Misdirected Awesome Games.

I now have two bound and gagged pets to care for.

Rand officially slipped into madness right before lunch. He began jumping and gesticulating wildly at what can loosely be described as “a cloud”. He claimed that a red dragon was approaching. He drew his axe and started swinging at the killer .. cloud.  He missed, repeatedly. The actual dragon was more than a little perturbed at the large battleaxe plunging into its back.

I decided to intervene after the second barrel roll.

Since his attentions were focused on the killer red cloud dragon, sneaking up behind him was not terribly challenging. I simply thumped him at the base of his skull with the hilt of my dagger. He went lights out pretty fast.

Mal is talking almost constantly to the our dragon. He seems to be coaxing him to continue on. I have noticed more than once today that we have slowed to almost a walking pace. The dragon looks petrified to continue forward.

I am beginning to think this a fool’s errand.  These people have no idea what they are in for. We are entering a land which seems to be  plagued with the unknown. The last time I entered such a place, I died

Our first day did not go well for some of us.

Rafe is now bound and gagged. That felt great to do and others seem to find it acceptable. I told him it was this or hang from  a rope tied around the dragon’s neck. He wisely chose this.

The others will most likely kill him before the trip is finished. I will not miss him.

The Spring Magicka seems to be very in tune with her art, she even has to the power to replicate her water supply. A talent that could make her wealthy, or at least comfortable. Most magicka’s lost that ability cycles ago.  The spring is so difficult to master and the benefits so few that there are very few masters to train new apprentices. Most prefer the power of the Sun, or the status of the Dark.  She will serve very useful to me on this quest.

Her companion never speaks except to her. This is not surprising. Island Walkers are very solitary creatures. They only come to towns and settlements to trade or take specialized jobs. I know very little about them. I have met two, maybe three in my lifetime.  She being the third.  The first one I met was an elf, his skill with the blade was the best I have ever seen. He could take on three or four battle hardened warriors without batting an eye. He left me alive but with a scar for my trouble.

The merc is making me unsettled. He keeps checking the sky with apprehension.  He is either expecting something or has never been in Deepsky before.  He may end up next to Rafe before the day is over.

Mal and the Kir have been off discussing the “battle plan”. Correction. Mal has been rambling on about a battle plan and the Kir (still no name) has been nodding and listening.  Mal tried to discuss it with me and I wanted no part of it. Once we touch down I will be a better bearing.  Also, I think the dragon is talking to Mal through magic. I hope not, nothing good comes from that.

I have offered to do first watch this evening and make sure Rafe is fed. I now go attend to these duties.

This morning we began our journey. Farsight is 7 days by dragon. 7 days on the back of a creature that with its every breath is fighting the magic that stops it from killing us. I have spoken as little as possible with my companions.

Here what I have observed on our first day as a group.

The only two who seem to know each other at all are Eliena the island walker and Llayda the  Spring magicka. They bought their supplies together and are never far from each other.

Mal, the Sun magicka, is cocky beyond all rational belief. But does seem to possess a control over his power. This is rare in his discipline. I can also tell he will be good in a fight. If he doesn’t kill us all first.

Rand is a merc with the local guild. It is obvious this is how me makes his coin. He is quiet, professional, and always mildly drunk.

The Kir remains a mystery. He refused to offer his name. Yet he knew mine before we met. I don’t think is old enough to remember the name. He must have been told I would be joining.

Finally, Rafe the knave, He almost got us all killed by constantly trying to entertain the dragon. First he tried juggling then telling jokes. I have caught him using the rare Firmament magic a few times. Low level apprentice stuff, but not the usual flair for a conman. He will need both a handler and a body guard.

I have severe reservations about this job. It took a 4th house Magicka to enthrall this dragon to take us. He fought and argued and even tried his own magic against his handlers. It is taking 7 days because he is flying a very roundabout way and will only arrive just at dusk. This does not bode well for our start.

More later, Rafe is trying to find the dragons tickle spot……

My companions in fate and I will be traveling to the isle of Farsight. For those of you that don’t know Farsight is this world’s major source for granite. Stone and minerals are sparse; however on Farsight they are aplenty. The Kir first settled on Farsight after failing in their task of learning Elven Magicka. The first Monasteries were built there, and from all I knew, long since abandoned. Turns out, that was not the case.

Universal Truth #2

The difference between the skilled and the dead is good research.

Here is what I have learned from my sources (My employer was not forthcoming with nearly as much detail)

Approximately half a cycle ago there was a tragedy of epic proportions on Farsight. As I have said earlier the “peace” between the races was short lived and once again we were fighting over control of the water supply.  It seems a small group of Elven and Human pirates (in crime, money makes everyone get along better) had attacked a large Elven corsair ferrying water between islands.  The fighting was savage. Both parties were hell bent on wiping out the other. The pirates had managed to attach their ship to the larger vessel and had resorted to hand to hand combat for control. In the melee both ships suffered major structural damage (human Sun Magicka throwing around power with no control tends to do that). Both ships Magic begins to fail and it’s apparent to all aboard that they are going to crash.  I hate Magicka.

Now here is where I get varying stories. My employer claims that is was a human Magicka hired by the royal Elves. My sources say it was one of the pirates Magicka that did the deed. No matter, whoever did it, the result was nothing short of catastrophic. All Magicka have the ability to.. Hmm… fail on purpose. This results in an uncontrolled release of almost all the Magicka’s power. This is commonly referred to as their Death Strike (It’s why I killed them in their sleep)

As the ship is about to hit the island, the Magicka released his strike. The result was.. impressive. A fire ring 200 feet high raced out from the point of impact. Everything within a 3 menka radius was laid to ash. Nothing survived. The intense heat cracked and broke off a massive chunk of the island. Sadly, it also burned away a great deal of the gas that allows the isles to float.

That island is sinking into the Maelstrom.

And tomorrow, we head to that damned island, and those doomed people……..

I hate Magicka…. I mean I really hate Magicka….

I knew others would be on this job with me but I didn’t expect two Magicka. I can live with the Spring Magicka. She will serve a purpose and will almost always be professional and calm under pressure. The Sun Magicka however are loathsome creatures. Their magic is not earned as it is a born talent. They are emotive, destructive, and worse of all mostly stupid. Yes you can blow things up, that is outstanding. As irony would have it, one of their kind is the reason we are going on this job

As much as it pained me I returned to a Kir monastery. This was the home of one of the High Abbotts of the order. I was the last to arrive (by choice) and I quickly tried to get a handle on my soon to be companions.

A local knave, easy to predict, out for himself, seems to have some Magicka talent.

Common merc, again their motives are easy to predict.

One of the island walkers, not had much dealing with these people. Rumors mostly.  I was surprised to see her take a group job. These people don’t like other people.  Neither do I for that matter, but I know I sometimes need them.

Two bloody Magicka.. Nothing good will come from that.  Magic is a terrible, finicky thing. My wits are reliable, for the most part, a constant. Magic is random. Yes, the more skilled the practitioner the less chance of BoomAllDie . But there is a chance they can kill everyone with a simple spell.  Not to mention they are from opposite disciplines.

Lastly,

A rogue Kir, I believe nothing he says. The fact that he was kept after our group means I will also never show my back to him.

I may have chosen poorly for this return to the fray.

Usually in my line of work, keeping a written record would be frowned upon. When I decided to come out of “retirement” and take up my trade I made up my mind that I would keep a journal of what occurred and what I had learned. If I have learned anything in my over 80 cycles in this world it is this, Knowledge IS Power.

What I learned today is this.

The Kir are way more than just the corpse collectors.

It’s been 50 cycles since the Great Machine finally began serving its purpose. The machine began a time of great peace. It was the first time the three races, Human, Elves and Ge…Dwarves ever worked together. Sadly, and typically, it was one of the few. You will have to forgive me, for most of my life the people who worked the Great Machine were called Gegs. It is now a term that will now get you, at the very minimum, a severe beating if spoken in front of one of them. They consider the name an unfriendly reminder of their slavery to the will of the Elves. Where was I, oh yes, peace and prosperity… yea, that didn’t last. It seems the DWARVES, (See, I can learn) realized that they alone knew how to repair and maintain the Great Machine. However, the Elves realized that they alone could access the land where all the Water comes from and once again gain control. We Humans realized that we don’t like Elves or Dwarves…. so there ya go.

Our world is in utter chaos. Now I am usually quite agreeable to this state, however these new developments are … ominous. I have only hearsay and rumor to go on, but as I set out to once again practice my trade I will have to treat it as gospel.

Now I go to meet a Kir, and see what work he has for me. More to follow