Day Nine - Goldshire

On my way out, I saw a poster on a tree for the Twinblades, again.  And that it was posted by GENERAL Zurix.  I was speaking to the general that day?  The leader?  Now I feel bad for brushing him off. I was probably lucky to get out of there with my intestines in place.  Actually, I still could be under threat.  Lots of bandits have that "if you're not with us, you're against us" mentality.

Quite a few corpses on the way to Goldshire too.  Not humans I think, either.  Big ones.  Elephantine.  Were they orcs maybe?  Despite being a healer, I'm not too familiar with anatomy.  Once a body's to the point where it's a skeleton, it's sort of beyond my expertise.

I never really got the chance to explore much of the town, and I'll explain why in a minute.  The first thing I saw was this giant house that looked like a working bellows.  I don't know how to describe it beyond that.  I'd never seen anything like it.  Of course, I was interested in the blacksmith.  He told me I could learn it as a profession and I almost jumped on him.  I love swords and weapons.  My parents were... well, not blacksmiths but weapon designers, I guess you could say.  They made the fancy hilts and gems for decorative or royal swords.

Marshal Dughan

When I finally found Dughan, he was between the shop and the inn.  Apparently, I didn't read all of the letter, because he said that I've been awarded "acting deputy" status with the Stormwind Marshals.  Holy cow.  I didn't even think I was that good.  Maybe they just need all the bodies they can get around here.  Or maybe they favor healers, and want to keep what they can.  I wonder what Dughan would think if I told him I had no idea who the Stormwind Marshals were, that I'd never met one, and I have no idea where they are.

After that I found the Lion's Pride Inn finally, and talked to Farley.  There are a few interesting people here, but I believe they're more concerned with warlocks and warriors.  Also, the assistant inn-keeper bears a striking family resemblance to the person who directed me here in the first place.

--Caden Watkins

Day Eight

The forest is crawling with thieves.  Cutpurses, I heard they're called.  I saw one wandering near a farmhouse.  So me, being the noble righteous person I am, approached.

Actually, I approached cause I thought he was the owner of the house and maybe he could help me.  Nope.  He came at me with a knife.  So I came at him with my RIGHTEOUS BRAND OF METED HONOR-JUSTICE.  Well, look.  It's one thing to kill worgs who pass by with hi and howdy.  This guy assaulted me, so I assaulted him right back.  And it's not like I really killed him, I think.

The farmhouse was owned by a woman named Donni Anthania.  She called herself a "crazy cat lady", but she was actually pretty young.  And pretty cute.  I wonder why she kept brandishing a giant meat cleaver, but I wasn't going to ask.

She offered to sell me a cat companion, but I had to say I didn't really need or could afford a cat right now, but I'd keep her in mind once I made my fortune.  I love cats.  I grew up in a farming village, so there were farm cats all over the place.  There's something about an animal that can look so cute, and then disembowel a mouse the next minute.

But she let me stay in her house for a night while I played with the cats.

--Caden Watkins

Day Seven - Elwynn Forest

I had to check with McBride the next morning to make sure I'd heard him correctly. Dismissed? The hard part was trying to keep my identity somewhat secretly, but my big concern was where do I go from here? I don't know the city, I don't know the laws. And if the hearsay has any truth to it, it sounds like venturing outside encampments is risky as hell.

I wish I had made some friends here. You'd think I would have -- battles and hard times make the closest of friends. But no. Barely a soul was willing to communicate me. Is it something about priests I don't know? Mages? No one would chat with me. And I tried. I really tried. I tried talking to people, starting conversations. Nope, nothing. Looks like I'm just going to walk out there and get killed by a tree with an axe or something.

Course, what I said to McBride was something like "Is there anything I can do for you when I'm out there?" I don't even know where "out there" is. I don't even know the name of it. But he said, yes, he did. In fact, he said that, since I had shown an interest in the security of Northshire, I was now "tasked with the protection of the surrounding Elwynn Forest" (at least I know the name of "out there" now).

I'm not sure where I showed an interest in security. But maybe it showed up in my attention to duty. Why is it I spent so long in academy trying to prove that to people, but here it takes a day? Anyway he gave me some papers to take to Marshal Dughan in Goldshire. And thankfully, he gave me some directions and a nice map of the region.

I packed up my meager belongings and headed out. Before I left I met a man near the fountain who gave me some advice on where to stay. He recommended the Lion's Pride Inn, so I'll probably make that my next target. So into the forest I go!

This was my first chance to try out my wand. I had shot it at trees and bushes a few times. It made some impressive sparkles, but not much else. Maybe its magic was filtered, only effective on live targets (I should put quotes around "live").

Then a forest spider wandered past, and I'm pretty sure giant tarantulas are fair game in any world. Man, that wand is useless. It's fast, but it does less damage than a paper cut, and it doesn't seem to enhance my magic power. After I found myself hurt badly by a freaking spider, I simply switched back to a staff.

I sat on the side of the road and applied some first aid. No one came by, so I decided to open the documents from McBride. There was no wax seal, and I figured I deserved it for the bupkiss I got from serving them as a recruit. All it said was "the activity of kobolds has decreased in Northshire Valley, thanks to the orcs". So what the hell is a kobold?

--Caden Watkins

Day Six, Part Two

Kurtok the Slayer, as I suppose he's known among his clan, was found to be responsible for the invasion into the Northshire Valley.  If he's the head of the Blackrock Clan or just this division, or he's a mercenary, I don't know.  But they told me to kill him, so there I was.  Wading across the river again, through the vineyards, and around the burning trees.  For some reason, I destroyed each orc I came across.  I smote them from a distance, then continued rampaging against them.  If I was quick enough, I could kill them before they were even within axe-swinging distance.

I don't know why I did this.  I think I'm still frustrated with what I experienced yesterday.  No one seems to acknowledge it.  Maybe I don't discriminate in my battles anymore, now that I know what's on the other side.  We're all just in timeout, until we can get back on the field.  all these orcs may be coming back.  And the scary part is, I think I proved myself right.

I finally found the corner of the mountains where Kurtok was standing.  Just standing, not planning strategy, not engaging in battle, not communicating with superiors.  Just standing there, in a gate.  So I did what any well-meaning suicidal healing mage would do, and cast my spells at him.  He reacted in the same rhino-like way as his brethren.  He approached me and started swinging.  But it was over in a matter of seconds.  I looked at his corpse on the ground, feeling disappointed.  Maybe I wanted him to kill me.  Maybe I wanted him to become my immortal enemy, where we would continue this dance of death for eternity.

As I was about to leave, I turned back and saw his form fade back in, to the exact place he was standing before.  Standing at the gate, watching, doing nothing.  I don't know if I could get anymore proof that we're all simply mid-level husks, floating back and forth of the line of life of death.  So...  I killed him again.  Effortlessly.  And before his body showed up a third time, I left.

I don't know if I've resolved my feelings about this.  I seem to be downpouring on a tremendous advantage -- who wouldn't want to be immortal.  But on the other hand, it feels like something's fundamentally changed about life.  As if everything I thought was truth was just a lie.

When I returned to Marshal McBride, he thanked me for my service, and offered me a wand as a reward.  Now this was a trip.  In my world, wands were only from fairy tales and storybooks.  It was a bizarre looking thing too, all gnarled and gray.  Then he told me I was dismissed.  I couldn't quite process that at the time, so I asked if I could stay in the abbey one more night.  He said I could stay as long as I liked.

--Caden Watkins

Day Six

Bad sleep.  Too much thinking.  Thinking about all the complications that this brings up.  Is everyone like this?  Is this a world of immortals?  If so, what does that mean?  Is that why everyone is so indifferent about the invading forces?  Is this all just a never-ending game to them?

Well, I suppose I should be grateful, because it sounds like the primary scuffling is wrapping up.  McBride assigned me to kill Kurtok the Slayer, whose supposed to be leading this battle.  I'll never understand this world.  Why send a healer out on a Saint Sitog mission? (St. Sitog = Stick the Sword in the Other Guy)  Is there no one else better suited?  Is everyone else busy or something?  Jeez.

Before I headed out, I explored a little bit more of camp.  I met Dermot Johns, the blacksmith for the abbey.  He didn't have much I could use or afford.  The rewards they've been giving me for completing tasks have been more than satisfactory in that regard.

Also, I met someone a man named Zurix on the road.  He said he was from a group called the "Twinblade Bandits".  They said they were a bandit army, which gave me pause.  I asked him if he meant an army of bandits, or an army fighting bandits, while I got ready to run.  He said the former.  For some reason, I didn't run.  Maybe because I was still within the eyesight of McBride and his company.  But what kind of world is this where bandits form their own army?  And roam free right in front of a church.

Fortunately, he clarified that they were more selective in their targets, specifically the Horde.  I still have to figure out what kind of races are part of the Horde, so that I don't end up on the wrong side of a blade.  And that they were kind of a "local defense for the forest".  Not to mention he wanted me to join them.  Me, a bandit?  Seriously?  I politely declined, mostly for the fact that I've not even been in the world for a week.  He seemed quite friendly though.  You know, for a bandit.

I told him I wouldn't feel right abandoning the invasion.  He said they had everything well-in-hand, but A) of course he'd say that B) I have an overdeveloped sense of moral responsibility.  Sometimes, I think I am meant to be a healer.

--Caden Watkins