Written By Sina
June 16, 2018, 4:48 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Aurelian
I almost wanted to get to know him. But I never did. Maybe it was instinct. Reminder to self: Be careful who you trust.
Written By Sina
June 16, 2018, 4:42 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Elara
Lady Elara. You placed your own life in danger, that others might be saved. You were a true hero, and while I did not know you well, I wish you happiness on your next turn of the Wheel.
Written By Sina
June 16, 2018, 4:33 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Sorrel
Princess Sorrel, your voice is divine, and your heart is generous. Congratulations on the birth of your son, Prince Kyrios. May he grow to lead a life as noble as his mother's. I don't know how you managed to do it, walk all that way, so soon after giving birth. But the end goal was so worth it in the end, don't you think? I am amazed by your strength and conviction.
Written By Sina
June 16, 2018, 4:28 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Victus
You may not see me, but I see you, and hear, and serve. I hope that you are pleased with the way I have recorded these events. It is my hope to add a nice leather-bound set of records of this journey to the Thrax library as well, complete with illuminations. Thank you for the opportunity to witness this momentous tour of the Isles. I have grown to love them more than I ever have before, and have never fully realized how much beauty there is within them. I hope Lilybelle has forgiven you.
Written By Sina
June 16, 2018, 4:22 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Carita
It was kind of you to speak with me and inquire about my task. Sometimes it does get a little lonely, being so inconspicuous. Your presence lightened my spirit. I hope that you were able to find something to eat.
Written By Sina
June 16, 2018, 4:21 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Coraline
I stand in admiration of your dedication and it was an honor to witness your deed today. Princess Alarissa gave you some wise advice while we were aboard ship, and I am so glad to see that you have taken to heart. May you find purpose in your new path, and joy in the service of it.
Written By Bliss
June 16, 2018, 4:20 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Aurelian
I never knew this man.
But people wrote similar things to what they are writing now about Everard Telmar when his betrayal was revealed.
Did both of these men have good qualities about them? Oh, yes. Almost certainly. But that is what is so insidious about treason and betrayals in particular. When a violent person commits a violent act in anger, it is nearly unremarkable. When someone acting shady ends up picking your pocket - are you really surprised? A powerful yet cruel head of house turning tyrant?
Treason is all the more cruel because it comes from those you thought were good, because every positive emotion you had, every experience you had, becomes twisted by its lens. No one in the Compact will ever see this man the same way again. Once you know what is under the mask, it's all there, out in the open.
Harden your hearts. He was not the first. He will not be the last. And even now, someone is suffering because of one of them, I can nearly guarantee it.
If that someone is you, dear reader: you have the truest, deepest sympathy I have to offer. If there is anything a simple Devotion can do to help, please reach out.
But people wrote similar things to what they are writing now about Everard Telmar when his betrayal was revealed.
Did both of these men have good qualities about them? Oh, yes. Almost certainly. But that is what is so insidious about treason and betrayals in particular. When a violent person commits a violent act in anger, it is nearly unremarkable. When someone acting shady ends up picking your pocket - are you really surprised? A powerful yet cruel head of house turning tyrant?
Treason is all the more cruel because it comes from those you thought were good, because every positive emotion you had, every experience you had, becomes twisted by its lens. No one in the Compact will ever see this man the same way again. Once you know what is under the mask, it's all there, out in the open.
Harden your hearts. He was not the first. He will not be the last. And even now, someone is suffering because of one of them, I can nearly guarantee it.
If that someone is you, dear reader: you have the truest, deepest sympathy I have to offer. If there is anything a simple Devotion can do to help, please reach out.
Written By Sina
June 16, 2018, 4:17 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Ailith
You have helped me to find my voice. I am inspired and honored to know you. I can tell that you are blessed and beloved by the Gods. Peace, serenity, hope and comfort radiate from you like an almost palpable beacon of the Light. I hope that we can continue to speak of things with regards to the Faith, the Marin'alfar, and more once we return to Arx.
Written By Sina
June 16, 2018, 4:01 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
1/8, 1009 years after the Reckoning
Allowing some days for Princess Sorrell Thrax to recover from the birth of Prince Kyrios, we have concluded our tour of the Isles here in Maelstrom. Today, I traversed a path that the others had traveled before, but to a place that I had never been. An ancient ruin of a keep long forgotten, and an ancient cave delving deep within the mountain. Much of the place had been explored before, but for me, it was all new.
Those of us present were High Lord Victus Thrax, Princess Consort Alarissa Thrax, Princess Sorrell Thrax, Princess Coraline Thrax, Prince Barric Grayson, Seraph Ailith, Lady Carita, Sparte and myself.
Upon arrival, we passed into a two-story fortification with a pair of broken down gates, and at one time we could see there were towers, though they had mostly fallen to ruin. But you could tell that they had at one time been manned. The curious thing about this fortification, however, is that there is no access to it from the sea. So what, one wonders, did they guard against here? It is difficult to say.
Upon entering the ruin, we found ourselves within a tunnel, and we encountered some wondrous murals within the entryway. We lit lanterns so that we could see them more clearly, for the way was dark and not even a hint of twilight shone there. Where I had expected to see the usual terrifying images of krakens or the like that are seen throughout the architecture of Maelstrom, what we found instead was breathtaking.
The murals were a lovely rendering of life in the Isles and on the ocean, and of deep reverence for the Goddess Mangata of the Air and Sea. The tunnel was long, and yet their entire length and breadth were covered in these magnificent paintings. Seraph Ailith mentioned that they may have been of the Marin'alfar, and that the Queen of the Marin'alfar was also once known as the Mother of the Dolphins, which was delightful to hear. We would have lingered over the murals longer if we could, but we had a long way to go before reaching the place where the explorations had left off previously. As we explored, I couldn't help but notice that some of the style of the murals resembled the style of that within Maelstrom, as if this place and Maelstrom both had been built and occupied by those same artists and architects. And yet, here all was lovely.
We eventually entered a beautiful courtyard, where a statue was carved into the stone wall of the mountain. The statue was a lovingly-carved tribute to Mangata, her lovely form standing there with her hands cupped, and water poured from her hands into the basin below. The fountain was cunningly designed for certain, with a drainage system that allowed the water to flow endlessly. We took a reverent sip, and offered our prayers and gave thanks for Mangata's many blessings.
Within this courtyard, there were three doorways, and some of those had been explored before. However, there was one door that had never been opened, at least, not in a very long time. And it was through this door we went, and here we encountered more murals depicting what seemed to be knights in training, either against one another or in mock battles, or even against training dummies. And they fought monsters too; monsters of unspeakable gruesomeness, though some may know them intimately by now, for they are the same monsters that feature in much of the decor within Maelstrom and Thrax design. And yet, the murals seemed to depict these knights as a brotherhood, fighting always together, as brothers and sisters at arms against the endless onslaught of the Abyss.
It seems that the murals and the hallways went on and on forever, and indeed, once we reached the end of them we found ourselves in a space, open to the sky. And the sky was scattered with stars, for night had fallen while we were beneath the mountain. So enraptured were we with our discoveries that we lost track of the time, though of course we surely stopped and rested. Still, by the time we reached that open space, we were too eager to explore it to worry about hunger, thirst, or rest.
At first, it seemed almost like the amphitheater we saw at Grimhall where Princess Sorrell's voice joined so beautifully with that of the choir we heard there. But in truth, as we explored it, we discovered that it was perhaps a training center. And all along the walls there were sigils and inscriptions with the ideals of the order that had at one time trained here:
Honor. Duty. Faith. Hope. Courage. Strength. Mercy. Justice. Fidelity.
These Nine Ideals were written large all the way around the vast yard, which was surrounded by stone benches where one might imagine spectators watched while the knights - for surely that was what they were, weren't they? - trained.
And at the High Lord's command I bore witness and did my duty as a Disciple of Vellichor as Seraph Ailith whispered in his ear. And then he spoke a vow, and he was joined in that vow by Princess Coraline, Princess Sorrel, and even Sparte - now Sir Sparte? - as they dedicated themselves to uphold those ancient tenets of this long-forgotten Order.
And the Gods... the Gods heard their pledge, for I felt compelled in that moment to look up to the night sky with its twinkling stars. And there I witnessed the Gods' favor in the form of a single shooting star streaking across the midnight sky with a scintillating trail of light as Seraph Ailith blessed and sanctified the new Knights of the Seaborne Order. And so now, what was lost to time and memory and the Reckoning, has been restored and remembered. Knowledge is preserved, and a new Order of Knights has been born.
Witnessed and recorded by my hand,
Scholar Sina Izetta
Disciple of Vellichor
**The journal entry is written in a beautiful and almost stately calligraphy, and the script is surrounded by sea-themed images of playful dolphins in gray, colorful seashells, blue waves and swirls of clouds. And within these images, one might notice hints of the story told within these pages of the whites. Images of the new Knights kneeling, of Seraph Ailith with her hair aglow and surrounded by a nimbus of light giving her blessing in her resplendent aeterna robes of pristine white. Near the top of the page, it is inked black save for the tiny little white stars that have been stippled into the vellum, and within the painted black sky is the shooting star signalling the favor of the Gods. Painstakingly illumined into the decorative frame are the words: Honor. Duty. Faith. Hope. Courage. Strength. Mercy. Justice. Fidelity.**
Allowing some days for Princess Sorrell Thrax to recover from the birth of Prince Kyrios, we have concluded our tour of the Isles here in Maelstrom. Today, I traversed a path that the others had traveled before, but to a place that I had never been. An ancient ruin of a keep long forgotten, and an ancient cave delving deep within the mountain. Much of the place had been explored before, but for me, it was all new.
Those of us present were High Lord Victus Thrax, Princess Consort Alarissa Thrax, Princess Sorrell Thrax, Princess Coraline Thrax, Prince Barric Grayson, Seraph Ailith, Lady Carita, Sparte and myself.
Upon arrival, we passed into a two-story fortification with a pair of broken down gates, and at one time we could see there were towers, though they had mostly fallen to ruin. But you could tell that they had at one time been manned. The curious thing about this fortification, however, is that there is no access to it from the sea. So what, one wonders, did they guard against here? It is difficult to say.
Upon entering the ruin, we found ourselves within a tunnel, and we encountered some wondrous murals within the entryway. We lit lanterns so that we could see them more clearly, for the way was dark and not even a hint of twilight shone there. Where I had expected to see the usual terrifying images of krakens or the like that are seen throughout the architecture of Maelstrom, what we found instead was breathtaking.
The murals were a lovely rendering of life in the Isles and on the ocean, and of deep reverence for the Goddess Mangata of the Air and Sea. The tunnel was long, and yet their entire length and breadth were covered in these magnificent paintings. Seraph Ailith mentioned that they may have been of the Marin'alfar, and that the Queen of the Marin'alfar was also once known as the Mother of the Dolphins, which was delightful to hear. We would have lingered over the murals longer if we could, but we had a long way to go before reaching the place where the explorations had left off previously. As we explored, I couldn't help but notice that some of the style of the murals resembled the style of that within Maelstrom, as if this place and Maelstrom both had been built and occupied by those same artists and architects. And yet, here all was lovely.
We eventually entered a beautiful courtyard, where a statue was carved into the stone wall of the mountain. The statue was a lovingly-carved tribute to Mangata, her lovely form standing there with her hands cupped, and water poured from her hands into the basin below. The fountain was cunningly designed for certain, with a drainage system that allowed the water to flow endlessly. We took a reverent sip, and offered our prayers and gave thanks for Mangata's many blessings.
Within this courtyard, there were three doorways, and some of those had been explored before. However, there was one door that had never been opened, at least, not in a very long time. And it was through this door we went, and here we encountered more murals depicting what seemed to be knights in training, either against one another or in mock battles, or even against training dummies. And they fought monsters too; monsters of unspeakable gruesomeness, though some may know them intimately by now, for they are the same monsters that feature in much of the decor within Maelstrom and Thrax design. And yet, the murals seemed to depict these knights as a brotherhood, fighting always together, as brothers and sisters at arms against the endless onslaught of the Abyss.
It seems that the murals and the hallways went on and on forever, and indeed, once we reached the end of them we found ourselves in a space, open to the sky. And the sky was scattered with stars, for night had fallen while we were beneath the mountain. So enraptured were we with our discoveries that we lost track of the time, though of course we surely stopped and rested. Still, by the time we reached that open space, we were too eager to explore it to worry about hunger, thirst, or rest.
At first, it seemed almost like the amphitheater we saw at Grimhall where Princess Sorrell's voice joined so beautifully with that of the choir we heard there. But in truth, as we explored it, we discovered that it was perhaps a training center. And all along the walls there were sigils and inscriptions with the ideals of the order that had at one time trained here:
Honor. Duty. Faith. Hope. Courage. Strength. Mercy. Justice. Fidelity.
These Nine Ideals were written large all the way around the vast yard, which was surrounded by stone benches where one might imagine spectators watched while the knights - for surely that was what they were, weren't they? - trained.
And at the High Lord's command I bore witness and did my duty as a Disciple of Vellichor as Seraph Ailith whispered in his ear. And then he spoke a vow, and he was joined in that vow by Princess Coraline, Princess Sorrel, and even Sparte - now Sir Sparte? - as they dedicated themselves to uphold those ancient tenets of this long-forgotten Order.
And the Gods... the Gods heard their pledge, for I felt compelled in that moment to look up to the night sky with its twinkling stars. And there I witnessed the Gods' favor in the form of a single shooting star streaking across the midnight sky with a scintillating trail of light as Seraph Ailith blessed and sanctified the new Knights of the Seaborne Order. And so now, what was lost to time and memory and the Reckoning, has been restored and remembered. Knowledge is preserved, and a new Order of Knights has been born.
Witnessed and recorded by my hand,
Scholar Sina Izetta
Disciple of Vellichor
**The journal entry is written in a beautiful and almost stately calligraphy, and the script is surrounded by sea-themed images of playful dolphins in gray, colorful seashells, blue waves and swirls of clouds. And within these images, one might notice hints of the story told within these pages of the whites. Images of the new Knights kneeling, of Seraph Ailith with her hair aglow and surrounded by a nimbus of light giving her blessing in her resplendent aeterna robes of pristine white. Near the top of the page, it is inked black save for the tiny little white stars that have been stippled into the vellum, and within the painted black sky is the shooting star signalling the favor of the Gods. Painstakingly illumined into the decorative frame are the words: Honor. Duty. Faith. Hope. Courage. Strength. Mercy. Justice. Fidelity.**
Written By Astraea
June 16, 2018, 3:54 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Aurelian
So many people have already said the things I want to say but...the truth is. When you came to that family dinner, I loved you then. I opened my heart and my arms to you and embraced you as one of us. Even though the circumstances have proven you were duplicitous I can't believe that you were always so. Somewhere, deep inside I think you cared for us and enjoyed spending the time that you did.
Maybe you regretted your decisions, maybe you didn't but...people can't just be traitors or heroes. If anything you've taught me that people make decisions, and good intentions don't equal righteousness. May you find peace on the other side and a new chance to make better choices next time.
Maybe you regretted your decisions, maybe you didn't but...people can't just be traitors or heroes. If anything you've taught me that people make decisions, and good intentions don't equal righteousness. May you find peace on the other side and a new chance to make better choices next time.
Written By Marian
June 16, 2018, 3:28 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Aurelian
I never met the boy, the true Prince Aurelian, that would never become the man. Prince Aurelian that I knew was the man that has been recently executed as a traitor. A thoughtful man who held darkness that I never saw in the many years that I call him friend.
He recognized, when others did not, that my duty after Prince Valen's death had become a wall to keep my heart protected. He confronted me when I tried to denied my feelings for Prince Fergus. Forced me to finally deal with my grief for losing Prince Valen, and showed me a path to embrace love once again. Regardless of his reasons for encouraging a relationship that would lead me to leave House Valardin, this man did good in this act. His actions led to me marrying my second love. Gave me an opportunity to be a mother to three wonderful children.
I can not condone his actions against the Crown and Compact. I can not condone his actions that led to the death of loyal Valardins. I appreciate the actions the Inquisition took to bring him to justice. I embrace my friends and family that struggle in the aftermath of his execution. Such revelations do cause one to question your sanity when a good friend turns out not to be who you thought they were.
Just remember that people are complicated creatures that come with various degrees of light and dark. We must remember someone in their entirety.
He recognized, when others did not, that my duty after Prince Valen's death had become a wall to keep my heart protected. He confronted me when I tried to denied my feelings for Prince Fergus. Forced me to finally deal with my grief for losing Prince Valen, and showed me a path to embrace love once again. Regardless of his reasons for encouraging a relationship that would lead me to leave House Valardin, this man did good in this act. His actions led to me marrying my second love. Gave me an opportunity to be a mother to three wonderful children.
I can not condone his actions against the Crown and Compact. I can not condone his actions that led to the death of loyal Valardins. I appreciate the actions the Inquisition took to bring him to justice. I embrace my friends and family that struggle in the aftermath of his execution. Such revelations do cause one to question your sanity when a good friend turns out not to be who you thought they were.
Just remember that people are complicated creatures that come with various degrees of light and dark. We must remember someone in their entirety.
Written By Coraline
June 16, 2018, 1:52 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Sparte
See! I told you that you were a good fit for this, even the past says so.
Written By Coraline
June 16, 2018, 1:51 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Victus
A new beginning, a new dawning, but what a history to have this brought forth from. This experience, I doubt I shall ever be able to put it into words, but I also doubt I will ever forget. We will do it, and not only shall we do it, we will make them proud, those voices from the past.
Written By Orathy
June 16, 2018, 1:45 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Aurelian
Ain't knowin ya at all, but too bad ya aint' seein how quickly all yer friends 'n family turn from ya and believe whatever they be told to believe.
Fuckin silks.
Like sheep.
Fuckin silks.
Like sheep.
Written By Coraline
June 16, 2018, 1:45 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Alarissa
From the moment I arrived in Arx you have given me opportunities to serve Thrax, to find my place in this great city and with my House. This journey home has been an experience I don't think I will soon forget, thank you for the opportunity and the experience.
And most especially for early morning words of wisdom aboard ship.
And most especially for early morning words of wisdom aboard ship.
Written By Coraline
June 16, 2018, 1:42 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Sorrel
Wedding armor, your amazing voice, and most certainly not the least becoming sisters-in-arms through an experience I still can't put into words. I am greatly looking forward to the adventures we will share together.
Written By Coraline
June 16, 2018, 1:35 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Ailith
You are a wealth of knowledge, wisdom, and humor, thank you for sharing all three with me on this trip. As Victus has already let me have a great bottle of good rum, and as I procured some myself from Maelstrom, we shall most certainly be able to taste Thrax's finest to honor both the journey made and the adventures yet to come.
Written By Coraline
June 16, 2018, 1:33 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Sina
It was an absolute joy to share this journey with you. I also didn't have to fuss all over our wonderful Princess-Consort because of your steady, patient, and very capable presence. Know that I am both grateful for all that you did and impressed by your incredible talents as a Scholar. It has been an honor to meet you.
Written By Coraline
June 16, 2018, 1:31 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Carita
It has been a true pleasure to have met you and gotten to know you a little through this journey. I feel that you helped make the high points that much more enjoyable.
Written By Caelis
June 16, 2018, 1:12 a.m.(1/9/1009 AR)
Today I learned a man who showed me kindness and welcomed me as kin hid a duplicitous nature. I pray the gods steer him right as the wheel turns, that he learns kindness and goodness to atone in the next life for the evil he brought to this one. Perhaps it is a sign, that life so long ashore has soften me for my heart to ache for a traitor who brought so much pain. Where I felt anger I feel sorrow. I wonder if my intuition abandons me? These are troubling thoughts.
May your hopes find safe harbor.
May your hopes find safe harbor.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.