Written By Daemon
April 9, 2018, 1:53 p.m.(7/9/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Orazio
He scares me.
Written By Daemon
April 5, 2018, 12:01 a.m.(6/28/1008 AR)
The day one must face the champion of dance herself is a terrifying prospect.
To be faced with that individual as they are also your superior and ally? The stones themselves SHOOK with my TRIBULATION.
Now my bum burns. It burns deeply.
To be faced with that individual as they are also your superior and ally? The stones themselves SHOOK with my TRIBULATION.
Now my bum burns. It burns deeply.
Written By Daemon
April 1, 2018, 7:45 p.m.(6/22/1008 AR)
Do not sit on your biscuit and be too afraid to risk it.
Written By Daemon
March 29, 2018, 4:06 p.m.(6/13/1008 AR)
With regards to today's dramatic theatrics, I recommend all who feel burned to enjoy a tall glass of milk at their leisure.
It does the body good.
It does the body good.
Written By Daemon
March 24, 2018, 7:26 p.m.(6/3/1008 AR)
I feel hallow.
It's been many weeks since I marched back with my brothers and sisters from Stormwall. My body is healed and my will is returned. Yet the scars remain. The ones that are left unseen, burrowing into my skull and leaving a mist of gloom over my mind. The battle had no winners, but it certainly had survivors. Though we marched to the beat of the drum and honor, eventually a battle for survival is all it became. I began striking, I ended clawing.
As we stood on the shores they rained fire from the skies, exploding and taking columns of soldiers with them. Hundreds of broken ships lined the shores, carrying men of the dead, starved and suffering. Yet they fought like animals. Monsters who's only desire was to destroy and maim, as they chanted their master's name even as they died. Those who did not burn covered the sands in blood nonetheless. We left their bodies behind to defend the harbor, the walls, the battlements and beyond. We were the barrier to prevent them from entering the city.
That's when the thousands came. Thousands. They shot at us with arrows and stabbed at us with blades and axes. They climbed the wall by the dozens, and dozens were cut down. We killed. We just kept killing and killing. Yet it never ended. The ones who fell became a mountain of corpses which their allies merely stacked ladders upon to climb to the same fate. Every part of me ached, yet I just kept swinging. Hacking. Killing for the defense. It never ended and with every wave, there were always fewer of us.
We could not hold. We were told to flee into the center of the city and meet with the commanding officers. I was exhausted. I was covered in blood, rain, gore. The air was frigid, it cut through my lungs like glass shards with every breath. Then we were told it was over. The city was to be burned. To the last.
To the last they said.
And every enemy soldier who crossed those lines was burnt alive, among a city already filled with corpses and ash. The flames laid all that was left behind into nothing. It has been many days yet I still do not know if we had failed or triumphed. Most say triumph. I am finding it difficult to accept.
When I knelt before an altar and took my knightly vows, I was barely an adult. It was what I was trained and coddled for my entire life. To serve and to protect, to act honorably and just in all things. I say with confidence that I did not falter in those ideals in the midst of battle. Though my discipline was nonexistent in my combative style, I held together.
But the fear. The dread and anxiety, the stench of death and fire burning away what we swore to defend. It has followed me in my shadow back to Arx. It lingers over my shoulder, peering into the back of my head in my every moment of peace. I feel it stripping away my strength, my beliefs. It ebbs at the edges of my vision and sows a panic in my heart. For all the things I could have done, for all the things I didn't, and for all the actions I took when faced with what was. Death. Hunger. Fire.
When I returned to the city I was offered a shiny coin for my service. I declined.
Perhaps this is not a wound meant to be healed. Perhaps this is not a wound at all. I struggle to decipher what is pain and what is a hard truth. Whether or not my spirit, my soul, my entire purpose is truly strong enough to shoulder the burdens of a soldier. Maybe yes. Maybe no.
I don't know.
It's been many weeks since I marched back with my brothers and sisters from Stormwall. My body is healed and my will is returned. Yet the scars remain. The ones that are left unseen, burrowing into my skull and leaving a mist of gloom over my mind. The battle had no winners, but it certainly had survivors. Though we marched to the beat of the drum and honor, eventually a battle for survival is all it became. I began striking, I ended clawing.
As we stood on the shores they rained fire from the skies, exploding and taking columns of soldiers with them. Hundreds of broken ships lined the shores, carrying men of the dead, starved and suffering. Yet they fought like animals. Monsters who's only desire was to destroy and maim, as they chanted their master's name even as they died. Those who did not burn covered the sands in blood nonetheless. We left their bodies behind to defend the harbor, the walls, the battlements and beyond. We were the barrier to prevent them from entering the city.
That's when the thousands came. Thousands. They shot at us with arrows and stabbed at us with blades and axes. They climbed the wall by the dozens, and dozens were cut down. We killed. We just kept killing and killing. Yet it never ended. The ones who fell became a mountain of corpses which their allies merely stacked ladders upon to climb to the same fate. Every part of me ached, yet I just kept swinging. Hacking. Killing for the defense. It never ended and with every wave, there were always fewer of us.
We could not hold. We were told to flee into the center of the city and meet with the commanding officers. I was exhausted. I was covered in blood, rain, gore. The air was frigid, it cut through my lungs like glass shards with every breath. Then we were told it was over. The city was to be burned. To the last.
To the last they said.
And every enemy soldier who crossed those lines was burnt alive, among a city already filled with corpses and ash. The flames laid all that was left behind into nothing. It has been many days yet I still do not know if we had failed or triumphed. Most say triumph. I am finding it difficult to accept.
When I knelt before an altar and took my knightly vows, I was barely an adult. It was what I was trained and coddled for my entire life. To serve and to protect, to act honorably and just in all things. I say with confidence that I did not falter in those ideals in the midst of battle. Though my discipline was nonexistent in my combative style, I held together.
But the fear. The dread and anxiety, the stench of death and fire burning away what we swore to defend. It has followed me in my shadow back to Arx. It lingers over my shoulder, peering into the back of my head in my every moment of peace. I feel it stripping away my strength, my beliefs. It ebbs at the edges of my vision and sows a panic in my heart. For all the things I could have done, for all the things I didn't, and for all the actions I took when faced with what was. Death. Hunger. Fire.
When I returned to the city I was offered a shiny coin for my service. I declined.
Perhaps this is not a wound meant to be healed. Perhaps this is not a wound at all. I struggle to decipher what is pain and what is a hard truth. Whether or not my spirit, my soul, my entire purpose is truly strong enough to shoulder the burdens of a soldier. Maybe yes. Maybe no.
I don't know.
Written By Daemon
March 17, 2018, 8:05 p.m.(5/17/1008 AR)
I don't like war.
Written By Daemon
March 9, 2018, 3:57 p.m.(5/1/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Ida
It will take more than a flesh wound to fell a Knight of the Oathland's heart!
... But not much more. No scribe, I don't need a hanky. Thank you for asking.
... But not much more. No scribe, I don't need a hanky. Thank you for asking.
Written By Daemon
March 9, 2018, 3:14 p.m.(5/1/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Jeffeth
Likewise, if any of those children would like some tutoring in the finer points of manual labor, I would be happy to assist! While all deserve their good homes and loving parents, but some good life lessons come in all sizes. I have extra sweeps without occupants and I've even written a few showtunes to go along with sweeping the floors!
Now if those orphans are a fan of choreography and dance, then sweet sassy molassy we are going somewhere special soon!
Now if those orphans are a fan of choreography and dance, then sweet sassy molassy we are going somewhere special soon!
Written By Daemon
March 5, 2018, 11:08 p.m.(4/22/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Thena
While my sword would go back to Mazetti, I am endeavored to leave my second most valuable possession in the hands of Dame Thena. The very same broom I've swept these halls of Solace with since my day of entry. May she use it well to take on the hole I'd leave in our hygienic practices.
Written By Daemon
March 3, 2018, 7:35 p.m.(4/18/1008 AR)
Battle comes and the Gods call on those they love to defend our world. As I ride shoulder to shoulder with my brothers and sisters in the Silver Order, I face no fear of death. Rather the only anxiety that racks my mind is that I do the stories proud when they come singing of our victory. Whether I live to hear them or not shall be another story, but if such must be the case, I would like to take a moment to publicly thank those who have aided me throughout my time here in the city.
Thank you to my Commanding Officer Dame Thena, for giving me a place in the Silver Order so that I might serve in all facets. The House of Solace has never been cleaner and truly, I have her to thank for allowing me to accomplish any task that is set before us.
Thank you to my brother in arms Sir Jeffeth, for being by my side in all things. I consider myself lucky to have ever crossed paths with him in the first place. To also count on him as a shield and sword in our shared plight is something I'll never repay in my lifetime.
Thank you to my patron, Marquessa Cambria Mazetti. Without you to offer a guiding hand, my dreams would seem so far away. Your faith in me has been a blessing and a light in the darkness for all my time spent in this city. Radiance will serve her duty proudly on the front lines.
Thank you to my good friend, Lord Theron Mazetti. Good people, faithful people and reliable people are hard to come by. To have all three is a diamond in the rough and I am proud to count Lord Theron and Sir Jeffeth as two of my bestest of bestie best friends.
Thank you to Gloria for guiding this mortal's blade into the darkest times to bring light.
Thank you to Gild for lighting my path and showing me the the honor that comes in helping those less fortunate.
Now I return to my post, to ponder whether or not the North stocks its own share of cakes...
Thank you to my Commanding Officer Dame Thena, for giving me a place in the Silver Order so that I might serve in all facets. The House of Solace has never been cleaner and truly, I have her to thank for allowing me to accomplish any task that is set before us.
Thank you to my brother in arms Sir Jeffeth, for being by my side in all things. I consider myself lucky to have ever crossed paths with him in the first place. To also count on him as a shield and sword in our shared plight is something I'll never repay in my lifetime.
Thank you to my patron, Marquessa Cambria Mazetti. Without you to offer a guiding hand, my dreams would seem so far away. Your faith in me has been a blessing and a light in the darkness for all my time spent in this city. Radiance will serve her duty proudly on the front lines.
Thank you to my good friend, Lord Theron Mazetti. Good people, faithful people and reliable people are hard to come by. To have all three is a diamond in the rough and I am proud to count Lord Theron and Sir Jeffeth as two of my bestest of bestie best friends.
Thank you to Gloria for guiding this mortal's blade into the darkest times to bring light.
Thank you to Gild for lighting my path and showing me the the honor that comes in helping those less fortunate.
Now I return to my post, to ponder whether or not the North stocks its own share of cakes...
Written By Daemon
Feb. 25, 2018, 2:24 p.m.(4/5/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Cambria
As Lord Theron has stated, would it be gauche to ask if I may contribute to hugs and kisses as well?
I enjoy hugs quite a lot.
I enjoy hugs quite a lot.
Written By Daemon
Jan. 26, 2018, 7:32 p.m.(1/16/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Ida
Perhaps, a steel rose? Prickly! Dangerous!
But it would have to be a special breed. One that punches!
But it would have to be a special breed. One that punches!
Written By Daemon
Jan. 25, 2018, 7:04 p.m.(1/14/1008 AR)
Something I've dearly missed in my time spent here in Arx has finally come back! Falling from the sky in such lush and white flakes, drifting slowly to the ground and staying there. A hundred, hundred more of them slowly piling up to create hills upon hills of simplistic art. Nature in it's true form.
SNOW!
Yes, snow. Where I grew up in the Oathlands was quite close to the border of the North, up on the mountain ranges. It wasn't often warm but it was always just a little bit chilly. Snow came down and piled up after months and months. It's incredible, honestly. Some people despise it but really, I think they need to look at it from a different perspective. Sure, you shovel it by the pound, if you get stuck in it you might freeze... But if you know how to work around it, it's truly delightful.
Imagine the lands of your home as they are now. Beautiful. If it rains, the sky gets cloudy and things get a bit foggy. Sometimes the dirt rushes away. But really everything just gets kind of damp doesn't it? It's got charm of its own certainly - but while the rain washes away, the snow adds. Piling up slowly and creating something new from all the ground that exists. Bulbs of flowers freeze, the grass hardens, the trees become rife with piles of ivory. Lakes become rock solid, drawing roads where once there were none. Don't even get me started on Ice, that's an entirely different love of mine that I could speak of for hours!
When it melts, it washes the grime away. It's just water after all.
Nothing brings me more joy than stepping through snow as it falls and trudging along through what it leaves behind. Though it won't stay long, it should be enjoyed by the fullest. Living in these climates you only have a few months a year! Go out, roll in it, wings in the ground!
SNOW!
Yes, snow. Where I grew up in the Oathlands was quite close to the border of the North, up on the mountain ranges. It wasn't often warm but it was always just a little bit chilly. Snow came down and piled up after months and months. It's incredible, honestly. Some people despise it but really, I think they need to look at it from a different perspective. Sure, you shovel it by the pound, if you get stuck in it you might freeze... But if you know how to work around it, it's truly delightful.
Imagine the lands of your home as they are now. Beautiful. If it rains, the sky gets cloudy and things get a bit foggy. Sometimes the dirt rushes away. But really everything just gets kind of damp doesn't it? It's got charm of its own certainly - but while the rain washes away, the snow adds. Piling up slowly and creating something new from all the ground that exists. Bulbs of flowers freeze, the grass hardens, the trees become rife with piles of ivory. Lakes become rock solid, drawing roads where once there were none. Don't even get me started on Ice, that's an entirely different love of mine that I could speak of for hours!
When it melts, it washes the grime away. It's just water after all.
Nothing brings me more joy than stepping through snow as it falls and trudging along through what it leaves behind. Though it won't stay long, it should be enjoyed by the fullest. Living in these climates you only have a few months a year! Go out, roll in it, wings in the ground!
Written By Daemon
Jan. 17, 2018, 11:26 p.m.(12/26/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Cambria
That is certainly one way to look at it, my Marquessa. Another perhaps is that those who can be bought owe all of their loyalty to coin, rather than to any one person or organization. In that regard you can at least be assured that so long as you have the most coin, you too have the most loyalty.
An optimistic view! At the very least those who I've had the pleasure of working with in mercenary companies have usually been rather upstanding fellows.
An optimistic view! At the very least those who I've had the pleasure of working with in mercenary companies have usually been rather upstanding fellows.
Written By Daemon
Jan. 13, 2018, 4:47 p.m.(12/17/1007 AR)
Somewhere in all of the excitement and perilous circumstances surrounding our mortal vessels in day to day life, I have forgotten something dear to me. My shaving razor! Indeed, lost perhaps to time, fallen into uncouth hands or simply stricken from this world by divine intervention. One would think that I would bear witness to this fact -before- the beard had started growing out. But alas.
Curse my poor observation skills. It is the dust hiding in every nook and cranny of the House of Solace, I know it! Foolish dirt, you will not trifle with me for a fourth time and get away with it.
Curse my poor observation skills. It is the dust hiding in every nook and cranny of the House of Solace, I know it! Foolish dirt, you will not trifle with me for a fourth time and get away with it.
Written By Daemon
Jan. 13, 2018, 3:28 p.m.(12/17/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Thena
Take the offer! She's an excellent parental figure! I've never felt so loved since father invited me to sit at the grown-up table.
Written By Daemon
Jan. 7, 2018, 11:13 p.m.(12/4/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Astraea
A Princess from the North who has bested me twice.
Really don't need much more than that as a descriptor, do you?
Really don't need much more than that as a descriptor, do you?
Written By Daemon
Jan. 3, 2018, 5:47 p.m.(11/24/1007 AR)
So much work to do about the House of Solace, so little time in the day for these things.
Dust Grandmaster Armel's figurine collection - Check.
Fluff Commander Thena's pillow - Check
Dust Commander Thena's desk - Check
Make tea - Check
Make scary noises at rats in the basement until they go away - Check
Fluff sickbeds pillows - Check
Double-check Commander Thena's quarters for dust - Check
Ensure the rats are still terrified of my presence - Ongoing
Dust Grandmaster Armel's figurine collection - Check.
Fluff Commander Thena's pillow - Check
Dust Commander Thena's desk - Check
Make tea - Check
Make scary noises at rats in the basement until they go away - Check
Fluff sickbeds pillows - Check
Double-check Commander Thena's quarters for dust - Check
Ensure the rats are still terrified of my presence - Ongoing
Written By Daemon
Dec. 21, 2017, 1:52 a.m.(10/23/1007 AR)
Though I did not know our departed, the mourning and grief that hangs over this city has stabbed deeply. I wish all the best for those who are affected by this tragic waste of who I can only believe to be an incredible being.
Written By Daemon
Dec. 3, 2017, 8:34 p.m.(9/15/1007 AR)
It's time such as these that I find myself oft caught in reflection of my time spent here. Though it was some months ago that I'd arrived to Arx, I must say that I've never had a more eye-opening slew of experiences in all my life. From generosity to debauchery, from time spent whittling away the minutes in the company of friends to being back-to-back against this continent's greatest foes. Danger and merriment go hand in hand living the life of a soldier, but being a grunt is not so bad really.
I give thanks for the good fortune of finding work with my Patron, for the Knights of Solace and their welcoming arms, and especially to all those who have made my stay in this city so much more wholesome. Without good company I fear as though it would feel all this work would be for naught. We always move one foot forward. Never too fast, not too slow!
I give thanks for the good fortune of finding work with my Patron, for the Knights of Solace and their welcoming arms, and especially to all those who have made my stay in this city so much more wholesome. Without good company I fear as though it would feel all this work would be for naught. We always move one foot forward. Never too fast, not too slow!
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.