**Region:** [[Locations/Lands/Ishalgen|Ishalgen]]

**Location:** [[Azrakar Brigade Camp]]

**Companions:** [[Characters/Campanions/Sparks|Sparks]], [[Characters/Campanions/Bluey|Bluey]], [[Characters/Campanions/Rock|Rock]]

**Known allies:** [[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Garlond|Garlond]], [[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Anders|Anders]]

**Current objective:** Infiltrate the [[Azrakar Brigade Prison Compound]] and find the missing survivors.

**Original payment:** $20. Still insultingly low.

---

Before heading into the enemy camp, I took a nap.

After everything that's happened so far, I think I'm entitled to one.

I've escaped a fortress, nearly had my soul stolen, grown wings, nearly drowned, and discovered the hard way that wings run out of energy.

I **died**, for gods' sake.

So yes. A nap.

If anyone objects, they can file a complaint with the person who hired me for twenty dollars.

When I woke up, I discovered I could summon an **Earth Spirit**.

That's three now.

[[Characters/Campanions/Sparks|Sparks]], [[Characters/Campanions/Bluey|Bluey]], and—after giving it some thought—**[[Characters/Campanions/Rock|Rock]]**.

It's an earth spirit. I'm not calling him something ridiculous like _Lord Pebblington the Third_.

Rock.

A perfectly sensible name.

Actually, maybe Rock will be useful for tracking. Earth spirits ought to be good at finding footprints, shouldn't they? They have a close relationship with the ground.

I don't know whether that actually works, but it seems worth asking.

- [[Characters/Campanions/Sparks|Sparks]] — Fire Spirit. Still the original.

- [[Characters/Campanions/Bluey|Bluey]] — Water Spirit. Very useful for getting magic back.

- [[Characters/Campanions/Rock|Rock]] — Earth Spirit. New arrival. Possible track-finding specialist, pending testing.

At least my collection of elemental companions is going well. That's something.

I'm working with [[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Anders|Anders]] to find [[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Garlond|Garlond]]'s missing people.

So far, I rather like him.

Or, to be more precise, I **really hope Anders isn't a dick**.

He seems all right, which puts him ahead of a worrying number of people I've met in [[Locations/Lands/Ishalgen|Ishalgen]].

I'm trying not to be paranoid about every single person I encounter.

It's getting difficult.

Inside the camp, I found a document: **[[Azrakar Brigade Command]]**.

Useful discovery. Slight problem.

I couldn't read the damned thing.

Whatever language the [[Balaur]] use, it isn't one I've learned.

Fortunately, Anders could make sense of it.

Turns out it contained orders. People had been sent away to a holding area—a prison compound.

Which means there may still be prisoners alive.

That's good news, in a horrible sort of way.

At least we have somewhere to search instead of wandering around hoping to find somebody.

The next step was to get a key from one of the lizard-looking Balaur guards.

And yes, that meant more fighting.

I'm trying very hard not to think about how much killing I've been doing lately.

I wanted a job. Not a body count.

But if the alternative is leaving people trapped in a prison camp, I don't see a particularly pleasant third option.

I got the key.

I met Anders again near **[[Azrakar Brigade Storage]]**.

We searched for information on the missing survivors.

And we found someone.

One of Garlond's people.

He looked terrible.

Not the sort of terrible that a health potion and a good night's sleep will necessarily fix.

The sort of terrible that makes you wonder whether somebody is about to die in front of you.

He managed to tell us something about **traitors**.

Traitors.

Of course.

Because why settle for enemy soldiers, magical brainwashing, and a suspicious village when we can have betrayal too?

At this point, I feel that my developing paranoia is entirely justified.

I don't know who he meant. I don't know how much he knew. And I am **not** going to decide somebody is guilty without proof.

But I'm going to remember that word.

Bjorn also managed to get hold of a map of the prison compound.

Even in that condition, he was thinking about the others.

I made a copy of the **[[Azrakar Brigade Prison Compound Map]]**.

I don't know whether Bjorn will survive. I hope he does.

If he doesn't, then that map had better mean something. I'm not letting what he went through be for nothing.

I never even knew the man before today.

It would be so much easier to stop caring.

Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be happening.

We found the entrance to the **[[Azrakar Brigade Prison Compound]]**.

Anders has a plan.

He's going to make a distraction—enough noise to pull attention away from the entrance—while I slip inside.

Which means I'm about to infiltrate a Balaur prison.

Excellent.

Just excellent.

I hope he knows what he's doing.

To be fair, I hope **I** know what I'm doing.

We've agreed to meet back at **[[Locations/Ishalgen/Aldelle Village|Aldelle Village]]** afterward.

Yes, _that_ village.

The one I'm still convinced is hiding something deeply unpleasant.

Apparently, I now have to survive a prison break **and** return to somewhere I don't entirely trust.

One problem at a time, Cadmus.

|Subject|What I Know So Far|

|---|---|

|[[Characters/Campanions/Rock|Rock]]|New Earth Spirit. Name chosen. Tracking abilities remain an idea, not a confirmed power.|

|[[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Anders|Anders]]|Seems decent so far; can interpret Balaur orders and is helping with the rescue.|

|[[Azrakar Brigade Command]]|Orders pointing toward a prison or holding area.|

|Balaur key|Obtained from a guard to access the next area.|

|[[Bjorn]]|Gravely injured survivor; mentioned traitors and provided a prison map. His fate is uncertain.|

|[[Azrakar Brigade Prison Compound Map]]|Copied for reference.|

|[[Azrakar Brigade Prison Compound]]|Next destination; Anders will cause a distraction.|

|[[Locations/Ishalgen/Aldelle Village|Aldelle Village]]|Planned meeting point after the operation, despite my suspicions.|

I started today by taking a nap.

That was nice.

Then I woke up, acquired an earth spirit, read enemy orders I couldn't understand, killed more Balaur than I'd like to think about, met a dying man who warned us about traitors, copied a prison map, and agreed to sneak into an enemy compound while somebody else makes a racket.

So the nap was probably the highlight.

At least we know where the missing people might be.

Anders seems decent. Garlond has people depending on us. Bjorn did what he could to help.

I can't just walk away now.

Let's get these people out.

And this time, if there's a choice between a daring aerial escape and a perfectly ordinary staircase, I'm taking the staircase.

---

**Region:** [[Locations/Lands/Ishalgen|Ishalgen]]

**Locations:** [[Azrakar Brigade Prison Compound]] → [[Locations/Ishalgen/Aldelle Village|Aldelle Village]]

**Companions:** [[Characters/Campanions/Sparks|Sparks]], [[Characters/Campanions/Bluey|Bluey]], [[Characters/Campanions/Rock|Rocky]]

**People involved:** [[Hergal]], [[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Anders|Anders]], [[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Garlond|Garlond]], [[Characters/Aldell/Pelleir|Pelleir]]

**Current objective:** Rest for the night and leave this increasingly suspicious place.

**Original payment:** $20. Still insufficient.

---

Good news.

We found [[Hergal]] and the other members of [[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Garlond|Garlond]]'s crew inside the [[Azrakar Brigade Prison Compound]].

And we got everyone we found out.

After all the sneaking around, the guards, the strange orders, and worrying about what happened to the missing mercenaries, it is very nice to be able to write that down.

I don't know how often an adventure is supposed to end with the people you went looking for actually surviving, but I'll take it.

Also, [[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Anders|Anders]] helped make the whole operation possible. He's continuing to seem like a decent person.

That is a surprisingly valuable quality around here.

Turns out Hergal has been getting a bad feeling about the villagers.

FINALLY.

ANOTHER PERSON WHO THINKS THIS PLACE IS WEIRD.

It's not just me!

The village is practically next door to a [[Locations/Ishalgen/Fafnir Fortress|fortress]] belonging to a Dragon Lord's forces, this whole region is supposed to be controlled by the [[Balaur]], and somehow [[Locations/Ishalgen/Aldelle Village|Aldelle Village]] is a cheerful little place offering supplies and shelter to strangers.

And let's not forget the [[Items/Veil Jewel|Veil Jewel]] that tried to take my soul.

I haven't forgotten about that.

I suspect I never will.

Hergal noticed something was wrong even without having my particular experience with the soul-stealing rock.

Which is comforting.

In a deeply uncomfortable way.

We used a [[Wind Stream]] on the way back.

And guess what?

No face-first introduction to a rock.

No accidental experiment involving gravity.

No sudden, unwanted conversation with a resurrection stone.

Just flying and landing.

Like a person who actually knows how to use his wings.

I am genuinely proud of myself.

It's a low bar, perhaps, but after dying because I ran out of flight energy, I think I'm allowed to celebrate.

**Current flight record:** Improving.

**Current relationship with the ground:** Cautiously optimistic.

We met up with everyone again.

And Hergal brought up his concerns about the village.

[[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Garlond|Garlond]] doesn't believe the villagers are being mind-controlled or involved in some sort of trap.

Apparently, he thinks we're jumping to conclusions.

Look, I understand why.

The villagers helped him. They gave us supplies. They provided somewhere to stay.

And if somebody saved my life, I'd be reluctant to believe they were secretly helping my enemies too.

But I WAS THERE WHEN THE JEWEL TRIED TO TAKE MY SOUL.

And I've read documents warning about the jewels, stolen memories, and people who forget who they are.

So forgive me if I'm not reassured by a friendly village chief.

I don't know whether the villagers are willingly involved, mind-controlled themselves, or completely innocent.

That's the problem.

But I know enough not to lower my guard.

Garlond is a decent man. I'm glad he's found his people.

I just wish he'd take this a little more seriously.

Back in the village, [[Characters/Aldell/Pelleir|Pelleir]] gave me an **[[Enhance Stone]]**.

Apparently, these things can improve my equipment.

Which is interesting.

Very interesting.

You mean to tell me I can make my gear _better_ with magic?

Why did nobody tell me this earlier?

Actually, more importantly...

Because imagine an enhanced knife.

A really good knife.

One that never needs sharpening.

Do you have any idea how useful that would be?

I could keep the same knife for years without having to worry about the edge going dull.

And if it works on knives, what about other tools?

I'm going to need to investigate this.

Obviously, being able to strengthen armor and weapons is useful. But the possibilities for everyday objects are what interest me.

Of course, I should probably find out what an Enhance Stone can _actually_ do before trying to put one on a kitchen knife.

I've already done enough badly planned magical experiments.

And I still don't entirely trust Pelleir.

I'm keeping the stone, though.

It's a useful stone.

We're staying in [[Locations/Ishalgen/Aldelle Village|Aldelle Village]] tonight.

I'm going to bed.

Notice I didn't say I'm going to _sleep_.

After everything that has happened, I doubt I'll manage much of that.

Between the fortress, the jewels, the apparent mind control, the missing memories, and the suspiciously convenient village, lying unconscious in a strange building doesn't sound particularly relaxing.

So I've asked [[Characters/Campanions/Sparks|Sparks]] and [[Characters/Campanions/Rock|Rocky]] to stand watch.

Sparks can handle anything that doesn't like fire.

Rocky is made of earth. I figure that's a decent quality in a guard.

Whether this is a good security arrangement remains to be seen.

But at least I trust them.

I still have [[Characters/Campanions/Bluey|Bluey]], too. I'm not forgetting about him just because the other two got night duty.

|Subject|Current information|

|---|---|

|[[Hergal]]|Rescued with the other crew members; also distrusts the village|

|[[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Anders|Anders]]|Helped make the prison rescue possible; still seems all right|

|[[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Garlond|Garlond]]|Reunited with his crew, but skeptical about the village being a trap|

|[[Wind Stream]]|I can finally use one **and land**|

|[[Characters/Aldell/Pelleir|Pelleir]]|Gave me an [[Enhance Stone]]; my doubts about her remain|

|[[Enhance Stone]]|Can improve eligible gear; whether it can improve ordinary tools is unknown|

|[[Characters/Campanions/Sparks|Sparks]]|Assigned to watch while I rest|

|[[Characters/Campanions/Rock|Rock]]|Now also called Rocky; assigned to watch with Sparks|

|[[Characters/Campanions/Bluey|Bluey]]|Still one of my companions|

|[[Locations/Ishalgen/Aldelle Village|Aldelle Village]]|Where we're spending the night, despite the worrying evidence|

Today we rescued people.

That's what matters.

Hergal and the others are out, Garlond has his people back, and I managed to fly without dying.

Three good things.

That's practically a record.

Unfortunately, we're sleeping in a village that I increasingly suspect is some sort of trap, and the man we rescued doesn't agree with me.

Still, I'll take the victories where I can get them.

If nothing happens tonight, perhaps tomorrow we can finally get moving toward home.

And maybe I'll find out whether magic can make a knife that never needs sharpening.

Honestly, that might be the most useful discovery I've made since learning I can summon spirits.

I'm going to try to rest.

---

**Region:** [[Locations/Lands/Ishalgen|Ishalgen]] → An unfamiliar shore

**Locations:** [[Locations/Ishalgen/Aldelle Village|Aldelle Village]], the airship, a village on the far shore

**People:** [[Characters/Aldell/Pelleir|Pelleir]], [[Hergal]], [[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Garlond|Garlond]], [[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Anders|Anders]], [[Nemon]]

**Companions:** [[Characters/Campanions/Sparks|Sparks]], [[Characters/Campanions/Bluey|Bluey]], [[Characters/Campanions/Rock|Rock]]

**Current condition:** Alive. Alone.

**Current objective:** Find the families of the people who died, if I can.

---

I woke up.

And it was the whole damn village.

All that time I spent worrying about [[Locations/Ishalgen/Aldelle Village|Aldelle Village]]. All the questions about how a nice little settlement could exist so close to [[Locations/Ishalgen/Fafnir Fortress|Fafnir Fortress]]. The [[Items/Veil Jewel|Veil Jewel]] that tried to take my soul. The warnings from [[Characters/Aldell/Elvida|Elvida]]. The way [[Characters/Aldell/Pelleir|Pelleir]] kept insisting everything was fine.

I knew something was wrong.

And somehow, I still went to sleep there.

Or tried to.

They turned on us. It wasn't one or two suspicious people. It was the village.

I fought. I took them out. I did what I had to do to stay alive.

I had wondered whether the villagers were being controlled, whether they knew what they were doing, whether any of them could be trusted. I don't know how much choice any of them had.

But I know what happened when we stayed.

[[Characters/Aldell/Pelleir|Pelleir]] killed [[Hergal]].

Hergal, who had already felt something was wrong with the villagers.

Hergal, whom we had only just rescued from the prison compound.

We went through all that trouble to get him and the others out. We found the prisoners. We brought them back. I thought we'd done something good.

And then we brought them here.

I keep thinking about that.

He was right to be suspicious.

I wish that had been enough.

Pelleir is dead.

I killed her.

I said before that this village was a trap. I was angry. I wanted the threat dealt with. I made comments about getting rid of the villagers.

Well.

I guess I got my wish.

Funny how terrible that sounds now.

I don't feel victorious. I don't feel clever for spotting the warning signs. I don't even feel particularly relieved.

I just keep thinking that if I'd pushed harder, if I'd insisted we leave during the day, maybe things would have gone differently.

[[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Garlond|Garlond]] didn't make it.

Neither did the others.

After everything he survived—the destroyed airship, the [[Balaur]], the crash, the prison camp, searching for his missing crew—he was finally reunited with his people.

They were supposed to leave in the morning.

We were _so close_.

I argued that the village was suspicious, but I didn't insist hard enough. I let the plan be to rest and leave at daylight.

And now there won't be a morning departure for any of them.

[[Hergal]]. [[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Garlond|Garlond]]. [[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Anders|Anders]]. The others we brought out.

Gone.

I didn't even know most of them for very long.

That doesn't make it any better.

I ran for the airship.

I was the only one who got out.

I finally reached it. After all that talk about finding a way home, here it was: a ship that could take me away from [[Locations/Lands/Ishalgen|Ishalgen]].

No Garlond to steer it. No crew to celebrate escaping. No one left to argue with me about whether the village was safe.

Just me.

I managed to get airborne.

And then the damn ship got shot down.

Of course it did.

I survived a village full of enemies only to lose my escape route in the sky.

Somehow, I made it into the water and swam until I reached shore.

I don't know how much more of this I can take.

There was another village on the shore.

And there I saw **her**.

The woman who got me out of [[Locations/Ishalgen/Fafnir Fortress|Fafnir Fortress]] at the very beginning of this whole mess.

The one I couldn't put a name to.

Her name is **[[Nemon]]**.

So that's one answer, at least.

I found her again.

I got out.

But the others didn't.

Fuck.

So many dead.

I keep thinking about [[Bjorn]], the injured man who helped us find the prison map. About Hergal's suspicions. About how happy Garlond must have been when we found his people alive.

I keep thinking about how they were supposed to leave at dawn.

I should have pushed. I should have said we were leaving immediately. I should have refused to sleep there.

I know I couldn't have known exactly what would happen.

But I _knew_ something was wrong.

And I stayed.

Now I can only hope I find their families.

They deserve to know what happened.

They deserve to know that the people they loved weren't forgotten, that someone tried to get them out, and that they came so close.

I don't know how I'm supposed to tell them.

But I want to try.

|Name or place|What happened|

|---|---|

|[[Locations/Ishalgen/Aldelle Village|Aldelle Village]]|The villagers attacked us during the night. I fought them and escaped.|

|[[Characters/Aldell/Pelleir|Pelleir]]|Killed Hergal. I killed her.|

|[[Hergal]]|Rescued from captivity, then killed in the village. He had warned that something was wrong.|

|[[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Garlond|Garlond]]|Died after being reunited with his missing crew.|

|[[Characters/Garlond's Crew/Anders|Anders]] and the others|Lost during the attack; I was the only one to escape.|

|Airship|I escaped aboard it, but it was shot down.|

|[[Nemon]]|The mysterious woman who saved me at Fafnir Fortress. I met her again after swimming ashore.|

|Families of the crew|I want to find them and tell them what happened.|

I spent so long joking about the twenty dollars.

The terrible pay. The bad clothes. The ridiculous dangers. The people who wouldn't explain anything to me.

I thought if I complained enough, maybe all this would eventually make sense.

But there isn't a joke for this.

Garlond wanted to save his people.

We saved them.

And then they died anyway.

I made it out of [[Locations/Lands/Ishalgen|Ishalgen]].

I found [[Nemon]].

I'm alive.

I don't know why that feels so difficult to write.

I remember their names.

I intend to keep remembering them.

---