The crier's voice suddenly called out a number of warnings. Creatures gathering at the wall, and in the desert outside Milltown. Demons assailing Caer Laleldan, dark portals opening near the tombs.

Everyone sprang into action, fighting where they could, or if unable to do so checking the situation, spotting the location and strength of enemies to inform those who could fight.

Once it was over and the all-clear was heard, a few of us gathered to relax after our exertions. Lucy and Keldor, Skyelark, Ellyana and myself. Skydor joined us for a while, but left to continue his training. We talked about all manner of things, and eventually ended up discussing the expectations others have of each profession. It was quite a surprise to hear what someone had assumed Lucy and other enchanters were capable of performing.
Personally I've always respected clerics for the work they do, but Ellyana and Keldor both mentioned situations they've been in where they have been expected to help someone as a matter of course, the cleric being unrecognised and unthanked for what they do. Ironically, a short time later, I witnessed for myself what seemed to be such a case, though Ellyana assured me there had been a simple misunderstanding.
Skyelark and I told the others about some of the misconceptions that come with my own profession, and I pointed out that although a thief, a pirate, or an assassin could be classed as a rogue the fact that someone is a rogue does not, of necessity, mean they are any of those things.
I've often considered that to be a rogue one needs certain skills, but the mind that uses those skills may have many motivations. Someone might become a rogue simply to open doors, disable traps and 'borrow' anything that looks interesting. Equally others fall under the classification simply because of their way of life, or because previous history has seen them act in a certain way, a way that might not fit the pattern or meet the approval of others - and thus a rogue is born (or created?)
However, all who were involved in the discussion agreed on one point. Once you've decided on your path and chosen your profession, although there may be one or two slight drawbacks seen from time to time, there is nothing so rewarding as to learn and polish your skills, and to use them to the best of your ability for the good of your friends, your guildmates, and the people of the lands.

Ellyana, Lucy, Keldor and myself strolled through Dundee yesterday evening, and made our way to the training yard. We were laughing together, chatting with a few people as they passed, and all the time we were doing so I could see John the trainer watching us. You could tell from his expression the thought running through his mind was 'Oh no, not that lot again.' I guess there was no great surprise at that. It was, after all, the second day in a row the four of us had descended on him all at once.

It's sometimes difficult to get four people together at the same time, never mind arrange to visit the trainer together. The moments when the four of us can all meet up are few and far between, and we always try to make the most we can of those times. But we've got into the habit recently of going to the trainer together. It had been a while since we'd all got together, and after levelling two days ago there was very little to be done before we were ready to do so again. And so yesterday we were ready to visit him again.

That trainer's earned whatever he's paid the last couple of days! It was quite amusing to see amongst the messages that came to me the number of people who'd realised how hard our little group has made him work the last couple of days. I think maybe we'll give him some time to recover before we all go to him again!

Yesterday was a strange day in the lands indeed ...

I'd set out the previous night to visit the smith Denion, to give him some final details he needs to complete a commission he's working on for me. I'd not gone far on my journey when I heard someone call me, and I was approached by a stranger. Though I didn't know his face I could tell from his clothing and manner, that he belonged to that group of people who had helped raise me after my parents were killed. He carried a message for me, to say that Denion was away for a short time, off on a quest of his own concerning rumours about the bandit raiders who had left me orphaned as a young child. I knew Denion had some information - I'd seen the message which had been given to him to pass to me - but I'd told him it belonged in my past. Denion hates to see a piece of work unfinished, so must have decided to follow up the information in that message.
The hour was late, and though the path back to the lands held no dangers and I could travel in safety even at night, I decided to camp for the night before returning.

On entering the lands once more, I discovered the strangest situation. We could not fight the creatures that roam around! I heard much talk about the situation, many theories flying around. Ellyana was resting, so I went around gathering what information I could, and then hurried to Dundee when I heard there were demons there. I wanted to see the situation for myself.
As I hurried to Dundee I met Lucy, and she came with me. In the southern part of Dundee we found a demon soldier, just standing on the path. Lucy used her staff, and I used my blades, but we couldn't touch it - not even a poisoned blade harmed the thing. Adventurers of all levels tried to kill the creature, but still it just stood there ignoring those who attacked it. Blades, spells, damage from a cleric's holy ring, my own poisoned dagger, critical hits from warriors - all were shrugged off.
I decided to head for the Dundee Inn, certain that some would have gathered to discuss the situation, so Lucy and I hurried over there. A few adventurers were there, and we began talking over what was happening. There were vipers roaming the beaches on Kili, the path to the Landing was blocked, and worse - tomb wretches had somehow found their was from N'rolav into the desert north of Milltown! And none of them could be killed.
Jon Kinder and I went over the possibilities. I had two suggestions. One, that some small evil of Balthazar's had somehow seeped into the lands. The second, more serious, was that demons and creatures were being deliberately sent to specific places by the evil one to stop people travelling around the lands. Lucy pointed out that travellers could still go the long way around from southern Dundee to Milltown by crossing the plains, but that would hamper travel, and slow down response to any raids. Also, 'chanters could summon portals so that adventurers could still get around the lands. I agreed with this, and stated that if this was a plan of Balthazar's to paralyse us, to stop us moving around, then it was doomed to fail from the start. Jon pointed out that unlike the time the Nexus was taken, though 'chanters could help us get around, we still could not fight the creatures around us, and I replied that all we could do was to pinpoint their positions ready for the time we could once more attack them.
Jon mentioned some ancient warriors that apparently took no harm but who eventually died under a sustained attack, and we decided to try this for ourselves. A group of us headed for the desert. We attacked the wretch, with Jon and Angelina healing people when needed and Lucy and elias restoring the clerics' power. But it was all to no avail - the creature was as immune to attack as the demon in Dundee.
We returned to Milltown. News had come to us that infant N'rolav beasts were in the swamp outside Dundee. But, we had to admit we could do nothing to fight them off, at that time. I checked what creatures were in which areas, and suggested who in the assembled group would be best suited to keep an eye on each, ready to take them down when possible. Lucy offered to keep watch on the infant beast at the doorway in the swamp. I headed out to the desert outside Milltown, and was alarmed to discover there was not one, but in fact three or four wretches roaming around the area, blocking access to the tomb. I watched them for a time, trying an occasional attack, but still could not kill them. The information about the creatures had gone through the lands, and many adventurers were biding their time, waiting the chance to kill the creatures roaming the lands. Satisfied that I had done all I could, I decided to rest as near to the tomb as I was able to venture.

See me
See me here
See me here with you

Hear me
Hear me call
Hear my words to you

Take my hand
Take my heart, my soul
Take my love, my life - they are yours.

Give me your hand
Give me your smile, your kiss
Give me something to strive for

Together we stand
Together we walk these lands
Together we will forge a path, a life

Forever beckons
Forever calls us, hand in hand
Forever love shines like sun and moon and stars

We are one
We are, each because of the other
We are the ring and the pick intertwined

For my beloved Ellyana

We stood in a dark place, hand in hand. Not just the darkness that comes from a lack of light, but a deep profound blackness caused by the absence of anything at all. I spoke to Ellyana, but the words fell like lead from my lips, and did not seem to reach the ears of my princess. Somehow I could see her face, see her lips move, but in the same manner her words did not reach me. My body would hardly move, and it was all I could do to grasp Ellyana's hand, to let her know I was with her in ... well whatever place we were in.
I felt her being pulled away from me, and as her hand slipped from mine I finally heard her despairing voice fading into the nothingness as she called my name ...

I woke, with Ellyana's voice echoing in my ears and in my mind. Startled and confused I sat upright, wildly looking around for her ... but almost instantly plunged back into that other place.

Grey this time, bathed in colourless light, blank and totally featureless - an expanse spread out before me. How can you be trapped in a space that seems to go on for ever? And yet I could not escape that place. My eyes saw no fixed point on which to focus. I moved, but seemed not to. When everything around you is the same, how do you know if you have moved or not? Over and over I called to Ellyana. Somehow I knew she was in another place, the same as the one in which I stood - or moved, or ran, it seemed to make no difference. The sound of my voice faded away with the distance around me, and then I heard my love call to me. She called my name, and also called me by another name - the other name that is known, amongst all the people who walk the lands, only to her.

Again I woke and sprang to my feet. Totally disorientated in the night's darkness I searched the place which we had chosen to take some rest, but once more fell into sleep, of a sort, for a short time.
I awoke at the time I usually do so, and Ellyana was gone, as she usually is when I awake, out on her business. I sent my messenger-bird after her, and waited for her reply ...


I have no idea if the dream meant anything at all. I know I need not fear losing Ellyana, not through her or my choice. Was it some twisted memory of past times when we have been apart? - maybe. Was it a result of fear that something could separate us? - I think not. Was it a warning, a thought in my mind that something deeply troubling had been affecting my lady and I had felt powerless to help her? - well that could possibly be the case. When all is said and done, all I have to offer Ellyana in dark days is my love, and my words. And I have to hope that is sufficient.

It's been another quiet time for a few days. Ellyana has spent much of her time resting and that seems to have had a beneficial effect for her. Much of the darkness seems to have lifted from her, and she's approaching her many projects with renewed vigour.

I'm not, I will admit, the most spiritual of people. There's one temple I go to when the time is right to set an initiate on the path of a rogue. Other than that I see no particular reason for visiting them. Many do, of course, and I would in no way wish to decry their beliefs. It's just that my beliefs are more ... what would be a suitable word ... internalised? I have no need for the grand buildings and all that goes with them. Having said that, a few nights ago I'd been roaming the lands for quite a time, wondering what words I could use to help my beloved lady, when I received a call from a friend seeking my assistance - a TB in need of opening, to be precise. We met up in the library of the Holy Order of Light. Once I'd opened his box, I set off to wander again for a time, but for some reason I looked in through a doorway and saw the meditation circle. There was no-one there, but the place seemed to hold an air of peacefulness and tranquility. I slipped inside and sat against one of the stones that form the circle, and my mind returned to its previous thoughts.
I stayed there for quite some time - all night in fact. I don't know if I slept or lapsed into some sort of trance or coma, but I felt much refreshed the next day and my mind seemed much clearer than it had been for the longest time. Coincidence? Maybe - I really couldn't say, but the event has given me something to ponder when I have a spare moment. Anyway, certainly the words I needed seemed to have come to me from somewhere, and I - or something using my voice - was able to lift Ellyana's spirits greatly.

We've made a couple of forays from the place where we usually rest. We took a walk one evening to the roses. Keldor had a collection of TB's he wanted opened, so Ellyana and I met up with Lucy and him there. We made quite a game of it, each trying to guess what would be in the next chest I opened.
Another day we were farming for a time, when Lucy called to Ellyana. She and Rictus had a surprise for the princess, so we met in the sanctuary. And there Rictus revealed what he had made in accordance with Lucy's idea - a collection of crystals ground into spheres, infused with light and darkness and wholly beautiful to see.
Night before last we received word that demons were abroad in Verthedge. Rictus was the only one of the guild awake who might have had some chance to take them down, so a group of us set out. Lucy to portal us there, she and Ellyana to bless and enchant him, and me to lead the way. But our plan didn't work - and worse than that, Ellyana as usual got herself lost in the grasslands. I searched for marc after marc, 'til her footprints faded but without success. I really must find out where she disappeared to. Yesterday, along with Lucy, we spent some time training in the N'rolav tomb.

It's a joy to see Ellyana returning to how she usually is. I've told her that, but I don't know if mere words are enough to express the way I feel right now when I see her laughing with friends, or gazing at the sky while the stars sparkle in her eyes. That kind fate I've spoken of in the past, or maybe something that saw me sitting in that circle so troubled, is smiling on us once more - though that smile can in no way compare to Ellyana's.

It's been quite some time since I picked up this journal. I've been spending time sitting with Ellyana, holding her hand while we talk about all manner of things. And she has spent some time on the projects she has on at the moment, and also had the chance to take some time to rest.
We've made a couple of trips to Kili to go swimming, or to sit on the beach eating and talking by a blazing campfire.
It hasn't all been some sort of holiday these last few days though. We've also been busy in Old Dundee, farming and hunting down the horrors that infest the place. And yesterday I finally had a stroke of good fortune there, for as a horror fell beneath my blades he dropped what I had been searching for - a violet crystal.
I've been carrying an amulet with me for months, waiting to get hold of one of those crystals. I made a trip to the bank at Milltown to collect a few things I needed, and while I did that Lucy and Keldor caught up with Ellyana and myself. I'm not sure who was the more excited - me because I finally got to try out forging an amulet, or Lucy because she got to visit her favourite machine!
Lucy called up a portal and we emerged just outside Fartown and headed for the forge. I studied the apparatus closely for a time, while behind me Lucy and Ellyana grew more excited, and then operated the device. In a moment I held a lesser glowing amulet - not a great one, I'll admit, but not a bad result for my first attempt at forging one. And I know just the person who should find it useful.

Keldor was speaking about the finding of the forge, and his words took me back in time. I mentioned that I had been a member of the party who escorted the queen when the forge was found, but that wasn't what I was thinking about. The mention of the past had brought back memories of many friends who have not walked the lands for the longest of times, and a slight mood of melancholy washed over me. Ellyana took my hand, and spoke quietly, and in the special way she has about her, brought me out of the slight bout of despondency.
We tarried for a while, the four of us. It's all too rarely that we have an opportunity to meet up. And then, as is the way of things, we had to go our separate ways.