Preludes II - Excerpts
From the Journal of Peredur
A House of Glass
I.
"I was not wrong about the blood. Even as a child I remember sensing danger. It is more than just a feeling of unease in the stomach, more than the hairs standing on end, more even then the spiky shivers of anticipation along the spine. It is as though I can smell that rich copper scent in the air before the first ruby droplets have spilled..."
II.
"Amiko Kaijitsu was missing and there was a note from her brother Tsuto given to us by the town gossip Bethana. It seems that Amiko's father Lonjutu, a local businessman of some standing, cast Tsuto out when his heritage became apparent. Tsuto had a plan. This town is full of gossip and traitors."
III.
"The mind is not meant to hold such things. Yet, these images will remain until the day of my death .. Lonjutu Kaijitsu, esta e' seere, that which you brought with life, brought you into death .. Tsutu, it seems, had fratricide (or perhaps merely murder*) on his mind .. Lonjutu's body, encased in glass, his face a mask of blood and hate."
* - Tsutu was the daughter of Lonjutu's wife, but fathered by an elf.
IV.
"Tsuto's journal contained plans and angles of attack against Sandpoint. These were passed to the town militia and preparations are underway. In addition the journal contained references to Nualia, a woman of apparent beauty who appears to be trying to purge her celestial 'taint' and replace it with her mother's blood. Apparently this means turning herself into a demon. Tsutu fancies this could mean a Succubus, but the pictures he draws paint a different picture. The journal also makes reference to "the Quasit's freaks" aiding in the battle from below the glass works; and to Lamashtu, goddess of madness, monsters and nightmares. Tomorrow we venture below to meet this demon.
The Quasit's Freaks
I.
"Torchlight flickers, casting long shadows on the walls of the cavern. A slow drip of water echoes from somewhere unseen. Toska's muscled form in front, Peredur and Oswick follow.
A soft squelching noise, as though moss was thrown upon rock, is all the warning we have. Tooth and claw and tongue erupt into furious assault. The creature looks like a thing out of night terrors and we learn what it means to confront Lamashtu's Sinspawn ..
The smuggler's cave gives way to older stone work. A statue of a warrior holds a weapon. The statue is of a woman and a curious seven pointed star adorns its base. The darkness grows bolder seeming to choke the life out of our meager light. Ser Oswick sings a dwarvish marching song and our hearts ease a bit.
The air is thick with must. The stairs are stone, but cunning contraptions complicate matters. Quick hands, training and tools bypass the terrible traps. Down and down we descend until, with a growl of rage, Korvus, or what's left of him, attacks!
The creature is mainly the Goblin Hero Korvus, but with hideous mutilations. A third arm has been somehow grafted onto his flesh. A bellow of rage echoes from his mouth like the screams of hell itself. Toska answers his cry and flings herself down the stairs, nearly impaling herself on Korvus' magical longsword.
Mighty Oswick lets out a quick prayer and his axe sings in a deadly arc. Yet, quicker even than the famed skill of dwarven armsmen, Korvus fells Toska with a mighty blow.
Without a thought, Peredur flings himself into the fray, rushing to Toska's side, healing magics coming to hand. The goblin pauses for a moment as it stares down the three heroes. Again, battle screams its terrible clash of steel on steel, rent armor and hacked flesh. With a last grunt and a flicker of flame from the potent potions in Peredur's pack, Korvus breathes his last breath.
...
Lamashtu's altar is a sickly sludge in a pool deep below the places of human habitation. The creature summoning forth these Sinspawn is indeed a Quasit, of considerable maliciousness.
Of the battle, I will tell no tale. Know only that good triumphed over evil and the Quasit's freaks are no more."
Peredur's Journal
I.
"The Quasit is dead. The summoning pool's power is depleted. The people of Sandpoint can breathe a little easier. Yet still, I fear the coming of the second invasion .. "
II.
"Shaylelu has agreed to take us to Thistletop, where it appears the horde is gathering and Nualia is performing her ritual. We leave tomorrow in the morning. The sheriff has not yet returned to Sanpoint with the promised reinforcements. I fear something foul has happened to him. Or worse, that he is what I dare not yet say .. "
III.
"The coastal air is as refreshing as it is chilling. The ride to Thistletop will take only a few hours, yet I wonder if we have even that much time. Still, striking at our enemy when they likely do not expect it may give us the advantage .. "
IV.
"Goblins are a twisted breed. After breaching the gates at Thistletop, we came across a group of them who had tied a seagull to a string and were throwing rocks at it. So delighted were they, in their sadism, that they completely failed to notice our approach."
The Lure
I.
"A great dome behind a wall of weeds and thorns. Thistletop is indeed a castle behind and above a wall of weeds. Never hesitating, brave Toska, Oswick, Peredur and Shaylelu enter this once great keep.
The bridge creaks and groans under the weight of numbers. With a great crash and splintering of wood Peredur and Oswick tumble into the murky depths below ..
Waterlogged, but otherwise none the worse for wear, the hereos make their way back to the top and enter the den of goblins ..
A crash, a flash of steel, the twang of arrows, the howling of dogs and the metallic odor of fresh blood. More goblins and their war-dogs lie dead upon the stone. So enter Peredur, Toska and Oswick to Thistletop keep .."
II.
"Goblin a poor servant makes. Peredur pulls his dagger from the eye of another dead goblin 'sentry' and pauses only moments to clean it on the filthy rags the pitiful creature wears. Oswick, sir kick-in-the-door-and-let-the-enemy-know-where-we-are, growls an oath as his stumpy legs are unable to carry him fast enough to the fight.
...
'Enter so that we might speak,' invites the Goblin war-chief Ripnugget. 'Why wouldst thou entreat with us,' reply the noble heroes of Sandpoint. 'My tribe need not have quarrel with thee, twas the longshanks entranced us to battle.' Reply the hero 'But where Nualia?' With a laugh Ripnugget spake 'Why, with the army attacking your town.'
The only reply, is the crack of crossbow and rasp of blade ..
And so dies Ripnugget, War-chief of Thistletop .."
III.
" .. and so dies Bruthzamus, Hero of the Mosswood goblins .. "
" .. and so is captured a dark Mercenary, working with Nualia .. "
" .. and so are rescued, the many nameless captives of the recent raid on Sandpoint .. "
" .. and so dies a foul creature of the sea, though it fed on many goblins .. "
" .. and so is captured the evil wizardess, working with the forces of darkness .. "
" .. and so dies Nualia, princess of evil, already partially transformed into the demon .. "
IV.
"I am the killer of a goblin tribe,
He is the bringer of axe and hammer.
She is the priestess, wickedness ascribe,
'Death to the innocent!' adorns her banner.
I am the wanderer, never stay still.
She, the instrument of dangerous deed.
He, a warrior, his weapon, a quill.
We are the mighty and our foes will bleed.
Amin ken a kena tanya fuin,
A kena tanya manue mi,
Et a dae ie' kenia
Un i' dae amin ca keen
I am the story, the tale and the end,
She speaks with greatsword, with anger, she cried,
He speaks with with hammer, with axes that rend,
She is the murderer who finally died."
---
The preceding were transcribed from The Collected Notes of Peredur by an unnamed scribe of the Library of Golarian History, dated from the Second Year of the 7th Turning. Based upon the content it is well agreed that these are some of the notes leading up to the work entitled Chronicles in Varisia I.
As you can see, some of these sections are later used, almost word for word, within the text of Chronices in Varisia I.
It is also worth noting the stylistic changes experimented with in the journal. Clearly Peredur is still trying to find the appropriate artistic voice for his portion of the tale.
In this section, we can see that Peredur has already started to cloak his writings in both cipher (some sections are literally encoded) and deception (much of his "personal" writings do not actually detail his thoughts, at least, as compared to his style earlier that same year.) It is clear to scholars now that Peredur, even so early in his career, was already practicing the deception necessary to those of his craft.
Finally, as you can see, some of these journals are poorly preserved. Great sections are missing, cut out or obliterated. I fear, without these sections, we will never be able to fully decipher the remaining encoded sections. Yet, still, with every year our scribes uncover more and more that was yet unknown.
