the next morning the rest of the crew was there, and as a group we checked on Darius again. At first it seemed as if the zappy lightning creature had done him in and wiped his memory, but then the roar of delight and the headlock he stuck me in proved that no, Darius was back to his usual self and yes, he was still mighty powerful and strong. Nearly took my head off….   By that point I was ready to go before that horrible thing came back but we had to endure breakfast first. Mimz kept asking eight hundred billion questions of the Baron and pissing him off, to which I responded by kicking the daylights out of Mimz’s shins, but the lad just would not relent. Something really got under his sticky skin. I don’t blame him for being fidgety, what with the Baron being all mysterious and creepy (also I guess he was married to the Right Big Red Headed Problem at some point, but he hates her just as much if not more than we do, so it’s all right). Eventually we were excused and ready to leave, although I had unfinished business with Ra’Zeed first.   Earlier in our stay I had found Ra’Zeed hanging around outside by some sort of small monument, busy placing leaves around a pile of small stones with a cross stuck in it. He told me that Gloria had erected it in memory of all the lost souls the Baron had slain. She had taken it upon herself to remember and recite the names of everyone before she slept each night, to pray for their souls so they don’t succumb to the dark. Now Ra’Zeed has taken up the mantle to keep the prayers alive.   I don’t put much stock in prayer, never have. But maybe I can start reciting names and thinking about those that have been lost because of me. I hope it’s not too late for them. Maybe if I start thinking of them now I can pull their souls back towards the light, or at least provide them a light to guide their way to better waters.   I’ll miss Ra’Zeed. He gave me some stuff that makes his tail more special (although apparently Gloria was the only one who could bestow the all important title of ‘special tail’ upon a tabaxi), so I’ll have to try that out sometime and see what it does. In return I gave him a letter detailing how to find Rosie and her crew, along with a note from me vouching for his character in case he ever decides to get away from this place and sail the seas.   I’ll also miss Talion. His business is done with us for now, he has his own life to attend to, but despite all the annoyances and flipping each other off we really have come to understand one another. I told him about my name and how I ended up on shore, along with the situation with Rosie, and he offered to help out by talking to dad about some things. Not sure how it’ll work out but Talion is one of the strongest willed people I know so if anyone’s going to find out answers it’ll most likely be him. He also has a ghostie twin sister spirit that hangs out around him, which is strange, but she seems like a nice lass so I’m sure mum and dad won’t mind when they both turn up at their doorstep. I also sent some money and a letter with him to give to them to make up for the fact that I stole dad’s stuff when I left.   We took a teleportation circle thing to Durr and promptly wound up inside a closet. For the life of me I don’t know what’s with the closets but as soon as we exited we ran into a mimic. Well, Darius kicked the ever loving life out of a mimic that was pretending to be a door. Honestly don’t blame the mimic for taking offense, Darius seems to have a personal grudge against doors. Which reminds me, I need to learn how to properly kick down a door, his entrances are very impressive and I could use that for myself sometime.   So instead of fighting the mimic door Mimzy stepped in and started… conversing with it? He stood there for a while, argued with Darius, freaked out a bunch, then we went through the door without much fuss. A strange sight but not nearly as strange as what followed.   Turns out that our very own Mimzy is also a mimic. A mimic disguised as a mannequin. Honestly… when I first set eyes upon Mimz I thought he was an abomination of sorts but after spending ten minutes talking to him he’s obviously not a bad fellow. A little strange, very inexperienced in the ways of the world, but he’s clearly got a soul that’s determined to make the most out of life. Being a mimic is just a part of him and isn’t something to be stabbing him over. Now, if he tries to take my diamond again we might be having a different conversation, but for the time being he’s still just Mimz. I've been mateys with stranger characters.   Makes me really wonder what Dax sees in him. It isn’t my business but she’s got a very special way of viewing the world if she can take Mimz in all his squishy, sticky, many eyeballed, toothy glory and still be taking a shine to him. Maybe it’s the same sort of thing that makes Brauka call me ‘wuvy’, although I personally ensured that she would have an unforgettable time with me so maybe it’s not the same, who knows.   We ended up at the Pickled Boar tavern, which I guess belongs to Darius but is currently being run by… M something. A lady who can throw a man clear out the window. To be fair I got completely obliterated by the first drink I had and can’t remember much about the rest of the evening, but what I do remember is that I pulled off a very impressive door kick that made Darius proud. Good stuff.   I vaguely remember there being a lady who looked a lot like Dax that was giving Mimz the what for. Did Dax cut her hair? I can’t remember, it’s too foggy. Going to have to sort that out sooner than later.   I spent the night in Darius’s room in case that zappy spectre of Death decided to show up again. Thankfully it did not. When I woke up Darius seemed to be in good spirits, which was good, and we had a bit of a heart to heart, which was also good. I got a lot of stuff off my chest that I had meant to tell him before he died- sorry, was ‘living impaired’- and having him know about my situation has put my mind a bit at ease. And learning more about him has made me more determined to keep him from falling into the abyss again. Once was enough.   Not sure how much I can help but I’ll do what I can. For now it seems we’re preparing to go to some sort of ball at the capital, which means I got to get all fancy again (good opportunity to use that stuff that Ra’Zeed gave me), and there’ll probably be some sort of fight. We have yet to roll into a town without getting arrested, chased out or attacked so it’s best to just assume the worst and be surprised by the best.   Right now I have more important stuff to focus on. Ra’Zeed told me that as a new father it’s my duty to name mine and Brauka’s child. No parent can ever be truly prepared for such a responsibility, and especially not me, not with my own unfortunate name, but after talking to Darius I think I’m ready to start thinking about it. The name itself shouldn’t be too hard to think of, especially since my name was dad’s and his father’s before him and so forth, so I should continue the tradition and pass it on. Makes it easy.   Whether or not I like it this kid is going to be mine. I won’t be a permanently absent father if I can help it. Maybe a not so present father in the day to day doings, but I can at least try to be somewhat involved. Maybe… maybe this kid can take my name and do better things with it than I ever have.

Having A Good Time

Okay so remember what I said about life deciding to kick you when you’re down and slap you wide awake? I’m very wide awake now considering what just happened.   Not sure what’s going on and I’m a bit hesitant to state it in case I’m having another one of those dreams again. Seem to be dreaming a lot lately and a lot of those dreams aren’t my own. Very difficult to keep track of the dreams that belong in my head and the ones that belong to someone else.   Anyways again I got to start from the beginning or I’ll forget where I am, sure have been doing a lot more activities these days since I joined up with this crew, this crew that still doesn’t have a name despite me asking every other day. Talion calls us ‘heroes’ but I’ve never been called that in my life and I don’t know if I like being called it now. Hard to feel like a hero after some of the things that have happened before.   Talion is hanging around with us now. He’s a strange fellow. Likes secrets. I told him my actual name and he’s just… keeping it, keeping the knowledge for who knows what purpose. It’s just a name really, I shouldn’t be on edge about it, but something about the feeling of him knowing makes me all jumpy.   Although I have to admit maybe he’s not all bad. He did help me sort through some of the bad stuff right after Darius died. I talked to him a bit about the abyss, that dark place that everyone sinks into, and while he didn’t exactly have cheerful words of wisdom he did have an understanding that not all folks have. He too has the guilt of being left alive. He’s also lost all of his friends and been left alone to deal with it.   Talion said he thought I was capable of greater things. Strange words. Strange man. Even if he wants to know all of our secrets I can’t help but like him a little. At the very least it’s fun to aggravate him. He keeps wanting to know about the egg Darius left behind but that is one secret I will not be divulging. That was Darius’s business and now it’s mine.   Well… it was mine…   Mimz and Dax got all cozy in the camp, they’re an odd pair but it seems to be working. I can’t be judging much since I’m now fathering a half orc child (still need to figure that one out later), but I can’t help but wonder just how those two are going to work out in the future. Love can be the most complicated business a fellow can have. Both a blessing and a curse.   Wound up freaking out a bit and having a private chat with Mimz once everyone else went about their own business. Ended up telling him about my previous crews, the ones that didn’t make it, along with the fact that I may as well have killed Darius too, and really I have to wonder just why Mimz still tolerates having me around. He’s a strange one too. Keeps saying how dangerous he is and then had the gall to challenge me, to tempt the fates that seem to haunt me, saying that he’ll find some magic spell or something to deal with the trouble that comes with knowing me.   Sometimes I wonder how I get so lucky. Mimz is a good guy. Strange, naive, also weirdly sticky, but good. Although he wrote me a letter and stuck it under my head while I was asleep so I’ll have to keep an eye on him. Don’t want him interrupting me during a private moment or something.   After we all finally fell asleep we were once again having a shared dream. I hate them. I hate dreaming in the first place, my mind always goes to the abyss, but now having to share other people’s nightmares just makes it worse. This time it was Talion. We got to watch what happened to his previous crew and get a glimpse of what fate awaits us. Some guy apparently is coming after us (not the same as the fire genasi lady who is also after us, really, what’s with these guys), or at least coming after those who ‘took up the mantle’.   Talion said I would soon have to make that choice. To take up the mantle. I can barely decide what I’m doing on a given day, let alone figure out if I want to be saving the world or whatever the agreement entails. My dad always told me never to sign a document or make an agreement without knowing the exact terms, especially if you have to use your true name, so I’ve never been one to make steadfast agreements.   Yet I’m still with this crew. Something’s keeping me here and I don’t know what. Can’t go back to Rosie yet. Not a good time. She wouldn’t want me back so soon anyways, not until she finds a proper ship and crew. And then… well, it’s not worth thinking about right now.   Once we all awoke and stopped sweating we made our way to the White Baron’s estate. Ra’Zeed seems kinda terrified of this guy, or at least incredibly subservient to him, almost feel bad about his situation. Not sure if he wants to leave though so I’ll not push the matter. The estate is a bit crumbly and has seen better days but the accommodations are much better than any other place I’ve stayed in for quite a long time.   We were able to rest, hit up the spa (with lots of intriguing soaps), and finally catch our breath. Talion and I are bonding by giving each other the finger, he’s a good spirited fellow. Literally a spirited one judging by the wraith that seems to follow him around all the time….   The Baron offered to help us if we helped him, which is how it always goes. Even though I put on the fancy suit I was forced to wear and minded most of my manners it still wasn’t enough. In order to get his help we had to go to this fortress that the Hydra clan moved into and clear them out, as well as retrieve a certain scroll he was interested in.   Honestly don’t pay much attention to clans (except Scarab since that’s where Brauka and my future kid currently reside) but since the fire genasi lady is hanging around with the Hydras they are automatically bad news. Immediately I went against dad’s advice and made an accord with the Baron, resulting in eyeballs being placed upon each one of us to keep a literal eye on us. Mimz did not take it well. Talion and I had a bit of fun high fiving and trying to aggravate the eyes but eventually we all had to get going.   Needless to say we made it in and out of the fortress, otherwise I would not be writing this right now. It wasn’t too difficult to get in and find the scroll… although there was a bit of situation we had to figure out to retrieve it.   Now, I’m not going to say that I regret anything, but maybe running headfirst into the arms of a fiend and being immediately charmed wasn’t the best of ideas. Killer kisser though. Thoroughly enjoyed that. She looked exactly like Rosemarie and wow did she not hold back in her possessive affections. I think if we had a moment to talk things out beforehand and, you know, agree to not kill each other we could have had a memorable moment. Maybe a couple moments. Ah, it’s too bad that the moment ended with Herus killing her in a very gruesome bout of violence. Even though I nearly died from the encounter I really think there was some potential between us.   Apparently some of the others in the crew were seeing some things too. At least Dax and Mimzy were both giving me looks afterwards. Wonder what they saw….   We made it back to the Baron’s estate more or less in one piece and were told that our successful task has resulted in a reward. I told him so long as we weren’t being arrested I’d be up for a reward, so when he led us down to the dungeons I was about ready to get mad, but instead we walked past the cells into a room.   A room containing a table. A table with a suspicious body like shape under a sheet.   Nobody was moving towards it. I didn’t really want to move, but something took over and made me move. Something in me knew what was under the sheet, maybe guilt, maybe hope, who knows. Nevertheless I pulled it back.   And there was Darius.   And here we are. Waiting for what comes next.

The Cycle Continues

It was inevitable. Should have known better than to have thought I was free of this. It’s all my fault.   Darius is dead. He died and I let him slip through my fingers into the depths below, watched him sink down, down, down into the darkness like so many before. I failed to keep hold of him, failed to warn him, failed to tell him my secrets that maybe could have saved him-   but how could it be my fault, really, he told me and the others not to interfere, said not to help, and all I could do was stand there and watch and do nothing like all the other times, why does this keep happening, why do all my friends wind up sinking into the abyss-   Darius is dead. He’s gone. I cannot repay my debt to him. All I can do is hold on to this dragon egg he left behind and hope against hope that maybe, just maybe, I can do something helpful for once. Instead of continuing the cycle of unending death I can start a cycle of life-   Well I might have already done that now that I think of it but I’m getting ahead of myself. My mind’s going in a thousand different directions and it’s so hard to focus. I need a drink.   That’s where it all started. Looking back at my last entry I guess I woke up in the night still drunk and rambled on and on, thank the gods I’m the only one who reads this, what a mess. Anyways I woke up the next morning and had not one but three very interesting conversations with my newfound crew.   First one was with Dax, who was kind enough to remind me that I went and blabbed my mouth about Rosemarie to everyone else in a drunken stupor. I suppose it’s not terrible that everyone knows about her but I’d rather keep that business to myself. Too late now. In return Dax told me a bit of news: apparently she has feelings for our very own Mimzy.   Took me a minute to wrap my head around that. To put it nicely Mimz is a… unique individual. Sure, he seems pleasant enough, but he’s got sticky fingers and there’s something about him that makes the fur stand up on the back of my neck. Yet he did finally give up MY diamond so maybe he’s not all that bad.   Despite not really being the best source of advice for this sort of thing I went ahead and gave her my words of wisdom, hinting that she should just tell the lad and get it over with. The hangover was too powerful and I went to sleep before I could see where she was headed off to, but when I woke Darius was petting my ears and Dax and Mimz were both sitting awful close together, so something must have worked out.   Mimz later approached me and asked for the most bizarre relationship advice. Honestly I couldn’t focus what with my hangover and the fact that my brush stuck to his body when I threw it at him, something is wrong with the lad but I can’t put my finger on it, anyways I told him some stuff and he left in a bit of a huff.   All this talk of romance is putting me off. Making me have some thoughts about me and Rosie. I remember that look in her eye when we parted ways and I don’t want to. The whole conversation left my head spinning and my heart hurting.   So I did what I do best and got drunk again. Wound up punching the local sergeant in the face but he poured me a drink so he’s not a bad fellow, although he went on about how he lost his family and wasn’t looking for a reason to live anymore. That sort of talk can take a man to dark places. Places I don’t want to go. He also mentioned a storm was coming.   Darius appeared and said we needed to get going. I was in no state to travel so he simply picked me up and carried me out of town, collecting the rest of the group on the way. Again he saved my life because we were faced with a terrible storm, one of the likes of which I had never seen before.   No, it wasn’t a storm. It was dragons. In an instant the biting cold and terrible winds howled through the town, destroying everything in its path, sending us running for our lives back into the desert. Oddly enough we managed not to outrun them but found a place to settle down for the night. It was still unusually cold so we all hunkered down to keep warm. Except Darius, who seemed used to this sort of thing.   I never thanked Darius for saving me. Again. I’ll never be able to.   Then the nightmares started. Instead of the usual fare I instead found myself in a… well, I’m not sure what it was. Mimz said it was a shared dream that the crew has (would have appreciated knowing that little tidbit before I decided to stick around thank you very much), and all we could do was experience the dream together.   There was water. Just like my nightmares there was water all around. Darius started to sink and all I could do was watch as the water turned to blood. I should have known it was an omen. That Darius dying in the dream was a premonition for his death in the waking world.   Woke up with the shivers again but this time there was no gentle sway of the sea to lull me back to sleep, only the still, unforgiving ground. Onward we went, trying to reach this White Baron that Ra’Zeed keeps talking about. I don’t know why we’re going to see him, only that he might be able to help us, and Darius was leading the way and we followed.   Then Darius told us not to follow him.   We found a large bridge that would take us to our destination but there was an army on the other side. Dragons, barbarians, beasts, all manner of horrors awaited us. Below the bridge lay an endless abyss.   I should have known that I would cause a problem out here, that even though things seemed to be fine, that we had been through many a scrape together by now, that eventually the cycle would continue.   Darius handed me his pack. It was glowing so I looked inside and discovered the egg. Panic. What am I supposed to do with this?   My last words to Darius were asking him if the bag was mine after he died. I was really asking if the dragon egg would be my responsibility. He made a quip about me not having faith or something and continued on, intending to come take the bag back from me when it was all said and done.   Watching Darius die, watching his body being kicked over the edge of the bridge, it is seared into my mind with all the others I have witnessed fall into the depths below, I will never forget the sight.   I ran. I reached. I held. I tried. Everything I did was to try to save him, to break the cycle. But I could not hold on. I wasn’t enough. The man who killed Darius was about to kill me too and I had to make a choice.   I let him go.   He fell down, down, down, down, down…. he’s gone. Never to surface again. It’s my fault.   Pain. Agony both inside and out. We had to run away. Herus tried to sacrifice himself to give us a head start but Mimz was able to talk him out of it. We couldn’t afford to lose another, not so soon.   If I have to watch another one of my crew die I will never forgive myself.   The light from the egg faded. At that point I didn’t care if the others saw the egg, I figured that Darius’s secret had died with it. Who knows why he was keeping the egg hidden. We all are hiding things we’re not proud of.   “Bound together forever this we betrothed” is what Dax translated for us from the egg. I don’t understand. And now I’ll never understand because Darius is dead.   Somehow we moved on. The golden butterflies from before led the way. Apparently these are also a common sight among this crew? So many secrets. The butterflies are an omen, they landed on me, they can’t be good, not if they decided to touch me.   I apologized to Herus for letting Darius fall. He was far more gracious about it than I would have been. Man’s seen some things, I can tell, yet he still cares. It’s hard to care after so much death.   Mimz admitted that he’s a dangerous fellow. Said that he didn’t want to hold any more secrets since Darius hated them, said that he is dangerous, he’s not human, not normal, might be a ticking time bomb. Aren’t we all dangerous at this point? We all have secrets, all have reasons for others to fear us, to hate us.   I opened my mouth before I could think and told Mimz that we all bring their own suffering upon themselves, what’s a little more. At the time I didn’t mean it but my mind’s such a mess I don’t know how else to voice it. Maybe I can talk to him later and sort it out. He’s a good lad despite his… quirks… and I don’t want to cause him any more pain than I already have.   Here’s where things get very strange. Life decides to knock you down and then slap you wide awake, keeping you forever guessing as to what’s going to happen next, and today it did not disappoint.   We encountered an orc village, a village belonging to a particular group of very familiar orcs. The Scarab markings were all too clear to see, and immediately my mind flashed back to my previous amiable encounter with a certain orc princess, an encounter that led me to possess the diamond and also led me to meet my current crew. A very fateful encounter it was.   And a very fateful encounter it would turn out to be. As we mourned the loss of one of our own we were walking into a celebration of new life. Someone in the village was with child and they were throwing a huge party for it.   Very impressive. Very festive. Very… problematic for me, as it turned out.   The mother to be was none other than the orc princess, my agreeable Brauka, the one that I so happened to spend a memorable night with not too terribly long ago. Needless to say she was more than happy to see me. In fact, she was so focused on me she was able to see right through the disguise I wore.   Never question the absolute focus of a woman who has set her sights on a man, let me tell you that. As it so happens she was focused on me for a very specific reason. The specific reason being a very specific result of our pleasurable company with one another that fateful night.   Oh help me I’m going to be a father I’m not ready for this what the hell am I supposed to do   I had to be sure that this wasn’t a horrifying case of mistaken identity. After we did the deed I remember asking her how our evening compared to previous evenings she had with other amiable fellows and she had said "there is no one else”.   At the time I thought that just meant I did a really good job but no, I was wrong. So very wrong. There is no doubt in her mind that I am the father.   It also needs to be said that absolutely no one in the crew stepped in to help. Or maybe they did, I can’t remember, my mind is one big blur. All I can remember in complete and utter clarity is the very noticeable bump around her middle. A reminder that I am completely and utterly fu   what the hell is our kid going to look like how does an orc tabaxi mix even work oh so help me if it’s a green cat I’m going to die   Then Brauka’s father arrived. In the interest of keeping my entrails on my insides I ran. Was it a cowardly thing to do? Hell yes. Was it the safest thing to do? Probably. My crew could handle themselves, it wasn’t them who inadvertently knocked up the princess to one of the meanest, bloodthirstiest orc tribes in this blasted desert.   What would mum and dad say? They can never know. Rosie would laugh at me, that I know, she’s seen this sort of thing before. Pirates aren’t the most responsible of folk even at the best of times.   As I ran for the hills I ran right into this halfling that we had met before. He’s an odd fellow, very calm, very… I don’t know how to say it, but there’s something about him that I can’t figure out. But he offered to help us out and we weren’t in a position to say no.   Okay, I was the only one who wasn’t in a position to say no. The others were fine but they went along anyways.   Before we left I took Brauka aside and told her I had to leave, which is true, saying that I had to go do some important questing, which is kinda true. I ended up giving her the sapphire that Darius had given me when I lost my diamond. I hope it brings her a small amount of joy.   She’s a nice lass and can do so much better than me. I’m not too worried about her raising our kid since she’s a literal princess and her father will willingly eviscerate any living, breathing creature that causes one of his own any sort of distress. Somehow I also get the feeling that this will not be the last I see of her.   Part of me kinda hopes that we see each other again. The other, more delicate, sensitive, easily pulverized parts hope that her father is off on a nice long vacation if I do cross paths with her once more.   We’ve made camp in some sort of ruins. The others started their usual business of trying to analyze their assortment of magical artifacts and items. It wasn’t going very well so our halfling friend said he would assist for a price. The price being one of our secrets.   Before I could really think about it I volunteered to divulge a secret. I think it was probably guilt doing most of the talking. Darius hated secrets. I was planning on telling him my name before…. Before all of this happened. I feel he would have appreciated knowing. Maybe he could have helped me accept it.   I’m going to miss Darius calling me Whiskers.   Now we’ll never know what Darius would think of anything. Darius is dead. I’m about to be a father.   The cycle continues.

Ugh....

M' head's spinnin' an' I dunno whuh's goin' on but 'm awake and it's far too early for this. There's some damned butterfly flutterin' around my diamond and I just wanna sleep until the floor stops movin'....   Am I back on the ship? No... then why is the floor moving all around? Judging by the smell of rum I guess I hit the bottle pretty hard.   Things are starting to come back to me now.   Hard to remember what was said but I know we all got drunk and started talking secrets, Darius doesn't like secrets, that I do remember. Reminds me of the captain of that merchant ship I first set off on, he was a mean man who didn't like secrets at all, although Darius is much more amiable in comparison I suppose. I like this crew a lot better than the first one, gods rest their souls. Of course, it's hard to compare the two when one crew is busy being dead.   Last time I wrote in this journal we were all in jail. Needless to say we got out. Dax was a bit distressed at the thought of being locked away so I tried to cheer her up but perhaps mentioning all my previous incarcerations wasn't the best approach. Thankfully a distraction came by the way of another Tabaxi called Ra'Zeed, who is now my good matey and apparently a previous acquaintance with this crew I'm traveling with. Ra'Zeed got into some trouble with this fiery lady and had been beat up and starved and locked in the same prison as us. Still trying to figure him out but he said he drank to forget some information and lost a good friend in the process (which I can sympathize with) so we all agreed to try and help him out.   Lo and behold the fiery lady herself showed up and gave us all a good once over. I didn't think it was a good idea to give her my name so I kept it quiet, which was good, because Darius and Herus both went beserk and broke out of their cells and definitely did not improve her relationship with us. Remind me not to aggravate them in the future.   The fiery lady was threatened, Ra'Zeed was freed, we ran, and we all got out of the city sort of in one piece. Something happened to Herus and he became dumber than a sea slug so we had to throw him over the city wall to get him out. Thankfully Darius was there to break the fall, although he almost died and I had to help him out. Honestly not too sure how these folks are still alive....   We were able to escape via the river. There was a ferry we could use to cross the waters (although the ferryman had met an unfortunate end, poor fellow) and we all climbed aboard and set sail with no problems whatsoever, not that there was even a doubt that anything would happen why am I still writing about the ferry there's nothing to worry about let's move on alright gods where's the rum I need more rum   We finally got some well earned rest and once we set out again we met a very fancy, fiery, suspicious horse that seemed to take a liking to Darius. Herus had a confusing conversation with it and honestly I don't know what that was all about, maybe that's a normal thing for this crew to talk to wild flaming horse beasts, but either way we ended up finding a safer path to the nearest town.   After we reached town Mimzy started going off on how he wanted to cut up and sell MY DIAMOND, a diamond that I had rightfully taken back, and that led to a very big discussion about how it was my property and if Mimzy didn't keep his grubby hands off of it I was going to punch him in the face. The others didn't seem to appreciate my point of view and this led to more loud discussing.   Ra'Zeed got a little distressed by the conversation so I had to go and talk to him a while, he's a nice guy really. Had some decent advice. Once we got settled in a seedy inn and started to drink together I knew Ra'Zeed and I were mateys. Things get a little fuzzy after that but I know we were going to play spin the bottle at some point but didn't have a bottle, so naturally I downed a bottle of rum to provide one.   That might explain why the floor's moving around so much. Feels like it did before, when I woke up and felt the floor moving more than it should, moving in that all too familiar way that only meant one thing, one terrible thing, why did I drink so much and why didn't I drink enough I need to drink to forget like Ra'Zeed what was it he drank I want that too   I got the diamond back at least. Just had to spill my guts and be honest about wanting it for Rosemarie. I think that's all I said, I don't recall if I mentioned why we're not currently together.... Not that that's important, what's important is that I got the diamond back. Darius didn't seem to think her name was a real one, which I find very offensive. My name might not be real but hers definitely is.   Speaking of love, everyone seems to be having some sort of affair, whether it be secret or not. Something's going on with Mimzy, something that Dax knows, and between the two I can see some sort of relationship developing. For now as long as everyone keeps their hands off of my stuff I don't care what they do with each other.   This butterfly is fluttering around the diamond again. My head's stopped spinning for now but it's far too early to be awake. Need to sleep before my mind starts drifting down to the dark depths and thinks about what I might have said if I had truly let down my guard....   Maybe Ra'Zeed will know of a good hangover cure. I'm going to need one tomorrow morning.  

Back in the Brig

Okay so I have to start this off by saying that it's not my fault we're in jail. I was barely pulling myself off the ground when we got arrested, I don't even know what happened or what's going on. The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind of fighting and intrigue and it's all I can do to hold on and weather the storm.   We had a cheerful evening the night before at the mayor's estate. I got to play the song about mermaids and manatees, much to the enjoyment of the crowd (although I noticed the lady of our party didn't seem as keen on it), and made some coin to boot. Once I finished Darius approached and handed me a sapphire. It was a fine specimen but clearly meant to replace the diamond that I have lost. How can I properly explain that the kind of trinket I'm looking for has to be earned and not acquired?   I took it all the same. Why these folk are so interested in my motivations is beyond me but they are a persistent bunch. Especially since they all seem to hold their own secrets. That one fellow, the weird one, literally melted in front of my eyes and nobody seemed too perturbed by it. Is that what constitutes as normal for them? The red haired lady seems to have taken a shine to him despite my attempts to tell her she can do better.   There was some business concerning those kidnapped kids but honestly it's all lost on me. I don't like to see a child in danger but there's clearly something larger at work. Something about a firey lady being all bad behind the scenes and the mayor wanting ultimate power after the loss of his sons, maybe a little world domination, you know, the usual fare. More on that in a moment.   After the party we all went to the inn to get some shut eye. Can't believe I started the day in the chief's daughter's bed and wound up in a derelict inn with an entirely different crew.   You know what else I can't believe?   The weird guy HAD THE DIAMOND. He had the gall to show me and then refused to hand it over. I was about ready to fight him but was in the company of folk much stronger than me (not to mention it had been a very long day) so I backed down. Best to pick your battles wisely. But now I know that the weirdo has the diamond and I will be getting it back, mark my words.   The following morning I approached Darius to talk to him about my situation with the diamond. The man seems to value honesty and was a bit touchy about the fact that everyone in the crew seems to be keeping secrets from him. I told him I needed the diamond for a proposal for my lady, which is true, but didn't expand upon the details, only that I needed to earn the prize and not just have it handed to me. He seemed to accept that, along with my statement that I wasn't going to be running away or stealing from anybody any time soon on account of me fearing him tearing off my limbs in my sleep. Cheerfully he told me he'd rather I be awake for such a punishment.   After that the weird fellow did a bit of magic with his voice that made the floorboards rattle. I did not care for that at all. We were barely awake when the tortle ran in and told us to get going, we had to stop a catastrophe or something, I don't know.   It was a bit of a blur but long story short we ended up in the middle of a massacre. Apparently the mayor was behind some sort of plot to take over with dark magic. The only thing I could think to do besides turning tail and running away was to tell the best joke I know. The one about the urchin and the pufferfish. And, to my own amazement as well as everyone else's, the mayor fell into a laughing fit and was incapacitated for a while. Not sure how that worked but I guess it is my best joke so I shouldn't have been surprised.   All I know for sure is that we were fighting for our lives and the weird guy almost died twice. I almost fell over the edge myself and barely scraped by. It's incredible how strong my new companions are, I have never seen such strength before. This is a strange crew but I'm in no hurry to leave.   Of course... I can't leave on account of being locked in a dungeon with them, but once we're out I'll be sticking around. Currently sharing a cell with the red headed lass. They took everything I own but my skivvies and the fur on my back. Little do they know that there's a lot more I can do with my voice than hurl colorful insults.   I've been in the brig before. They won't hold me for long. Just give me some time and I'll be out.

Welcome to Durr?

Made it to the town of Durr and was immediately met by the aftermath of what must have been a terrible battle. Wounded warriors everywhere among pulverized rubble and debris, groans and muffled sobs and thousand yard stares abound. The smell of blood and suffering is thick in the air, it's been a while since I've been among the wounded like this. And this was the winning side! I overheard something about portals and monsters but haven't had a chance to get a proper explanation.   There wasn't much I could do but play some music to boost morale. A couple victorious songs about battling the worst the unforgiving sea has to offer seemed to do the trick. Granted, it wasn't entirely appropriate since we are on dry land and I don't think it held the same emotional impact it would have if we were all on a ship, but I did what I could given the circumstances.   I miss the rough swells of the ocean waves and cries of the gulls above accompanying my songs. Even the creak of the deck underfoot was better than nothing. Here on land it's just not the same. The land has a melody that I have not yet mastered.   But enough complaining, I've got too much to do here. These folks need whatever help I can offer, even if it's a song to help their minds escape to better shores.

Well that didn't work out as expected

So lesson learned, don't successfully woo the chief orc's daughter and then try to make off with their most prized possession. Wish I could remember her name, she was a nice girl, if a little too clingy. Also pigs make decent getaway rides in a pinch, who knew.   Anyways so mistakes were made but it worked out in the end. Ran into a very interesting group of folks out in the middle of nowhere just as things were looking a little dire (not that I wouldn't have been able to figure out something if left to my own devices I am sure I would have thought of something). The pig met an unfortunate end but I was able to scramble up the tortle man's back and hang out while my new group of friends traded words with the dim witted orc chief.   Really, all I took was just a measly diamond, not even a polished one at that. And I made sure the daughter was willingly parting with it to some extent before taking it, so really, there was no need to demand that my hands and feet and tail and tongue be cut off. In a desperate attempt to put things right I threw the diamond at the chief but for some reason that only served to make him more upset. It wasn't like the daughter was complaining. If anything I think she ended up having the best time out of all of us.   Thankfully my new friends decided to intervene once they were surrounded by all 200 orcs with no easy way out. The leader of this group, a man with a dragon tattoo, challenged the chief to a duel for literally my hand. Or hands. Or rather ownership of me. Honestly not too thrilled about being bartered for like a piece of meat but it was looking like it was my only option for making it out alive so I kept quiet.   The chief's daughter kept calling me 'wuvy' throughout all of this. That is worse than my current nickname.   Anyways long story short the leader of the group who rescued me fought a giant in a horrifically bloody duel, both trading blow after terrifyingly powerful blow, eventually claiming victory, and the orcs actually honored their end of the bargain and left us all alive. Apparently they did have some sort of intelligence between them.   The leader, now my new master I guess, has taken to calling me "Whiskers". Add that to the list of awful nicknames. Why must people give me such names, is there something about me that invites them to do that?   Honestly I can't remember anybody's names right now, things are still a little too hectic. Trying to write this without the others seeing isn't easy but I don't want them asking questions. The leader guy has already asked me what I was doing and why I had the diamond in the first place, which is too long of a story I want to get into. Thankfully he backed off without much grumbling from me but I'm sure that won't be the end of it.   Not that I even ended up with the diamond, although that really weird guy called everyone but me into a huddle and acted all suspicious. They kept poking around this bag that the weird guy owns, might need to look into that when no one's looking. Not that I'll get a chance to be alone in the foreseeable future. They considered tying me up while they all slept so I wouldn't run away.   I'm not going to run away, it'd be stupid to try. So long as I stay in the good graces of this group's leader I have no reason to go off on my own again. Kind of have a bit of a reputation that does not serve me well when alone, whether it be on or off the ocean.   Apparently this group of adventurers does not have a name despite me asking. Also they don't seem to mind that one of their own is the most unsettling man I have ever seen. Any questions I had were quickly dismissed. Going to have to keep an eye on that one.   So this unnamed group were originally set out to save some kidnapped kids. Honestly I didn't help much but it's clear to me that these folks are good hearted people, or at the very least know how to see a job through to the end. There's some fishy business going on with this mayor (the father of the kidnapped kids) but he has offered a reward for saving his kids and technically I was there when they were saved so I don't see any reason to decline.   Also there might be two feasts in the near future which would be great, I haven't had a decent meal on land in a while. Maybe there will be somewhere decent to sleep too, although it's difficult to get used to sleeping on stable ground when you're used to the constant swaying of the sea.   Ah, to be lounging on deck with my love under the stars, with the gentle rocking of the waves and cool breeze coming off the sea to lull us into a blissful slumber... someday soon I will return to you. For now it looks like I'll be spending time in the company of this interesting crew.   Current thoughts about said crew: Leader of this crew will kill/maim anybody and anything to get what he wants, seems like an okay guy though Turtle man is amiable, apparently doesn't mind strangers climbing on his back while being surrounded by 200 orcs Tiefling guy is quiet but shared his horse so he's good Musical lady seems nice although she is friendly with that weird guy so need to keep an eye on her That weird guy... something ain't right about that one... also I need to look in that bag of his
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Character
World
Forlonde
Author
Avby
Publication Date
27 May, 2021
Creation Date
27 May, 2021
Last Update Date
27 May, 2021
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