Dear Reader,

Draining my sanity and grip on reality, my conscience bleeds out with my soul into my dreams once more. Images flash quickly through my head, as I try to stay awake during my part of the watch. A brilliant young woman, with golden brown hair can be seen talking to me, in my field of vision, with simple yet charming words of praise.

“Master Darklight.” She says. How I love the sound of that phrase. Master, she called me, as a term of respect perhaps? Or maybe I hold some form of power over her? I truly do not know. Her image fades away, as my field of vision grows red.

Red, deep and brilliantly red, crimson and scarlet shades dance upon my vision like fiery djinn, as another woman comes into view. Red-head, brilliant eyes, forging her voice and thoughts through miraculous song into my bleeding soul as bandages and clothe to clear my wounds. She is the most beautiful thing, I have ever seen in my life. But I’ve seen her before. I’ve seen them both, before. I have met them before as well. In my dreams and in reality……

A nudge from Rednexela wakes me up. He is my partner in this watch, bringing my mind from celestial daydreams of emotion and memory to the harsh reality of this world. I am in a town called Homloch. No, that’s not precise enough. I am below the town of Homloch. Somewhere within this insanely and well thought up of deathtrap, in search for a crown. A Magical Crown. The Crown of the Undead.

At this precise moment, the majority of our current party is asleep on the cold dungeon floor, as Rednexela and I keep first watch. We are guarded, luckily, by three trusty friends of mine: Logos, Pathos, and Ethos. Who are these three trusty friends of mine, you ask? Well they are very useful, animated skeletons. No, I did not animate these skeletons myself, I just rebuked them, from a larger set of undead guards, whom the majority of, where turned to ash through Valerefin’s efforts. Where does Valerefin fit into all of this? Sit back, take a break from the constant harshness of adventuring or shoemaking, from the idle lives of peasants, or the exciting lives of nobleman, and read: The Chronicle of Lyfaster.

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Now after the whole shebang at the confusing town of Skald, my companions and I journeyed to a much, much orderly place. It was the beautiful town of Homloch, and she was quite a looker indeed. There seemed not to be a single thing misplaced, and specifically for us, no shape-shifting werewolves or denizens of the dark sprawling about in the daylights, hunting for us.

The party realized that we, as a whole, were at some sort of disadvantage, primarily because of two things, Jimmy the Rouge aka our rogue’s armor was seriously damaged from the battle that we had had back in Skald, and Greil, our loveable bumbling barbarian had lost his weapon when he was (in a sense) “jumped” by the werewolf in his room’s closet. So I took Greil to go and find a suitable weapon to serve as replacement for his late dwarven great-axe, which he was so attached to, whilst Jimmy went in search for an armor store, looking for someone who could fix his armor.

So after a whiles worth of searching, Greil and I finally found a suitable weapon store within this orderly town in which virtually everything was organized to the umpteenth degree. We entered the weapon store to peruse its wares. The original owner of the weapon store was out, and in his steed was his niece. Upon entering Greil immediately raced around the store, searching for a weapon while I said my salutations and greetings to the niece of the store owner.

Now please don’t laugh at this moment. For when I asked the kind store clerk, if she had any dwarven great axes, she turned around very provocatively. My first thought at this, was not the realization that she was “charmed” by my charisma, but I actually thought she had some sort of physical injury which prevented her to move normally otherwise. Oh, how I was wrong. I eventually got the feeling she was slightly interested in me, but sadly, I had little to know interest in her, myself. Instead, please don’t think ill of me because of my action, I used it to my advantage. It turned out that she was able to locate quite an axe for my bumbling barbarian bodyguard.

It was a masterworks dwarven great axe. Quite the work of craftsmanship, with the haft of the axe reminiscent of some great dwarf only Greil could recognize.

“How much for the axe?” I asked her, offering to pay for it with my personally high funds. She gave me the estimate of roughly five-hundred gold. Now, normally, I would definitely pay the full price with little to no haggling what so ever. But, I had this cake, and I knew I could eat it to. So why not? I leaned over the counter, smiled at the kind miss in front of me, and tried to be as flirtatious as I could, from my efforts, I am beginning to believe I can be quite “ersuasive” to the female public.

Personally, I never thought myself as “handsome” or attractive to women, maybe it might be because I solely ever look at my own reflection. I find such things to be unnecessary displays of vanity. Regardless, my persuasive nature, was able to secure a much lower price of approximately two-hundred gold, as opposed to original five-hundred. But it did not stop there. Looking back at it, I must’ve been caught up in the moment, or the power rush as one may perceive, for when I looked at the young woman in front of me, this Selene, I saw the woman from my dreams, dressed in the clothes of a commoner. Her golden brown hair, and her bright alabaster skin, her deep and meaningful eyes. I was, truth be told, smitten by her.

“Kind Mademoiselle.” I said. “Do you have any spare time this evening? If so, do you mind showing me around this town, and or recommending me any good inns for my companions and party to stay in?” She nodded, and accepted my invitation, as well as recommended the finest inn within all of Homloch. Thanking her deeply, Greil and I made our way there, meeting our companions along the path. Selene and I had promised to meet there, later that night. The face I bore, in front of my companions was prideful and happy in a job well-done. But inside, a small part of me was whispering away slight paranoia. “All actions have results, all deeds have consequences.” This mantra, however, I did ignore.

The sun had begun to set, but unlike Skald, the party hadn’t heard a single rumor of the dangers within this town at night. So before my rendezvous with the simple and wonderful Selene, I did some research concerning the culture of this town. It was reminiscent of another village I had visited, earlier in my travels. Hope. I entered a church, the holy place in this town, dedicated to music and the “celestial choir.” Running slightly late on schedule, I was about to leave, the church for my early sprucing up for meeting Selene later, until…..

There she was. Illuminated by the deepest and most varying shades of red I had ever seen. The Single Most Beautiful Thing I Had Ever Seen In My Entire Life. She bore red crimson hair, complemented by the sunset refractorical, that captured the fleeting suns rays and focused it onto her beauty. Making her even more dazzling as she sung and lead the Homlochian choir to sheer bliss! I had to know her name. I must know her name. She looked reminiscent of…,,of…dare I say it? The girl of red hair in my dreams? She looked very much like her…indeed…….

A thought broke into my mind for a brief moment. It was a single word. A single word that impacted the very breeches of my psyche. Destiny. Two woman, both much reminiscence of those within my dreams. Met in the same town. Each leading two very separate lives. The life of a merchant, one who interacts much with others, and sees the world, and one of the covenant, who hasn’t seen the true beauties of the land. I made my way to her, enchanted, no enthralled, needing to know who she was.

“Hello Madame, My name is Lyfaster Darklight. That was quite the beautiful performance you gave out. I applaud you sincerely and gratuitously.” she replied with her welcomes, and a casual thank you, for the complement. We talked a brief moment, about philosophies and view points of life and death. A fellow religious philosopher, this beautiful young woman was, of course, her beliefs contrasted my own to some degree, but it did not matter. The way she described death, sounded almost heavenly. With the soul amalgamating into the Celestial Choir, that sung the songs of existence together. Truly beautiful. But lacking in reality…..

No…Who am I to question this? It is her beliefs and her beliefs alone. I am no one, no I am Lyfaster J. Darklight, Cleric, and Sorcerer Extraordinaire. And with my mastery of the realms divine and arcane, I shall find the truth of this matter of life and death that plagues me so!

But enough philosophical ramblings, I know, dear reader, you simply want to know, what happens next. Well after, the pleasantries, I asked her name, which she gave happily as Ragda. We promised to see each other tomorrow morning, to discuss philosophies. However, I did have, a secret agenda. I planned to question her of the shipwrecks within this town, and if any of the ships were carrying a specific item of INFINITE importance. A Crown, with the ability to raise the dead. Not just dead people, or animals, but FALLEN GODS.

I returned to the inn, where the rest of my companions were, and ordered for them, the finest food they had there, as I awaited my dearest Selene. It was going to be a brief flirtation, and an excise of information of the town was. Nothing more Nothing less. But unexpected things happen, primarily for reasons, and consequences of actions. After Selene entered, we talked for a brief moment, as introductions were given between her and my allies. Just then, some bumbling fool walks in and causes quite a ruckus, searching for his fiancé. He makes quite a bash, and frightens dearest Selene. So naturally I rise to the occasion, and lull him to ease with several quick commands. We gave the crowd quite a show in our display through me and my magical commands , Von Barron’s bending of shadows, and Jimmy’s proficiency with a rope, we were able to contain the up starting rascal, until the guards came and take him away. Selene was frightened outside of her mind, so I offered to buy her a private room for the night, within the inn, while we all rested up for the next day.

Oh and what a day it was. We all woke up and had breakfast. I left a note to Selene, telling her that I would see her later, and that breakfast and another night in the inn was paid for her. From what my party members said, she seemed slightly peeved at this, but was gracious nonetheless.

I made my way to the church to talk to Ragda. The discussion lead from the standard philosophies to what I truly wanted to discern, a possible location of the crown. From my gatherings, the shipwrecked salvage from the wrecks was swept up by an undercurrent and wounded in some sort of cave near the cliffs, only accessible at low tide. Thanking Ragda, again, graciously if not flirtatiously, I promised to see her again sometime. Call me twisted, call me sick, call me morally repugnant, but….I felt it obligatory to say so. Especially displaying my flair and charming personality as I joked with her through the parting words. “Don’t worry, you wont be singing any requiems for me tonight.”

I returned to my companions, but realized I had one too many. Approaching us, was the do-gooder superb! The Exemplar of Good Examples. The distasteful Paladin Valerefin, Hero to all those who consider a goody-too shoes who fights for purely justice, with little benefit to him. Hah, what a fraud! I thought to myself as I greeted his presence. Apparently he had heard of the incidents of shipwreck as well as some mysterious beast that guards it, and with Ayen the incapable conjurer, and Ivy, the only competent member of their party, we joined forces for this duel exploration operation.

I had to avoid seeing Selene again. You see, a man fears meeting someone he cares about, before he goes off and braves the deep, dark, unknown, because it’s the care for that person that makes him want to stay back, in familiarity. I’m not saying I would stay back for Selene, or Ragda, or any other woman, but it would just be difficult if one of them protested against my actions…I dislike opposition so…..

Please allow me to take this slight pause from the casual drab of the story and discuss my distaste for Valerefin Paladin of all Paladiness.
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I dislike you Valerefin. You are the tails to my head. The white to my black. The Anti-thesis to my thesis. Where I see opportunity in death, you see a disgraceful act, not to be committed. Where I see beauty in the undead. You see a disgusting creature, that should be burnt. I know, deep down, you are not as pure as you lead on to be. And you know deep down, how right my way really is, so WHY DO YOU CONTEST ME?! WHY DO YOU BOTHER ME!? WHY DO YOU VEX ME SO!?!?…..*Ahem* But I will be honest, though you antagonize my abilities, I realize the true potential of our teaming. We can be considered, seemingly invincible, my brains, your brawn, my dark, and your light. A team that would rival anything Bargle or any other psychopathic sorcerer could throw at us! But that will NEVER HAPPEN YOU PATHETIC GOODY-TOO SHOES!
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Now back to the adventure on hand. We hired a shanty-man, a boateer grand, To boat us to our location at low-tide. And so we entered the accursed death trap. Through narrow passage ways, and bridges made of bone, through many twists and turns and a familiar face. We had found the crown.

But before that, we ran into the skeleton of a man, who had been recently places there, judging by his bindings. I used my magical abilities, flexing my metaphysical muscle, and begun to speak to its spirit. He was chucked down in this domain as a punishment for raising some chaos within the inn, a following night. And that’s when it hit me. The skeleton, talking to me, right now, right this instant was that of the man who I consigned to this death. This viciously horrible death…It was my fault. The consequence for my actions, and to be honest I did feel a tinge of responsibility. We buried him, and apologized infinitely for the stupidity of our actions.

Think of it like this. You are simply dining at a very fine establishment, well-known for its great customer service. However, the waiter who served you your food, had glared quite nastily at your date. This not only upsets your date, but yourself as well and you take this up to the establishment’s manager. Through talking, and defending your side as valiantly as you can, the manager agrees with you and understand where you are coming from. In return, he fires the waiter who glared at your date. This eliminates the waiter’s income, due to his being fired from a very well-known dining establishment, and makes it difficult for the ex-waiter to support his family, forcing them into poverty, leading them into a lot more problems then you even knew you would cause by complaining to the manager about his behavior.

It was just like this situation: we did not know it could end this bad. And so, I guess we learned the hard way, I just find it kind of pathetic that our actions caused someone to die. In a sense making us adventurers of good, murders. But…if you would consider us that, then can’t you consider yourself a murderer, if you say, step on a bug, or pick a flower?

Anyway, back to the story: We found the crown, standing on a black pedestal, on a blood red pillow. Greil and I went to retrieve it, but fearing it my be trapped I attempted to use telekinesis to remove the crown from the cushion. And the death trap begun. The floor beneath us gave in, causing us to be first account witnesses to a very painful fall into jagged rocks. To make matters worse, the cave, as well as the passage way we had entered from, begun to cave in.

Through several pathetic moments of searching for a way out, we were able to discover some secret passage way within the pedestal (here comes the complicated part), that maintained a float, even without a floor. We turned the stone pedestal into clay, and dug into it, through use of an earth elemental. (Yes, call our strategy completely irregular and almost psychotic, but hey, what would YOU do, if you were stuck in a collapsing cavern with no way out.). I was the first to break through the passage way, overly dramatic of course, by jumping off a the wall which I scaled through the use of an arcane spell and smashed the wooden door of the passage way with my mace out front. Everybody else followed.

It lead through some sort of greased chute, which lead to several more turns, which lead to me reaching a pedestal with a bunch of animated skeletons about to spear me to bits. But with a flair and flash of my own influence, I was able to command approximately two-thirds of the twenty four skeletons, to do my bidding. Sadly Valerefin had to show up, see me surrounded by skeletons, and eliminate the majority of them with his turning abilities with complete prejudice. The three left over, I dubbed Pathos, Logos, and Ethos, after the modes of persuasion. I know, I am philosophical nutcase, who just named animated skeletons, and yet, dear reader, I find it funny how you still read this!

The Party made our way through several more twists and turns until some of us ended up into this pit, that was toned in extreme darkness. We sent down light sources to find that there were four super large spiders there, who wanted to devour our foolish party members who wished to go down there. The foolish consisting over every party member excluding the druid Ivy and myself. I felt sorry for the fools, and commanded all three skeletons under my control to assist them. They are quite useful when it comes to being expandable soldiers. After the whole spider incident, we entered a t-shaped intersection, where we made camp, and I had set up my three skeletons, each covering one passage within this t-shaped intersection.

I go weary, and tired. During my shift, I’ve tried my best to fight off day dreams and other accursed hallucinations, but with little success. My shift is just about over, and now I must return to the cold, peaceful sleep, in which I was found. Farewell for now reader, Till the next time we meet. Good bye, and good night.
Sincerely,
Lyfaster J. Darklight.