This is an in-character log of the adventures of one Alondra Kiernan, leader of the Vanguard of Ar Baile, a small but elite group of adventurers. The log follows her adventures from the beginning of her quest to her untimely death at the hands of Arcanist Fizzlarym.
As I’m writing this, we’re camped outside a goblin-infested tomb. Three days ago, they attacked the city and took off with a bunch of people and some treasures from the Dragonborn museum. Lord Azureus gathered a bunch of us who didn’t panic into a rescue team. One of them is my old bodyguard, Dirk. I wonder if he remembers all those times I used him for target practice…
Lord Azureus also sent his own nephew, Fazha. Kind of flaky. He likes to try bargaining with guys who are trying to kill him. There’s a couple others I don’t know too well, one of which I guess is a waitress? Jennowynne’s pretty good with a knife, though, and she doesn’t freak out at every little thing, so maybe she used to do something else. The last, Nefeari, is a priestess of the War God, and can definitely hold her own.
So far, everything seems just like the prisoner we caught told us. Goblins, nasty traps, and big ugly critters that eat people. Easy to get turned around inside. We’ve found most of the prisoners, but there’s one more unaccounted for. Hayul caught up with us and will stay out here with them when we go back in tomorrow.
We found the last prisoner, as well as the guy we think was their leader, who we killed. We found something on him that points to this whole thing being just a part of something much bigger, though. It was a letter, talking about sending soldiers, and about ‘bigger plans’ for invading places around here. We think the creep who brought the letter got away; there was this gnome arcanist who slipped through a wall before we could finish him off. Seemed pretty powerful, but obviously he didn’t think he could take us all by himself.
I showed Lord Azureus the letter. He’d never heard of anyone called Sinruth or Fizzlarym, but Nefeari is going to ask at her temple. Azureus did have quite an interesting offer, though. He wants us to form as a permanent strike force to deal with bandits and try to figure out if this Emissary person has anything else up his sleeve. The others seem to like the idea, so I told him we’d think about it.
Fazha is such an idiot! He knows he’s the reason I wanted to choose a leader in the first place, yet he insists that he’s the only one for the job! Maybe he thinks he’s special because his uncle organized the Vanguard in the first place, but he has to realize that the others just don’t listen to him anymore. Somebody needs to take that boy down a few pegs.
So, the plan is this. We disguise ourselves as part of the caravan and ride through the forest along the road where the bandits have been appearing most frequently. When we think they might start to take notice of us, we’ll drop back a little ways and look like stragglers, just ripe for the picking. Even if we don’t manage to take any prisoners, we can track them from there back to their hideout and clean them out.
We lost one of the horses in the attack, but took no casualties. Tracking the barbarians back, we found a small village, or maybe just an outpost. Tomorrow we will deal with them properly. I think we’re finally starting to work together as a team.
We have to take the body back to Lord Azureus. I know we should be more thorough about the bandits, but I can’t just leave him here. Not after the argument we had. I don’t deserve to be the leader – what if I get the others killed next time? What if his spirit haunts me over the last words I spoke to him?
The funeral was yesterday. Azureus was so distraught – he’s lost his only living heir. I have no words of comfort for him, and I will not malign the dead. The Vanguard and I need something to take our minds off of things for a while. I think I will take them dragon hunting to the west tomorrow.
We found the lair and were successful in slaying the beast. It was a small dragon, black scaled. We have taken its head as a trophy. The villagers were grateful for the help, and I will ask my father to forgive them this season’s taxes if he can.
Something is wrong. Lord Azureus won’t talk to anyone, and it’s more than just Fazha. People are worried that he’s taken sick like the rest of the family, but his steward says that’s not the case. I will go out to Madame Lestrand’s tower tomorrow and ask her advice.
We got permission to inspect the tomb, and our worst fears have been realized. It has been defiled and the body desecrated. Azureus is beside himself. As he won’t order us to march, I am acting on my own initiative to track down the thief. My father has given his blessing.
Our destination is the Vale of Perpetual Night, where there is supposedly a doorway to the land of the dead. The curse was most likely altered there, or in that direction, and though our hearts quail, we must avenge our fallen brother.
We are taking shelter with a poor soul who has taken up residence near the door in hopes of being reunited with his dead wife. He has given us what warning he can, and some very useful information. The arcanist whose plans we foiled at the tomb was seen walking into the vale. We now know he can command the dead, but we will not let fear turn us back now.
I cannot speak of what transpired beyond the gate, except to say that I faced Fazha and saw that he had forgiven me. Fizzlarym has much to answer for. The price I paid to pass through the gate has been restored, as has my sense of purpose.
A messenger has come from Inion Baile, asking for aid against raiders from a strange elvish tribe. We will march in the morning.
There are two ways to approach the enemy. We will try the Vale of Fangs first, as it seems a better way to approach with an army.
The Ettercap queen’s conditions of passage were unacceptable, so we will find a way through the mountains instead. We found the enemy tower, which looks well fortified but not impregnable. It was rough slipping past, but worth the time we saved going around.
Tomorrow we march for the tower of the eye. My father will lead the army himself, and we will perform our duty as Vanguard and scout ahead for them. The basic plan is to stir up trouble among the Ettercaps and trick them into attacking first, then to attack when they have been weakened.
The bluff was successful – the Ettercaps raided the tower last night, and our army will attack at first light tomorrow. We will begin with volleys of pitch arrows from the canyon walls, then attack when they open the doors for a counter-assault. I hope it does not come to fighting inside the fortress. Either way, the Vanguard will go where the battle is hottest.
This is the journal’s final entry. Of the fate of its author, no more is written.
