Below are the 4 most recent journal entries recorded in erestan_vano's LiveJournal:

Sunday, June 26th, 2005
3:20 pm	Quick update With the aid of Father Malthus, Johann and I were able to perform an exorcism upon the Grey Fox. When he awoke, he identified himself as "Fabrizio di Rinaldi, known in some circles as Tip". He could remember nothing of the previous months, only a stranger in his chambers before everything went dark. The four of us -- or five, if Mistress Farran can be persuaded to join us when she awakes -- will journey to the Rinaldi Keep on the morrow to question his servants. (Comment on this)
Monday, May 16th, 2005
4:50 pm	Another day, another adventure. Johann and I had brought a raving Grey Fox to my family manor. Shortly after the Fox fell asleep, a Raccoon elementalist named Farran whom we'd met previously arrived at my door. We chatted amiably for some time, then retired to our respective chambers. Before I could get to sleep, I heard...something...stirring outside the manse. I reluctantly roused Madam Farran, suspecting that her skill with magic might be of use, considering how greatly magic has impinged on my life of late. We could find nothing out of the ordinary, apart from unseasonably cold weather and a lavender moon. Madam Farran tensed abruptly as we made our way back to the door, saying she felt something wrong in the area. Just then, Johann -- whom I told my staff to keep an eye on -- came bolting from the door, pistols drawn, to tell us there seemed to be something funny going on, and to get back inside NOW. As I considered an appropriate response to being ordered about on my own land, we turned and saw the Grey standing in the doorway, eyes widened in panic, pointing to something behind us. Madam Farran looked over her shoulder and saw three ghosts coming toward us. At her scream, windows were opened and lamps lit along the street. The light seemed to make the ghosts even less substantial. I ordered the trespassing spirits to leave my land, but they paid me no heed. (My exact words: "Get you back to the gravesite that spawned you! You! Shall not! Pass!" It would appear that such things only work in the fantasy stories I'm so fond of.) Madam Farran, after a few abortive attempts, impaled the ghosts on slabs of earth; I really must thank her properly at some point for renovating my lawn. The three of us carried the now-fainted Grey inside and barracaded the door. I had a servant carry the Grey upstairs with instructions to shut all windows. Johann was sent to fetch Father Malthus -- having clergy present can be very, very comforting when dealing with ghosts. A few minutes after the canine left, Madam Farran bolted upright and started running upstairs to the Grey's quarters, saying, "They're after him!" Madam Farran is a talented mage, but I was by far the faster runner. We found the Grey floating in mid-air, whimpering, and moving toward the open window (so very, very hard to get good help these days). I lunged and grabbed his ankles as...something...knocked Madam Farran off her feet and kept her out of the ensuing struggle. Though my arms went numb -- as my sword-arm had in the sewer -- I was able to break the hold of whatever force was levitating the Grey, and we toppled to the floor. Johann and Father Malthus chose this moment to make their appearance. The ghosts had by this time vanished completely from my yard. All that remained was a sobbing Grey, a down-but-not-out mage, and my livid self. My family manor, my home, has been violated. Of course, you realize, this means war. (Comment on this)
Thursday, May 5th, 2005
1:59 pm	An update, at last! Journal: My apologies for not corresponding sooner. My life has been most interesting of late. I have heard from various silk merchants (who, I might add, charge absolutely exhorbitant prices, but such is the lot of one as well-dressed as I) that there is a Zhonghese curse: "May you live in interesting times." Times, as I said, have been interesting. When the four of us -- myself, the thieving Fox mage, the "archeologist" Ramza, and Johann, agent of the Church -- emerged from the sewers beneath Triskellian, there were three things on my mind: To whom did the metallic monsters that attacked us belong (I noted the Rinaldi crest on some, and the Avoidupois crest on the others); what had caused my arm to go numb; and did those metal miscreants have any IDEA how much it would cost to replace my now-torn shirt?! Ramza went off on his own, as did the fox. Johann and I made our way to the Cathedrale du Temoin so he could give his report to Father Malthus. We then went to Dunwasser to consult with a group of engineers. While there, we were attacked in the foyer by a magic-wielding Raccoon and a multi-legged mechanized beast, several paces tall. The mage wore a suit of armor that, we later discovered, housed a system of steam-powered pistons that greatly increased the wearer's strength; in taking him down, I broke my foil, "Conquistador". Johann took the Raccoon back to the Cathedrale to interrogate him, and I went shopping for a new sword. After making my purchase, I met up with Ramza, now calling himself an engineer. It should be mentioned at this point, Journal, that when I first encountered Ramza at the inn, he bore the insignia of a rumored cabal of law enforcers called the Cobalt Knights. He has said nothing since about said group. In any case, Ramza was most interested in both the armor and the insect-like thing that had attacked us. From Ramza, who is certainly full of surprises, I discovered that that armor held a means of casting spells over a distance, without the necessity of having artifacts of the target area. Considering that the engineers we had spoken with, Jerobal and Ripugnante (who are also master musicians), claimed that the "mechs" were controlled by thought (thanks to assistance from the Green & Purple College), it seemed that magic was playing a more and more vital role in this story. I did not get to ask Johann until later what he had learned from the Raccoon. At this moment, we heard an uncertain crowd gathering outside. Gliding to the center of the crowd -- rank does have its privilegs, dear Journal -- I found a Grey Fox, curled like a newborn, whimpering and gibbering with fright. Nobility, of course, knows nobility, and I knelt before him and drew an "F" and a "?" on the ground. He did not respond, save to latch onto my ankle when I turned to glare at Johann; the Canine had asked how I was sure this was Fabrizio, caring nothing for the suffering of the soul before us. Johann had declared that the Fox was touched by dark sorcery, and he didn't seem to care whether the Fox was practioner or target. We took "Fabrizio" to Father Malthus, who asked us to look after him until a treatment could be found. The cursed Fox is currently living in my family manor, as is Johann. I am looking after "Fabrizio" myself, and I have told the servants to keep an eye on the Canine; I do not entirely trust him. (Comment on this)
Saturday, March 12th, 2005
2:27 pm	Concerning adventuring Good day to you, Calabria. So that future generations might profit from my experiences, I have made a decision to chronicle my trials and tribulations through this less than quiet time in my life. I had taken lodging at an inn in Old Town, Triskellian, as part of a desire to Get Out and See the World. I was, I believe the term is, "slumming". My first morning at this inn was disturbed by a young fox who fancied himself a pickpocket. The knave relieved me of my foil, "Conquistador", and was only persuaded to return it on pain of Low Justice being meeted out upon him. In the midst of this argument, two figures descended from the rooms above: a bat and a badger. The badger, I noticed, was wearing a badge I had not seen before, but which matched a description I had encountered; the badger was possibly one of the rumored Cobalt Knights, a group of law-enforcement personnel. My dispute with the upstart vulpine -- a black fox, which I thought remarkably odd -- was put off for the moment, though he did return my blade. And proceeded to draw more attention to us, calling the badger (Ramza, he gave his name as) over to us. Ramza claimed to be an archeologist (though armed with a pistol) who had been asked to explore the sewer system of Triskellian. He was following rumors of monsters that were "ugly beyond belief" and "stank of death". I was amused, for I had heard the first phrase applied relatively recently -- in very, very hushed tones -- of a Certain Highly-Placed Vulpine. I kept many of these thoughts to myself, thinking it unwise to share with the young blackgard who had already shown himself a master of indiscretion. We accompanied Ramza to a descending stairwell, where he asked if either of us had about us a means of making fire -- which I thought very, very odd for an archeologist. Before walking down -- with the badger in front, mind you -- our party was joined by a canine who claimed (and was later shown) to be an agent of the Church, charged with investigating rumors of Dark Magicks surrounding the Heir, Fabrizio d'Rinaldi. I suggested that our objectives seemed fairly well matched, and we descended into the darkness together, our path illuminated by the young fox's mage-light. Full of surprises, that one... (1 Comment |Comment on this)