The Journal of a Battlepriest

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Shrouds_Abyss
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The Journal of a Battlepriest

Post by Shrouds_Abyss » Sun Aug 05, 2018 1:43 am

Hmm. Journals. Never really understood the purpose of these things.. but, I guess I can give it a shot. Supposed to help clear the mind and all that, right? Well.. let's see what happens..

Okay, journal.. where do I begin.. Well, I guess we'll start with a quick synopsis. I arrived on this Island over a year ago.. Dealt with some simple deliveries.. well, I thought they were simple. Met the person who became my best friend, and someone I've fallen in love with. At one point, that love was romantically inclined, but.. to be fair, I'm satisfied with how our relationship is. Her name is Alexa Domana. When we first met, she had no recollection of who she was or what she had been through prior to arriving on Arelith. She just knew that she was a Priestess of Mystra, and wanted to help people. Can't really fault her on that.. After all, I've devoted myself to Tyr, and my purpose is to root out corruption and protect the weak. She eventually recollected her memories; turns out she's a Noble from Sembia.. and her reasons for being on Arelith aren't exactly good ones.. but then again, we all have skeletons in our closet, don't we?

Anyway.. I spent a lot of time in Cordor.. met a merchant named Rann McClow. That kicked off an interesting business relationships.. and admittedly, he's still one of the constants since my first days on this Island. Through him, I met Emelina. I wasn't aware of her connection with McClow at first, considering she was being berated for being a slave.. and then that same person tried coming up with some super insane method to try and free her. It caused a bit of a spectacle, but I jumped to her defense without hesitation. She didn't choose to be a slave.. it just happened. We ended up becoming pretty close.. so much so, that when I expressed my interest to try and free her of her collar, she actually believed me.. when many others were just brushed off. Anyway, I'm rambling.. blood isn't what defines family. It's the bond with someone that defines that. She chose me as her big brother, and I've chosen her as my little sister. The relationship is uncanny, as if we always were such.

That reminds me.. I've met her former.. collar holder. Yes, I know it's "Master".. but in that sense, I despise that word. He's not like many Drow. He's actually.. respectful..? Seems to have a good heart, too.. if you can believe that. However.. one of those that he associates with.. is someone I thought I knew. Alissa Duvain...............____________------------------- *there is a series of scribble marks, words being crossed out, and heavy indentations on the page*

I'll get to her later.. maybe.. if I decide to continue with this Journal stuff. There's many other people that I've met since I arrived.. some are close to me, others will meet my blade, and some are caught up somewhere in between. I'll make a note here on what to cover in the next entry, if I get to one.

NOTE(S) FOR ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:
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Discuss Taelina Blackthorn, Brugga Stonehelm, members of the Arcane Tower, Zaravella and Devon, Elliara Wintercat Berenor Silver-Wind, the Situation with The Radiant Heart and Cordor, Vance Gravelle, more on Alissa Duvain, and of course, Silacaladhiel Thienfalin.
Currently playing: Kazen Selizar, Former High Warden of The Conclave, Battlepriest of Tyr

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Re: The Journal of a Battlepriest

Post by Shrouds_Abyss » Sun Sep 02, 2018 10:01 pm

I still don't understand the point of these journals. I guess they work for some people, like Em.. she's better at writing than speaking. For me, though.. I pretty much say what's on my mind. It seems, however.. sometimes those things aren't received too well. Oh well. Ink to paper it is, then. Quite a bit to cover, too. Not like I have anything else going on since I left the Island for the time being. Guess we'll jump right in to it.

------------------------------------------------------------

Well, after consulting the notes from the first entry, we'll hop right to it. Taelina Blackthorn. Interesting woman.. or at least, that was my initial take on her. I met her in the Radiant Hall Order Hall when I was wandering around. She was with Berenor, whom I found out shortly afterwards was her husband. Odd that he never mentioned that, since he had taken me on as a student, of sorts. They tried to play some prank on me, claiming I was late for training. I knew it was a farce, considering I wasn't an actual member of the Order; the Prelates wouldn't accept the Oath of a Battlepriest. Apparently, the words of a Cleric don't hold the same weight as those of a Paladin. Humorously ironic, considering the current state of the Radiant.. but that's neither here nor there.

After this initial meeting, Taelina and I started crossing paths a bit more frequently. There was some sort of.. pull, there. Something that can't really be explained. Even if it could, I'm not going to put it to paper. Who knows if someone will get their hands on this journal. They could use the knowledge of that against either one of us. I guess all I'll say is her and I have become quite close. She's one of a very small cluster of people that I would take a sword for; that's how close our friendship is. As our friendship was growing closer, my bonds with Rann McClow and the Minex Mercantile were also strengthening. Well, not so much with Rann, but more with Emelina. Her and I share.. more than most would assume, in our lives. I can relate to much of what she's been through, and how she feels and thinks on matters.

There was a connection there, too. Which was so strange, considering my first meeting with Emelina was in the streets of the Government District of Cordor. During this time, she was a slave; collar and all. Some hin was talking about ways to free her, but was doing so in such a manner that clearly made Emelina uncomfortable. She stood there, head bowed as she stared at the stones near her feet, and didn't say anything. She just kept shuffling awkwardly. I had enough, and spoke up on her behalf. I didn't discredit the intentions of the hin -- quite the contrary, I even encouraged him to pursue the desire to free slaves, but he had to go about doing it smart. Otherwise, he'd just get himself killed with his radical and twisted ideals on what it meant to to "just" acts. Don't argue methodology of being Just with a servant of Tyr. Anyway.. that encounter forever shifted the relationship that Emelina and I had with each other.

She remained closed off and reserved, but the more time we spent near each other, the more she opened up. It even got to the point where we started playing around with each other; little games of hide and seek and such. Eventually, we both sat and spoke. We spoke for nearly a day. She wanted to talk to me; didn't feel obligated to do so. She asked me one question relating to her being a slave and my own desire to free her. That question was, ".. why does it matter so much to you?" Oh, my dear little sister.. if you ever manage to read this, maybe now you understand how much that question changed what you and I are to each other.

I told her of how I was raised as a slave.. the only life I knew was that of the Underdark.. that of being beaten, starved, and neglected. I was physically abused.. not in that sense, but.. my back still bares the scars from that time. That's how I spent the first near decade of my life. Never knew my birth parents. As far as I knew, the dark-skinned, red eyed tyrant that owned me was my father..

Ink blotches had formed in an area after this statement, as if the quill hovered for several long moments..

.. not getting in to more details right now. Regardless, I told her of how I was freed, and the next chapter in my life, and how that was forcibly ended. It drove her in to a rage that I hadn't expected. She literally felt the pain I felt, as if she had been there, experiencing it herself. That was when I knew things were going to be forever different between her and I. You see, Emelina had this thing.. she didn't like being touched, even for a handshake, by people she didn't trust. Shortly after I shared the events of my past.. we hugged. Mind you, it was after she had shared information of her own past. I couldn't help it.. instinctively, I just reached out to give her a hug after hearing it. Naturally, she had tensed, but.. she returned the hug. Yes, I know what you're thinking - 'It's just a hug! Why's it that big of a deal?' I'll tell you why. When you've been raised as a piece of property, you don't experience moments of care and compassion. You retract from it, and deflect it. She didn't. It was a massive step.

.. wow, I got really side-tracked here. Apologies.. but, I can't help it. Emelina is my little sister.. and she's the last person I saw before departing the Island of Arelith. There were others, like Astra who were there. Even saw Hanna for a brief moment before I stepped through the portal, but Em.. the last image I have of her, was her staring at the flooring in the Arcane Tower, hugging herself tightly, refusing to look at me. She was beginning to cry.. it killed me to see her like that, but.. leaving was something I had to do. I will return, but..

There are a few wet marks on the paper, but not from the ink.. this was from something else..

.. that will be all for this entry. I intended to write more, but.. well. Next time.
Currently playing: Kazen Selizar, Former High Warden of The Conclave, Battlepriest of Tyr

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