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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hedrin" data-source="post: 2273100" data-attributes="member: 31867">Liadan's Journal 3Liadan's Journal (03/08/2003)           Brandle and Chosn were the two men who met us as we left the portal. They must have been there for a while waiting for Covenant. We arrived a good ways south of where we entered the Portal, but the exact location eluded me. (Geography was never my strong suit!)         We gathered ourselves together and were about to depart the ruins when we realized there was a party coming up to the ruins. This was a group of Red Wizards from Thay with a fire cleric of some kind.  Later I learned that Covenant and his band had met so of them before.         Rogan, a big brute with Nethimil, apparently had heard stories of Covenant and his prowess and wanted to test himself Covenant. The fact that Covenant cheerfully goaded him on didn't help. I think I saw a side of my mentor today that I don't like.         Covenant told me to stay out of the fight and I found that a hard thing to do. Looking back however, it was probably the smart and correct thing to do, but it hurt at the time that he didn't want me at his side. (OK! SO I'M STUPID)         I stayed by Havin, thinking that if help were needed, he would know where I would best be used. As it turned out that was probably the best course of action that I could have followed.         Brandle and Chosn leapt into the fray to help Covenant. That seemed to be the signal for everyone to get into the battle. One of the wizards called down a pillar of fire that engulfed Covenant, Brandle, and Chosn. Chosn fell to the ground, fearfully burned. Abandoning my hopes of getting into the fight, I raced forward and gave what little of Lathander's healing magics I had to help the fallen man. He turned his face from death's door, but was still unconscious.         By this time, Nethimil had ordered his guards forward to assist Rogan. Brandle was not faring well in his battle with a guard, so I prepared to run forward and assist him. I could see that the guard's martial skill far outstripped my own, so I resigned myself to aiding Brandle and protecting him as I could with my shield while letting him actually battle the guard. Before I could get in place however, a fearsome blow to Brandle's neck took him out of the fight. The guard looked disdainfully at me and turned his attentions towards Covenant. I knew that I would only get in Covenant's way so I retreated while pulling the two retainers away from the battle. I tried the only healing magics I had left in an attempt to keep Brandle's spirit on this side of the veil, but the gods had already accepted him.         My eyes were blurring and I had to fiercely rub the tears out of them to clear my vision. I don't know if my help would have made a difference, but I felt that I had let Brandle down somehow. I knew him for less that ten minutes and was never even introduced to him. Still I found myself grieving for the loss of him.         I returned to Havin's side. He was very busy turning away the magics of the other side, rendering their spells harmless. To my astonishment I saw that the porters and servants were crossing the field towards us each with a weapon of some sort and a fierce look on their faces. Behind them Nethimil was ordering them forward to rush our positions. The thought that they were more scared of their master than of a group of armed and armored warriors still chills me to the bone.         One rushed our position and was clearly intent upon trying to harm Havin. Without thinking Sandrue and I lashed out to deal with this threat. His staff hit low and my mace hit high. The porter crashed to the ground dead at our feet.         As I stared down at the inert form before us, I stared to get angry. Mad at Nethimil for sending these ill equipped servants to try and harm Havin. Angry at the guard who killed Brandle before I could aid him.         ...And yes, I will admit it, furious at Covenant for provoking this battle.         Another servant was crossing the field to our position. I stepped forward to meet him with shield and mace. I felt so angry and here was a target for my rage. Blood pounded in my ears.  I thrust my shield into his midsection and his head exploded at the kiss of my mace. Another slattern with a knife advanced on me. She managed to shimmy out of the way of my shield edge, but my mace whistled a deadly tune as it met her head with gory impact. Seeing no further opponents coming our way, I returned to Havin's side to protect him once more so he could concentrate on his magics.         I don't know how long it took, but soon Rogan and the rest of Nethimil's company were either dead or down. Nethimil was the last of his party to remain standing but something had taken his sight in the course of the battle (I suspect it was Garret's doing). Muttering a curse Nethimil cast a spell that opened a magic doorway behind him through which he escaped.         ...and the battle was over.         Suddenly it was like someone had taken a bag off my head. I could see clearer, the sounds of the wounded and dying rang in my ears, and the smells of the field assailed my nose. Offal from voided bowels mixed with the iron tang of blood and the smell of something else close by. It took me a moment to realize that it was the smell of the brains dripping from my mace. I thought about what I had just done... I had taken three human lives. My stomach twitched and I could feel my gorge raising. I ran behind some rubble where I hoped I wouldn't be seen and emptied my stomach. This went on for a while even after I had no more to bring up. When it was over, I cleaned my mace in the dirt and went to find my pack for a drink to clear my mouth.         Rock was with the animals getting a skin himself. He threw one at me and by some miracle of Lathander's grace, I caught it. Taking a hearty swig from the skin I coughed half of it onto the ground. It wasn't water, it was strong spirits! I thought it over a moment and being prepared this time, took a hefty drink. I smiled and nodded at Rock as I returned the skin. Mercifully he hadn't laughed at my initial discomfort.         Sandrue thanked me for helping protect him and Havin and had some kind words to help put the day and what happened in perspective. I'm not sure how coherent my reply  was, being still very shaken, but I felt better after talking with him. Then Fallon arrived and was really upbeat and cheerful about the bloodshed. He didn't seem so nice at that point.         Some of Nethimil's company survived and we sent them on their way with their dead. We wrapped Brandle and took him with us. I prayed to Lathander for his soul. I don't know which deity he followed, but I prayed anyway hoping Lathander would relay my words to whomever should receive them.         More later.</blockquote>

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