Skip to main content.

Written By Tobias

May 7, 2017, 3:03 p.m.(6/3/1006 AR)

I'm not a stranger to war, with my profession. I've led assaults, holding actions, skirmishes. The Crimson Blades are well trained and handle themselves well.

This was my first major siege though. Literally watching the endless hordes of Brands slaves continue to meet us on the Ramparts, I was expecting us to fall back to the inner Gate eventually. The Crimson Blades are some of the best soldiers in the Compact... but a horde of that size is just a grinder. I'm very proud of the job the Crimson Blades did against that horde. We trained as well as we could for battle on the Ramparts, and I think it paid off, since we only lost a third of each Company in the fighting.

I consider that a minor miracle, and a testament to what a disciplined unit can endure.

Now though, is a time for mourning, rebuilding, and recovery.

I salute each and every man and woman in the Crimson Blades, and those who fought alongside us.

Written By Valery

May 7, 2017, 2:08 p.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

So many hurt people, so many deaths...
So much blood, so much pain...

Written By Kima

May 7, 2017, 1:44 p.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

Relationship Note on Estaban

The last few conversations I've had with my cousin Estaban have been extolling him to stand up to the ideals of Gloria and the Sentinel; to be a man worthy of his noble House. Since then, he has joined with the Iron Guard...and during the battle at the Seawatch Gate, he fought with exemplary courage. For that, he was badly wounded, though I am certain he shall recover.

I could not be more proud.

Written By Fiachra

May 7, 2017, 1:42 p.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

I wonder if Brand felt fear, before it was over. Can such a creature even process that kind of emotion, or was he only a slave to his Master's bidding? Regardless, our response echoed across the battlefield. The enemy broke our walls, but in the end, we broke them.

So many lives were lost. I'm sure that we all knew this would be the case. I know that in those losses, so many more lives were saved, but that is little comfort. War is brutal. The only thing that makes this one even infinitesimally better is that we fought for our very existence, and not for petty reasons of greed for things that were not ours.

I wish peace in the continued journey of all of those who left this world behind. May the gods and the spirits comfort their families and friends.

Written By Edward

May 7, 2017, 1:30 p.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

Duke Grimhall entrusted me with a command during the assault. I feel in the aftermath that I lead competently enough to help secure the breach with the other soldiers and commanders of Thrax, after Brand blew apart the rampart and the inner gate.

I am honored and humbled for the faith that was placed in me.

Written By James

May 7, 2017, 1:29 p.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

To my parole officer; you said I would be back in a cell by the end of the week. I suppose the siege kind of rain on your parade. I have also been keeping my nose clean, got a job doing chores for the owner of the Murder. A tavern in the lower borough. I am even doing my community service by patrolling the harbors to keep the ruffians in check. Never say I never paid my price to society.

Written By Killian

May 7, 2017, 1:07 p.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

It is hard to know where to begin such a journal entry as this, or quite what to record. For so long I have been cautioned to be circumspect, and to couch whatever was written so that it would not give knowledge to our enemy. But so much of what we have accomplished, of the miracle of surviving this onslaught, we owe to what was written in the past. I am no great scholar or theologian, no master of history or word, but I shall bend my pen to recording what of the battle against Brand I can, for hope that if such darkness comes again in our lives or after there shall be something known of the enemies undoing.

The scholars and the spies, the researches and the diviners, had done their jobs well and truly. Just as they had predicted, Brand went for the Hall of Heroes. Even at this hour, I cannot be sure how they knew or entirely why that was the place he attacked. He just walked through the city, and with every step he was unmaking the things near him as the power leached out of him in an utter chaos.

I was at the front at that point, and for a moment, my heart didn't beat as that power reached me. But as we had drawn our line in the sand, sworn to stop him, so had the gods drawn their blessings upon us. His power lashed against me, but the Sentinel, Gild and Limerance had imbued me with their protection just as each of the others had been so warded.

And so he redoubled his efforts, and ripped mind and soul from me, attempting to scatter them across the infinite span of creation and uncreation. Love well those who have meaning to you, for against such an enemy it is those bonds which are your anchor unto the world..or at least, which were my own. It was not the hatreds or ambitions that tethered me, not the thirsts for glory or the hope of tomorrow. No, it was the love of the family I have at last found after being an orphan of fate for so long. The love of the woman who is the center of my life and being.

And so I endured, and when I emerged whole from that maelstrom, I saw the others endured as well. The gods had shielded our bodies, but it was those who I loved who had shielded my mind and spirit. Of that which the others had, which knitted the strands of their soul together once more after Brand attempted to tear them asunder, I would never speculate. But whatever the bond or tie, it was enough.

Brand..was no longer even vaguely human at that point, and was about his work tearing the world asunder from the Hall of Heroes outward. A multitude of arms were raised, controlling that chaos somehow, directing it to erase and annihilate all that was around him. And it was into that that we charged. Lady Juliet Fidante struck first at the monstrosity that he had become, and the battle was joined. Let those who might doubt the will of Tehom, or the alignment of the Dark Reflection with the Pantheon bear witness then to his chosen Paladin. With a bravery that would shake even the most seasoned veteran, she plunged into that chaos, and drew his attentions. Battled him in the name of her god and as proxy on behalf of all who would seek to turn their passions towards the good.

The battle raged, and the foe was beyond formidable. Brother Aleksei, Paladin of Freedom. Prince Ainsley, Paladin of the Sword. Lady Juliet, Paladin of Reflection. Leola Allentore, Paladin of Groves. Myself, Paladin of Ideals. We five fought and struggled against that creature. Everything moved quickly, but the gods had not sent us in unarmed and as the battle threatened to turn against us and the Lady Juliet was caught by our foe, Brother Aleksei drew upon the gift of his god. The First Choice had given us grant of freedom, and it was that which Aleksei drew upon and stripped away from Brand. By the grace of The Silent Watcher, I saw the truth of what unfolded before me, and as Brother Aleksei siezed that monstrous foe bodily and immobilized him, I could see for a moment what had to be done.

Though my blade longed to taste vengeance upon Brand, it was to Gloria that I turned, for she had wrought in Prince Ainsley Grayson her weapon upon this battlefield, and imbued him with her strength for just this moment. My greatest role in the battle was to see and to understand, and in that understanding to serve as catalyst that chosen champion be allowed opportunity for that one perfect strike, that Brand be judged in trial by combat and found wanting.

The severed head actually managed to bite Brother Aleksei as it flew off, such was the wrath of our foe..

Upon the battlefields beyond, I am told that at a certain moment, and all across the city, the armies of Silence ceased moving. I cannot be certain, but I suspect that the moment Brand's head was severed is that moment, based upon what I have heard from those who were upon the walls.

The creatures of Silence though, are seldom willing to fall and that be that. The sheer power that he had tied into himself in his attempt to unmake this reality..had to go somewhere. In that moment I will admit that despair reached for my heart, and I was certain that we were to be called upon to pay the tolling for the victory so gained.

The Paladin of Reflection though, called upon the strength of her God and by that gift did she turn the power of Brand's death throes back in upon him.

The gift that the Sentinel had granted me was strange, and is perhaps hard to explain. When they say that the Truth shall set one free, I believe the statement must have survived from antiquity when we understood the gods better and were closer to them. It was that Truth which I had been given, to see and to understand the nature of things, and through that understanding to free that which was around me from the falsehoods which bound it.

Brand was the focus of the force that came against us, but in truth he had ceased to be an entity in a strange way, and instead existed as a nexus, the point at which the power and consciousness bent upon unmaking the world coalesced and tied together. It was the bindings of that nexus that I called upon the Sentinel to throw free, that the power would not merely direct into what remained of Brand but into all that he was connected to. I'm told that the Bringer's ceasing to exist was a sight to behold, as that force raced through the mystical connections that allowed him to control them.

The devastation at the site was..complete. The power of unmaking had ripped the Hall of Heroes asunder, shredding every bit of it, but the Paladin of Groves yet had one last gift to call upon. At that place, at that center of what we are as a people and of the history that binds us and in which we found the tools to stand against this foe, she would not allow the enemy to take the victory of destroying the legacy that has brought us to this place. By the will of her gods, and through her call, the Hall of Heroes was restored and righted, and the legacy of our ancestors made whole that we might continue to look to their guidance.

That is, then, all that I can give to record of what has happened, and all truth I can attempt to illuminate of the event. I pray that the gods continue to be with us, and that all people know that it is by their hand we were ransomed from the very brink of destruction.

Written By Alis

May 7, 2017, 1:06 p.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

There are too many names to list, if I want to acknowledge all of those who I have fought beside since these battles began. But I am proud to have been next to each and every one. I pray that Lagoma may ease the hearts and minds of us all, and that we served the Sentinel and Gloria to the best of our ability.

And it's with relief and joy now that we prepare to head to Sanctum. It will be a blessing to leave the walls of the city for a short time, and to finally have vows spoken in front of the Seraph. To all of those who will be joining us, I thank you for coming to see our home. The celebration, and the opportunity to extend our hospitality to so many has given those back home something to look forward to all of these months.

Written By Aodhan

May 7, 2017, 1 p.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

We won against the tide of war.

I was hit a few times, but nothing fatal thankfully. I'm happy to once again come out of a battle alive and well.

Written By Agnarr

May 7, 2017, 12:44 p.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

Wasn't that bad. Wouldn't have minded a demon head.

Written By Estaban

May 7, 2017, 12:23 p.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

We all fought hard and brave, we won and in the face of danger we meet knew people and make friends.
I fought for my house, for my loved ones and by the side of my fellow Iron Guard and a brave young Prince.
It is this that gives me hope for the future, that we have shown we will not be broken and we will not lay down and allow any to walk over us.

Written By Calypso

May 7, 2017, 11:07 a.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

Relationship Note on Anze

You lived.

Never once have you broken a promise to me and I am glad yesterday was not the day to start. You are with out doubt the most dedicated, impassioned and trustworthy person I know. Our lives exist in parallel for now. But I look forward to the day our lives entwine. Thank you for proving your word is your bond.

We burn brighter together.

Written By Calypso

May 7, 2017, 10:58 a.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

Relationship Note on Estaban

Your selflessness in battle will not soon be forgotten. I have no idea how you survived that hit, but I am glad it was not your end. Truly I am proud to call you friend.

Written By Zhayla

May 7, 2017, 10:37 a.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

Relationship Note on Reese

Three times I've fought with Princess Reese against the Silence and Brand's army: we stood together at Pridehall, in the river battle, and during the final siege. And every time I've known that she watched my back as surely as I watched hers, even though she was a Princess, and she had thousands of other people to look out for, too. She's everything a Princess should be in command.

When I was called to help reinforce the Redrain ward before it fell, I didn't hesitate, because I felt confident under her command. (Maybe I should've hesitated, and gotten permission from the Deepwood commanders, but next time I'll remember that!!) She led from the front, always, never afraid to take on the same risks that the rest of us ran.

Lucky or blessed or just very, very good, we came through every engagement. I've fought giants. I turned defeat into victory. I've saved her, and she's saved me, and I can't even keep score any more except to acknowledge that there's a debt there, a debt that goes both ways, and it's not even a burden -- it's a bond.

It's funny how chance took me to Deepwood, to the Marquessa, to Bisland and to Grayson above, and how I could have just as easily landed anywhere else. But I'm always grateful that I am where I am. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Written By Reese

May 7, 2017, 10:24 a.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

When we got word that the Redrains were being overwhelmed, Lady General Commander Calypso and Lady General Maude asked me to head that way with reinforcements instead of keeping my original post at Sea Watch Gate. I was happy to comply.

I took Rickard, Zhayla, Joslyn, Prince Nimble and a quarter of the Grayson troops with me.

There I commanded the battle along with Prince Darren and was honored to lead at his side. The tide of the battle was turned and the ramparts were secured. The fighters I brought with me with were impressively good. Then together with the Redrain forces we went to to help the Thrax.

Shadow was quite hurt in the battle and I had to yell at him and get bossy so he would see a healer, but he did and I think he will be alright. He was super brave, too brave for his own good.

Luca was untouchable by the foes like he aways is. Zhayla bravely strode up to the biggest monsters she could find. Rickard was ever at my side, blow after blow hitting true. Joslyn of the Fidante joined us. She doesn't look like a warrior, but that she can sure fight.


Princess Reese

Written By Sudara

May 7, 2017, 9:26 a.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

Thousands upon thousands of our defenders fell, along with a vast stretch of walls and more than a few civilians. Prominent among those latter are to be numbered many of Thrax's subjects, but there are too many of all origins for us to yet have managed to count, while we are all but overwhelmed with the mass of wounded to be treated. Yet if we simply view our assailants as unthinking monsters, then I fear that we shall profoundly miss the point of so much of this: they, too, are to be mourned for the waste of their lives and the perversion of their hopes and fears by dark forces. Without remembering that they are part of the same dream as us, we risk falling prey to darkness ourselves.

Written By Sudara

May 7, 2017, 9:24 a.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

Relationship Note on Dafne

Another Lycene lady who has found herself rather unexpectedly in a position of considerable responsibility and no small degree of authority. She is perhaps young enough to be my daughter, but I readily confess that I feel a degree of sympathy with her. And I certainly admire the readiness (shared with Princess Cara) to learn the rudiments of the medicinal arts so that she could offer some tangible assistance to our defenders in the wake of the slaughter at the walls.

Written By Sudara

May 7, 2017, 9:22 a.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

Relationship Note on Cara

A heavily-pregnant young princess-by-marriage, widowed by the slaughter of the King's retinue. I might well be biased in favour of her Lycene origins, but she seems to be conscientious, intelligent, and thoughtful. We met at a gathering within the (attractively green-painted) Great Gray Hall of the Graysons, arranged to provide a forum for those of us without a shred of martial capacity to assemble while our defenders struggled to hold the line of Arx's walls and seaward defences. She was a gracious example of visible calm, while also being eager to learn something that would be of use to our warriors in the aftermath of the battle: we wound up discussing the basics of medical care, in some detail.

Written By Niamh

May 7, 2017, 6:38 a.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

Normally I would allow the Scholars of Vellichor to write my white journals for me, but today I am too weary to trudge to the Archives this morning. I trust Aislin will understand if I use her paper and desk and write them here, so I can watch her sleep a little longer. She did not fare as well as I in the battle last night, but at least she was able to walk home. At least the siege is broken.

Prince Edain held the western ramparts! There were some slips, and at times we were pushed hard, but we came through it all. Princess Katarina and Prince Valerion helped guide the ballista with skill and precision. Sir Roland has marked himself as a man I must meet, for he held his own with a beautiful sword in a deadly dance. Fiachra was wounded, but will will live, and like Qaali showed himself to be a fantastic archer, calm under pressure. Never have I been so glad to see Eirlys and Alis as they made their way in with some relief, either.

This morning, though, Arx is a graveyard. Perhaps that is fitting since they say it is the Death's city. The bodies of our soldiers, those of the shavs we fought, have been stacked like cord wood in places and laid in honor at others. We must bury them, or burn them, and move forward with the lives they gave theirs defending.

It is not all bad news. Now that the siege is over we will set out for Sanctum. I will take Muiryn, Aislin, and Joslyn to Downing Glen to tend to the presence there. Then we'll turn to Sanctum, see Alis and Fiachra wed in the eyes of the Pantheon, and come home again. Out of the city, riding with loved ones and friends... it'll be a good rest for the soul before the work begins again.

Thank you to all who fought with us. Thank you to everyone that held their line.

Written By Max

May 7, 2017, 4 a.m.(6/2/1006 AR)

My gaze sweeps the area we called Thralls Lament and I am struck by an enormity of purpose that I can only write about. I can barely give words, much less speak them aloud.

There are no laments here now. No cries or wails. No moans of the wounded, no panicked cries as people seek to locate their family in the middle of this calamity. There is no hurried, frantic teams of men shifting rubble to find the survivors before they are too far gone to save. There are no shouted orders of medics as they labor to save those on the line between living and death.

There is no sound here at all, save for the occasional shifting of unstable rubble. They are all gone. Men and women who labored with the vain hope of freedom through work and effort. They have been turned to less than nothing by the power unleashed by Brand as he entered the city. A power that nearly killed me, and did claim the majority of my men. They are just gone. If immortality is to be remembered by family, then they have been denied even that small comfort. Their families died with them.

I will speak to my Princess and High Lord in the morning about what comes next.

There can be no more lamentation here.

Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.

Leave blank if this journal is not a relationship

Mark if this is a private, black journal entry