Editing Journal - A Search for Answers (section)

== Gilrad and the Villagers ==

As we returned to the village we noticed that the leader was talking to a small group of Saloroc (orcs) near the temple. They noticed us and started pointing, but did not seem overly worried or aggressive. The leader was obviously reassuring them that we were friends and no threat. As we got closer we could see that the leader was paying them for something. Falcor decided to find somewhere else to be, not having had much luck with the orcs before, but Arad and I approached them.

The leader welcomed us, and explained that he had been arranging for food and supplies. He introduced Team Chief Grouk of Clan Red Skull. We greeted him warmly, saying that would be friends. He asked if Arad would help them as Melak had done before, to which he said he would try and live up to Melak's legacy. They said that they were born in darkness, as we were born in light, but we were all born of the same mother. Melak had helped their clan leader in the past, which is how they had become trading partners and allies. He also said that The Mother taught them that each much fend for themselves.

The Red Skull Clan were recent arrivals, and their ancestral clan lands lay to the west. They had been driven by darkness from those lands, and were accomplished sea travelers. They warned that there was a great evil in the land, as though death were amongst the living. Not many of their fellow clans had chosen to follow the light, and many were seduced by the dark.

Arad grasped Grouk's offered hand, then a colleague gave Grouk a wineskin; he sprinkled liquor over their hands, took a swig and offered it to Arad. I could smell it from a few paces away, and it must have had some strength to it. Arad took a swig anyway, coughing a little at the bitter, raw taste, but showing respect for the ritual. Arad said that he welcomed this alliance, as friends are hard to find in these dark times. Arad also offered a pot of healing ointment, which was gratefully accepted with much thanks - it was obviously of great worth to them. They then said that they had to leave if they were to arrange for the supplies to be brought to Gilrad (now we had a name for the human leader, as nobody had cared to ask). The small band turned and left quickly, but at least we had reforged the link between them and the village.

Whilst this was happening, Falcor was lending a hand to the rebuilding efforts, and asking the villagers for information whilst working. He asked about the goblin attack; they had come from the north, what seemed like dozens, and attacked in the night whilst most were sleeping. They were not used to setting guards, so there was no warning. All of those they saw attack were goblins.

The villagers were fisherman, and had met the Red Skull clan in the waters to west; they had always been cautious near the humans, but not hostile. They had approached Melak's people when their Chief was seriously ill, and they in turn brought him to Melak who was able to heal what were mortal wounds. After that they started a trade relationship, which was valuable to the villagers as they had no contact with Freeport. The people of Freeport shunned them because of their belief in the Lord Creator; people there worship Treddar. They had instead relied on the Red Skull Clan as a valuable source of supplies they could not gather themselves.

We gathered together again, sharing what we had learned. Falcor and Arad spoke of their past worlds; Arad had lost his sister to dogs like we had seen in the south. He had heard from his torturers that Maladan, where Falcor was from, had made use of the elves in partnership, despite Imperial law being clear that elves were to be outlawed, and elves were generally hated by humans. Falcor explained that the Dukedom of Maladan was more liberal than most human lands. Arad's sister made trips to the Duke when his son was born. Apparently the Emperor did not know of this heir, but Rodel (the mage or necromancer that tortured Arad) did, and wanted information about this boy.

Falcor was supposed to accompany the heir as a companion, as it was traditional for someone from lower birth to grow up and learn together with the heir, to be friends. Sadly they were separated when the castle fell. Sarn was his name. Rodel did not know where heir was, and he had said he "...was not looking for a saviour, he just needed a soul of a god."

Falcor said on that day the legion visited such death and destruction on our castle that he wasn't sure if anyone had survived. General Andivas had asked for a private audience before the killing started, which included Sarn, but what happened next he did not know.

Arad was sent with a "gift" for the boy, by Rodel: a dagger set with a black diamond soul stone, which apparently was the most precious kind. When he was plucked by Jeanette from his death, though, he was taken to another world and he did not know what happened to the dagger, which was missing.

Arad spoke with Gilrad, calling everyone to the temple for lunch. As he waited he learned from Gilrad that Melak died about a moon cycle ago, and it was he that was laid to rest in the tomb in the temple; it had been created for him as he knew the hour of his death. Apparently he was also the one in the murals on the walls, and he had always been there, having founded the village. He had often spoken of the demon that would come after him to save the village, which had now come to pass. He spoke again about the remains of Melak, and the items interred with him. Gilrad was adamant that what was Melak's in life was now Arad's to do with as he pleased.

We ate lunch as before in the temple, following the usual ritual, and waited until the humans went back to their work. Arad then stepped up to the sarcophagus and shifted it open again, although I stood well back. He reached inside and took the rings and the amulet. He held the ring set with a stone near to the hammer, and like before the stone was drawn to it, plucking itself from the ring and slotting easily into one of the spaces in the hammer. He wore the rings and the amulet, wishing to be seen as the new priest by the village. This offended Falcor, who had been taught to respect the dead and leave them to rest... apparently in their land all of the dead would be laid to rest in this way, and defiling a tomb was a crime. I was not so bothered, as to us dead bodies are just empty vessels, but I still wanted nothing to do with the items within.

I did find out from the villagers a little more about the islands we had seen to the north and west. There were three in total, making this little archipelago look a little like a paw print from above. We were on the largest island; the most southerly of the smaller islands was apparently "cursed" and they avoided it; the central island had a tower on it that was home to the "great mage that watches", and the most northerly had some ruins on it - the villagers tended to avoid this place, but were not aware of any curses.

We decided to rest for the night and think on what we would do next... at least that's what the others thought - I had other ideas!