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Post by mercuroc on May 13, 2024 10:00:16 GMT 1
Day 1
This is my first entry in this diary. As a Wordskeeper, it is my duty to document my journey. Leaving a legacy can build knowledge over time and help people make enlightened decisions when faced with the challenges I've encountered.
To whomever reads this, please forgive my haste in writing. I have just landed in Agonia and need time to settle in. I already feel the urge to share what is happening. As I am entering a new world, I suspect that I will not be able to write whenever I want. So I try to make a good habit of writing whenever I can. I also decide to use Basic as my writing language. You could say that I should write in my mother tongue. Since I have no control over who will read this, nor under what circumstances, I make the decision to open my knowledge to anyone who knows Basic. The last thing that fully convinces me is that I suspect no one here would speak my language, as the inhabitants of my lands are not known for their adventurous spirit, nor their travelling habits. So I would rather keep using it as I master it.
I have finally arrived at a harbour. I am still amazed at the huge people surrounding me. As soon as I landed, I met two of them. And they were very strange. The first, a scout, jumped up to welcome me. He told me briefly about unexpected events, like mass amnesia and dangerous wild life. Nothing inspiring so far... We were abruptly interrupted by the second encounter. A pigeon. It hovered strangely above us for a while until the first man caught it!
'Strange way of hunting', I thought. Whereas, the scout concentrated on one of the pigeon's legs and took a small piece of parchment from it. Suppressing a laugh, he confidently handed it to me.
My curiosity piqued, I carefully unfolded the parchment and read it. It was a message from the Mayor! Just like the scout, he was eager to welcome me. ‘News travel fast…’, I said to myself. After thanking the scout for his help, advice and job offer, I said my goodbyes, replaying my recent conversation in my head. The madman - the scout, not the mayor - wanted me to explore the area and kill some creature. I calmly explained that I was not a hunter, but he would not listen.
Then I wandered the streets, starting with the market, looking for things. I expected to help myself to paper, ink and quill. Scilly me for that mistake! People here tend to adorn tools with gold. Fear quickly grew in me as I thought I would face the same challenge of finding a place to sleep, eat and write. The city was crowded and strangely dense, but part of the two encounters made, people look busy. I continued my walk, attracted by a huge stone building. Inhabitants may be masters of stone as all their buildings are tall, dense and cold. Can you imagine that?
On one of them I saw the inscription "Library". Confident of finding other learned minds, I tried to enter, but the door was locked. Apparently the building was closed, or at least unwilling to admit me. Still fascinated by my unusual surroundings, I did not insist further and started walking again. Maybe the mayor would be my best chance, who knows? I needed paper, quill and ink to answer his letter.
With no viable options, I continued on my way. I dared to enter the huge building: the Academy! There I met many people, ready to share their knowledge and teach their skills. What intrigued me, however, was the fact that - once again - some of them were asking for money, instead of happily sharing their knowledge for free, as everyone else does. Even more curious was the fact that some of them looked like me. It was a relief to know that there were people my own size here. Perhaps they could help me complete my quest.
At the Academy, I found ink and quill. I replied to the mayor in the most shameful way: by writing on the back of his own mail. With all my bravado, I explained my real challenges: would I sleep in the streets? Or would a brave citizen take me in, in exchange for my humble skills? But I did not know how to send my message. A scholar who saw my plight helped me. I have never seen someone my own size with a beard before. Anyway, he led me to a cage of pigeons. He took one, rolled up my letter and tied it to the bird's leg. Then he sent it on its way.
- Thank you, lad! I said. How do you know it will reach Skadi?
- They are clever birds, he replied.
Then he patted me on the back with a beaming laugh before taking his leave. Unsure of my future, I decided to leave the building and continue my exploration of the city.
Skadi - the mayor - replied with fascinating speed. In my city, we usually go to each other to communicate. Sometimes we use couriers. Writing an email is obviously slower, so I did not expect an answer on the same day. Let alone such a positive one! Skadi took me to a tavern. "You would find all your answers there," they said. Well, their thoughts, my words.
I fondly enjoyed his idea: a tavern was a bed to sleep in and a guarantee of a full belly!
I followed Skadi's lead, only to find myself in front of another huge building. This time, perhaps because it was surrounded outside the city, it felt more welcoming. I knew I would spend the night there, next to a warm fire.
Skadi also told me of a dwelling to be filled. When I received the letter, I did not understand their message. But as I pushed through the door of the tavern, it suddenly made sense. The quiet appeal of the outside did not really match the comfort of the inside. Surprisingly, there were a lot of tools and wood or stone lying around on the floor.
At this point, understanding my duty, I took as much as I could and began to place them in the nearest room. A patron approached me. I was expecting help, but he stoically pointed to a piece of paper and quill beside him. Curious, I took a closer look and realised what it was. An inventory register. Oh dear, not only did I have to measure everything. I was also expected to record everything that came in or went out! The paper-boy in me was amazed to see such an effort at archiving, but the extinguished traveller was too tired to enjoy it. Anyway, I quietly followed the instructions. I concentrated only on my reward: a good night's sleep. On land.
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Post by mercuroc on May 15, 2024 14:47:58 GMT 1
Day 2
I had a terrible morning. However the day started well. I took the time to write a letter of thanks to Skadi, the mayor of the town, since he provided me with some much-needed help. Thanks to him, I found shelter for the night. Here in the tavern, the people look as busy as the rest of the townsfolk. But I was given food, paper, ink, quill, a bed and work. All the ingredients to make a man as busy as he is happy. Most importantly, spending the night in a tavern was quite reassuring after a day of hearing rumours of terrible monsters.
Starting my day well after sunset, I decided to go for a walk. After thanking Skadi, I needed to take in the scenery. Specifically, I wanted to wash up at a shore I had spotted earlier. On my way to the sea, I met an unexpected friend. Well, he is not my friend. But it was a relief to meet one of my own kind in such a strange place. The man was sleeping under a tree, probably enjoying the warmth of the day. I lingered there, debating whether to wake him for a friendly chat or to let the poor man get the rest he deserved, when I noticed two pieces of meat beside him. Finally, I acted in the pure manner of a Wordskeeper. Using the material I had gathered from the tavern, I made a rough draft of a note explaining to the man that I had saved his meal. With all the predators around, leaving meat on the ground did not sound like a brilliant idea.
On my way back to the tavern, I was struck by a generous idea. Instead of keeping the meat for myself, why not cook a meal for this sleeping man? It would probably make him happy to eat something more substantial than two pieces of raw meat.
That is a wrap! I am going to walk the plains to find the missing corn bundles, boletus and cabbage I need. It was a recipe I learned from my parents. Not the best meal ever -when cooked by my hands- but probably better than meat alone.
Filled with the enthusiasm of a great idea, I was walking near a forest when the unexpected happened. Some kind of giant rat jumped on me! I wanted to run, but given the suddenness of the attack, my reflexes spoke for me. I put my hands in front of my face in a vain attempt to protect myself. When I realised that the rat missed me, I hit it with my fist. Can you believe it? My only weapon against this monstrous creature was my own fists! Luckily, I had wrapped them in a strip of leather earlier in the tavern. A great way to cover my digits and protect my skin.
Understanding that my opponent did not appreciate this first blow to the eye, I started again. And again. And again. Only fear guided my moves. Please understand that this was not some kind of blind expression of rage. It was my only way to survive. Kill or be killed.
But something unexpected happened: I enjoyed it. Not terracing a rat: it was bloody and disgusting. No! What I enjoyed was that I mastered this fight. Understand me, I have no fighting experience. My only opponents were fictional warriors I invented with my friends, back in the year. Where I came from, we are very peaceful people. We have learned to fight with words, occasionally, as we are mostly friendly with each other. Life is too short to fill it with bad relationships, isn't it?
Anyway, I just killed a rat. There is blood everywhere and I feel the need to clean up this mess. Will log back in later today. I hope.
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Post by mercuroc on May 17, 2024 14:09:04 GMT 1
Day 3
Now I get the common saying. Agonia is a very dangerous land. I had my share of battles yesterday. I wanted to write there earlier, but as you can imagine, I had a very exhausting day. Fortunately, it ended very well.
I am still in the tavern - which is called the Laughing Troll, by the way. I am starting to get to know the land and its people, even though I still have a lot to learn.
So yesterday I had my share of fights. And my share of successes!
After cleaning up the mess, which means taking some bones and guts from the rat - I may always need them - I came across its nest. Who says "nest" says... lots of rats! I had no choice but to fight them. Again I was victorious. My heart was pounding in my chest as if it wanted to leave my body. I was scared. I was alert. Strange sounds were rising in the forest. Not wanting any more battles, I began to run.
As I followed what I thought would be the safest path back to the city, I heard a familiar sound coming from a nearby clearing. I would not know how to put this, but the way people of my kind speak is somehow different from what you people might say. There is something more familiar. And of course, even if the people here use another language, I recognise something comforting in the tone of voice or the exclamations. Seeing in these two people a safe way out of the forest, I wanted to wave to them. But I did not dare to interrupt them. The woman was doing some woodwork and the other was watching.
Eventually I decided to fight my own fear and go alone. After a while, I found my way to the town (after killing a giant rabbit this time). I went back to the scout I met the day before. He wanted me to hunt in the forest and, accidentally, that was what I just did.
Surprisingly, he was ecstatic! He told me something very disturbing: 'You have a taste for blood'. Is it true? I did not like killing those animals. But I certainly enjoyed the feeling of being in control. I was in control of the situation, getting closer to victory every time I avoided an attack. It was something I had never felt before and it was quite disturbing. I still think about it a lot because it is not in my nature. This land must be as dangerous as people say it is. This thought was the main reason I returned to the scout. Before I go any further, I must learn to defend myself. I will not be able to avoid attacks every time.
I finally like the scout. The name is Hojeen. I may have misjudged him at first. He did not want me to kill just for the taste of blood. It was the best way to get the materials I needed to protect myself. He taught me how to make armour, and I have to admit it was very clever! Take some skin, gut and bones and there you are! This work made me feel like I was using my hands better than bashing skulls. After the hectic day I had, making my armour was as exciting as it was reassuring. Everything went well! I also managed to impress Hojeen with my craftsmanship. And my ability to provide him with all the ingredients he needed as soon as he asked for them. As the only shadow on the board, I failed to create my Bone Needle on my first attempt. It was not the failure itself that was devastating. It was my confidence. The task looked so easy! And yet I failed. I do not like to fail when I know I can do it.
Then Hojeen offered to teach me something else. But it had been a day of unexpected events and I had to change my mind. We agreed to meet again the next day. Before I left, Hojeen also told me about a priest in town. I should visit her as I wonder which gods she worships.
Anyway, that can wait for another day! On my way back to The Laughing Troll, I received another mail from Skadi. I was glad to hear from him. Most importantly, he gave me a new mission. It was not the most exciting mission, but at least it did not involve fighting any creatures. He offered to repair the pavement. Funny thing: on my way to the sea today, I noticed some potholes on the road and wondered if it was possible to fix them. Where I come from we do not put stones under our feet. But the mail from Skadi was crystal clear and the way to fix the road was explained with thoroughness.
"This is hard work," he said. Did he think I could not do it? Of course not! I would show him what a Wordskeeper could do! I would make him as proud as Hoover had been! Let us get some stones and pave the road!
Needless to say, it was a titanic task! I had to go back and forth. Luckily, all the material I needed was close by. But it was so heavy! I was sweating profusely. I usually work with words and thoughts, not large pieces of stone.
But at the end of the day I had an unexpected sense of achievement. Whatever I did: I know it was the right thing to do.
Now a new day begins. I have to update Skadi to let him know that part of the road has been repaired. I will visit Hoover to understand this land better. And the day would be wonderful if I could manage to cook something for the sleeping man. I have not heard from him yet, so I have more time to find the missing ingredients!
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Post by mercuroc on May 20, 2024 21:56:37 GMT 1
Vultures are coming back to me again. I have heard they feast on corpses. So why are they attacking me if I am still alive?
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Post by mercuroc on Jun 8, 2024 10:06:55 GMT 1
Day 3 - Part 3
I hurriedly wrote the above words while exploring the city, and I read them again when I opened my diary. Let us face it: I take my training very seriously. At first I was reluctant to fight monsters. I still do not like the idea, especially since I had my first harmful battle. I came up against nasty giant snakes and wild boars. Not fatal encounters, fortunately. But nasty enough to teach me a lesson: I have to stay alert here. Strangely, the town looks like a safer place. I have to say that the atmosphere is not to my liking, due to the overwhelming architecture and population. However, the people there are not trying to kill me. In fact, they tend to be quite friendly and welcoming.
This morning, Hojeen gave me my second lesson. I learned many things: how to make a shield, how efficient armour can be, and how to make ointment. That was the easy part. But he worried me a lot when he talked about poison and acid. How will I survive if some beast tries to poison me? From Hojeen's point of view, armour is ineffective against such poison. Only will can help. And prayer, I would say!
The last of Hojeen's topics was the most worrying. To put it simply, I understood nothing. How strong the grip of religion is on the people here, I have not yet understood. Hojeen mentioned spirit capture and suggested that I go and kill other monsters. Crows this time.
I do not like the idea. But I must remember that he gave me good advice last time. Anyway, I managed to make a spear. It might come in handy in these dangerous lands.
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Post by mercuroc on Oct 31, 2024 17:30:17 GMT 1
Day 4
Is it possible? Am I really on day 4? I feel like I have been living here for weeks. Yet every day when I take my equipment, I use my machete to make a notch in the wood. It helps me keep track of the days.
I made good use of the spear tonight as I was awakened by a fight outside the tavern. It is very dangerous here. Were it not for the strength of the walls, I might have perished this night. All right, maybe I am exaggerating. But believe me: Agonia is a very dangerous place.
I am just repeating what people tell me all the time. Back in the days, people tended to talk about the weather. Here in Agonia, they talk about their fights.
Anyway, do you know who fought outside? None other than Skadi! The mysterious man who sends me pigeons every day to guide me. It was the middle of the night. When I heard the noise outside, I jumped out of fear. Understanding that it was something deeper than a drunken brawl, I grabbed my spear and went outside. There I saw a man in armor fighting a huge, impressive beast. Obviously, he was fit for battle. As for me, I was barely awake, with only my spear at hand. Still, facing death upon awakening was somehow stimulating. Without thinking too much, I jumped to drive my spear into the beast. Probably not the attack of the year, but enough to hurt the beast. Skadi made good use of my intervention to deal with the creature.
While the monster bitten the dust, I watched the man. When he introduced himself, I stifled a surprised exclamation! It was him! I hastened to say my own name. The next moment, I could not stop myself from saying all the items on my list of thanks.
But we did not spend much time together, it was the middle of the night and Skadi had important things to do. We said goodbye and parted. No doubt our paths will cross again.
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Post by mercuroc on Nov 1, 2024 22:14:36 GMT 1
There it is! All of a sudden, I feel the impact of the previous day's efforts. Fighting beasts, moving stones, repairing holes in the pavement... My enthusiasm on arrival hid the limits of my muscles. Now I am very sore.
I can live with that! Now that I am settled in, with a roof over my head, pieces of meat to fill my belly and a bed to sleep in, I feel I can relax a little and concentrate on my next steps. After a hard day's work this morning - I even repaired a bridge, it was phenomenal work - I have just landed at The Laughing Troll to do some writing. If possible I will also visit the library. I have wanted to go in since I arrived, but the doors are always closed.
I did visit the priest, by the way! She was not very talkative. But she did offer me a cup of tea, even though it was part of a ritual. I have a feeling she will not be of much help in my quest. I will probably find answers somewhere else. But for obvious reasons, I am not yet ready to make my move. I need to learn more about this land.
I had another meeting in the town. Hojeen pointed me in the direction of a famous biologist. I expected him to tell me about the local fauna - and geography. But his first words dashed my hopes. As usual, he mistook me for a fighter. He was so insistent that he wanted me to hunt some creatures that I could not refuse. Now I am stuck with an unwanted mission. I am certainly not going to risk my life for a scared lad! He is a biologist, he signed up for this mission!
Finally, the other bad news is that I have run out of material to repair the walkway. I feel incapable of building such stones and wonder who might help me. I have noticed that Skadi has been so generous with me, so I want to see my mission through to the end. Unlike the biologist, I am committed to my word, as a Wordskeeper should be.
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Post by mercuroc on Nov 3, 2024 8:20:56 GMT 1
Day 5
My visit to the library was not without its share of disappointment. Once again it was closed. Skadi told me he never really used it. However, he did give me the ultimate gift: the map of Agonia. Well, he stressed that it was not up to date. Well, this is a surprise! With snakes and insects attacking you as soon as you get it, I bet you hardly have time to draw the line!
Still, this is such a generous gift from him, as I imagine there are very few maps of the area. As for me, I should make a log of my bank account. Oh! I completely forgot to write about this system!
Let me explain: people here do not trade items and services as we are used to. They get paid for them. That is, they use gold as their currency. This is a strange way of valuing each of their actions. At first it is very disturbing. But as I go along with this habit, I realise that it says a lot about a society. I am not sure I have got it right yet. For example, according to the price some people put on things, spending time sharing knowledge is 200 times cheaper than buying cabbage. I would have put it the other way round, as spending time with wise and thoughtful people might be the most valuable thing. But eating good food is also vital, my parents would say!
Speaking of which, I spent a long time looking at the map Skadi gave me. In a way, it is very moving to read such a document. I cannot help but think of the people who explored the land and shared their knowledge to create this document. I learn a lot from it too. Obviously the land is vast and there are many unknown places. One very interesting thing is that the creator of the map shared a lot of information about the local fauna. In other words, it puts Hojeen's warnings in a new light: yes, I should train before an expedition.
This is bad news. Even though Hojeen and Skadi have been very welcoming, everyone else is very quiet and looks busy. At this point I prefer to keep a low profile. I still need to understand the place better. Anyway, the map gives me a great location of the mountains. I do not know where the higher mountain is yet, but this is a very good start!
More bad news. Skadi told me that the fighting is mainly in the south. Indeed, the townspeople are at war with the natives. I do not really know why. Fighting in the south means there is a danger zone between me and the highest mountain range. However, there is another one to the east. Seems a bit less referenced, but smaller. I am afraid I should go and look for it myself.
I will take a few days to think about it. In the meantime, I can either follow Hojeen's advice and improve my survival skills, or repair the huge bridge in the east, as Skadi suggested.
This is a difficult decision! I have to stay focused on my goal while giving myself every chance to succeed. Not always easy being a Wordskeeper.
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Post by mercuroc on Nov 4, 2024 18:02:24 GMT 1
I made it to The Eye! It is a fortress, as Skadi told me, far to the east of the city. Well, not that far. But it took me a while to get there. First, I inspected the bridge Skadi mentioned. Finding that it did not need any further repairs, I headed east, followed the path, and arrived at The Eye. The journey was unexpectedly quiet. Could my fear be due to overestimated threats? Either way, I prefer to remain cautious for now.
The fact that I can get to The Eye in less than a day will help me find out how far the highest mountain might be: the endpoint of my journey. Traveling a little bit, I use my spare time to improve my religious knowledge. As well as praying every day, I try to understand how things work here. The Eye is owned by a group of warriors called the Crusaders. They seem to have a very strict warrior code that honours fearless soldiers. The more scars you have, the more respect you get. For an unknown reason, one of their commanders assumed I was one of their own and offered me a chance to join a reckoning mission. I politely declined, for obvious reasons. He took no offense.
Funnily enough, the Crusaders mentioned another group: The Quiet. I visited the Quiet's stronghold yesterday - or the day before, I do not remember. I should have put it in my diary. Anyway, I like to connect the dots. According to Agonian tradition, fighters are trained by The Quiet. Then the best of them are allowed to join the Crusaders for more dangerous missions. The Crusaders' leaders are masters of war. Listening to their stories, they are descended from the gods. If that is true, I must meet one of them! It is such a relief to meet people who accept the existence of the gods!
Despite recent events, I remain enthusiastic about discovering Agonia. I know that faith is a long and difficult journey. If I continue to receive positive signs, as I have since my landing, I have faith that I will succeed. I really hope so. For Verunar's sake.
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Post by mercuroc on Nov 9, 2024 9:50:38 GMT 1
I might reach the highest mountain in about three days. This is a very wild guess and I do not like it. But after hours of studying Skadi's map, it looks that way. I should add two more days as a margin for error. The roads are not endless and I can expect more powerful beasts in the forests and mountains. So I plan a ten day trip. Assuming the highest mountains are on the map. That is something!
At this moment, I am far from ready. Even though Skadi's gifts have given me strong defences - he has provided me with armour, a shield and other equipment - I still need to master my spear. The best option would be to form a group or convince warriors to help me. Could asking the crusaders be my best option?
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