An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.

Stories of Ansalon from the view of Etilyn.

A little gully dwarf runs by and says 'Wordwrap is at 80. You change? Off 65 80.'
The gully continues 'Eyes hurt? Turn Color OFF!! (regular story dates)

Astinus says 'Enter the main library here to view only the author list.'
Astinus gently places a private journal on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Etilyn' scribed in brilliant green ink.

Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Tue Aug 25 22:56:28
2009
Subject     A beginning in Delgaard

Two men stood over looking
the Vingaard river from high atop the walls of
Delgaard keep. The taller of the
two men stood straight with a worried look
on his face. While the other mans
face could not be seen. Etilyn remained by
the river bank watching silently. The
taller man, her father, ran his hand
over his fiery red beard. The two had been
talking for some time and she
knew she was the reason for the conversation. She
saw her father shake his
head several times as the other man, her own teacher,
gestured down toward
her. She swore that several times she could make out the
words proper lady
form on her fathers mouth. When it became more then she could
bear to watch
she turned and walked down river away from the keep. Proper lady
indeed. She
had been raised by mostly men all her life. Her mother she was sure
must
have been the perfect noble lady. But having died during her birth,
Etilyn
had no memories of her. What Eitlyn longed for was to follow more in
the
lines of her fathers stead. Mandes di Delgaard was a proud knight.
Having
retired not long after meeting his wife, Jenna, he returned to his
family
home. His retirement was unexpected by many. He was considered a
hero
throughout Solamnia and a valued member of the Order of the Rose. Never
the
less, he was a greatly respected man. Etilyn knew that not many women
sought
to enter the knighthood, but she had always been a bit different
then
others. She did not take delight in sewing, weaving, or the many
household
things that noble women oversaw daily. She defiantly did not feel the
need
to wait for a noble lord to marry her. She had trained day and night
with
many of those same lords until the time the were sent away as squires.
Her
teacher believed in her skills with a blade as well. All she could do
was
hope her father would come around. She glanced back toward the keep
and
noticed she had walked quite far. With the sun beginning to set, she
turned
with a sigh and headed home.


Author:    Etilyn        

Date:      Wed Aug 26 03:14:51 2009
Subject     A beginning in
Delgaard

Two men stood over looking the Vingaard river from high atop
the walls of
Delgaard keep. The taller of the two men stood straight with a
worried look
on his face. While the other mans face could not be seen. Etilyn
remained by
the river bank watching silently. 

The taller man, her father, ran
his hand over his fiery red beard. The two
had been talking for some time and
she knew she was the reason for the
conversation. She saw her father shake his
head several times as the other
man, her own teacher, gestured down toward her.
She swore that several times
she could make out the words proper lady form on
her fathers mouth. When it
became more then she could bear to watch she turned
and walked down river
away from the keep. 

Proper lady indeed. She had been
raised by mostly men all her life. Her
mother she was sure must have been the
perfect noble lady. But having died
during her birth, Etilyn had no memories of
her. 

What Eitlyn longed for was to follow more in the lines of her fathers
stead.
Mandes di Delgaard was a proud knight. Having retired not long after
meeting
his wife, Jenna, he returned to his family home. His retirement
was
unexpected by many. He was considered a hero throughout Solamnia and
a
valued member of the Order of the Rose. Never the less, he was a
greatly
respected man. 

Etilyn knew that not many women sought to enter the
knighthood, but she had
always been a bit different then others. She did not
take delight in sewing,
weaving, or the many household things that noble women
oversaw daily. She
defiantly did not feel the need to wait for a noble lord to
marry her. She
had trained day and night with many of those same lords until the
time the
were sent away as squires. Her teacher believed in her skills with a
blade
as well. 

All she could do was hope her father would come around. She
glanced back
toward the keep and noticed she had walked quite far. With the sun
beginning
to set, she turned with a sigh and headed home. 

Author:   
Etilyn         
Date:      Mon Aug 31 06:53:09 2009
Subject     A Long
Ride to Palanthas

Etilyn smiled as she watched the exchange between her
father and Sir
Railen. Things were falling in to place and her father seemd very
taken with
the knight. The rode ahead of her for some time talking. It gave her
time to
think to herself. 

The smile faded from her face with one thought. What
if Railen was planning
to wokr out a marriage contract with her father. She
shook her head. He had
given his word. She held faith that a knight such as he
would keep his
word.

She hated to think about such a contract. It would surely
mean she would
have to decide to disobey her father's wishes. She sighed and
finally
brushed the thought away. Whatever was to happen, it would wait until
they
reached Palanthas. 

Etilyn turned to look out over the country side. The
afternoon sun was
setteling down as evening approached and a gently breeze blew
through the
traveling companions. She relaxed in her saddle enjoying the beauty
of the
day. She listend as the men ahead talked back and forth of family and
life
in the city. She grew anxious the more fond the conversation became of
the
homes of these knights. 

It suddenly grew quite and the conversation
lulled. The momentary silence
was broke with a barbaric howl from behind them.
Goblinoid creatures were
coming up on them fast. With in moments more goblins
were coming from all
directions. Before Etilyn could estimate the numbers of the
raiders, Railen
shouted an order. Her reins were taken from her then as her
father and her
became enclosed in a circle of knights. 

Etilyn thought to
herself, 'Great now I can not see anything', as they were
lead away from the
road. 

Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Thu Sep  3
16:28:16 2009
Subject     Back to the Road

 "Halt Now". The large
for of Mandes di Delgaard bellowed as he reigned
in his horse.  "We are going
back.". The man pulled back on the reins again,
guiding his mount to turn and
they set off at a running pace. He looked back
toward the smirk forming on his
daughters face as she too did the same. "Try
not to get in to too much
trouble girl, stay close to this old father of
yours. 

Etilyn and her
father both drew their swords. Not waiting to see the
reaction of Railen's men,
both advanced back toward the road. Stopping
abruptly they saw an unfamiliar
knight rushing toward them and Railen
standing perplexed and injured on the
road. 

She looked passed him and scanned the trees along the road. She could
see
nothing, but heard plain enough what sounded like battle crys. The
goblinoid
shouts sent a small chill down her back as Her father nodded in
her
direction "Be careful." 

The two of them together pressed there horsed
back to the road. Etilyn
shouted toward Railen. "Sir Railen!!! There are
more! He father had
dismounted and was running up the road as the first of the
new coming
attackers came in to view. Etilyn lept from her horse and ran to
her
father's side. 

Railen swung as he managed to turn and dodge the first
advance. Etilyn could
not tell what extent his injury seemed to be, but Raieln
fought as if it did
not bother him. She herself swung and caught one of the
beasts in it's
shoulder. Her father was doing well for himself as well, and had
downed two
of the goblins before Etilyn was caught surrounded and lost sight of
Railen
and Mandes. 

Hoof beats echoed from nearby. The knights at Railen's
command had arrived.
Etilyn turned and circled watching each of the five goblins
in frount of
her. She had before sparred with one or two other pages, but this
was
completely different. 

She was given an opportunity to act. She swung and
slashed in to the leg of
a goblin on her right. Using the momentum of her swing,
she ducked as one of
the other nights slammed a mace in to another's head.
Looking around as she
stood. She could see another dozen or so goblins still
standing. Just as
quickly as they had run on to the road, each one fell to it's
death. 

She looked at each of the knights, each one short of breath and now
covered
in sweat and blood. Etilyn was in awe of each. Her father looked at her
and
winked. He looked almost thrilled. Etilyn could not help it. She winked
back
and let out a laugh. Maybe this would be enough for her father to see
why
she very much wanted to follow in his foot steps. 

Author:   
Etilyn         
Date:      Sun Sep 13 02:16:41 2009
Subject     A New
Squire in Palanthas

Etilyn kept mostly to herself and quiet while they
waited for Railen to
return. She had calmed down after meeting Lanfer along the
road. She had
kept more to herself then ever listening to men talk of her as if
she was
invisible. With all the talk, she could not figure out what her father
was
really up to.

Railen had promised that she would not be pushed in to
marriage if he could
help it. But Etilyn sighed as she thought about the laws.
She knew them as
well as anyone. She also knew that her father was pleased with
these two
knights, and now there were two men in which he might push for her
to
marry.

Railen returned to his keep bringing news that reports had come of
road
conditions. The roads to Palanthas had been fully secured and they were
able
to enter the city. While they rode through the streets, Etilyn forgot
about
her fathers plotting and wished for the time being. She sat back in
her
saddle and enjoyed the view around her. She found herself smiling as
they
passed the many shops and street vendors. The entourage made quick time
in
making it to the city square. 

Etilyn dismounted with the others and stood
watching a group of children
playing in the fountain. She laughed at the antics
as one of them splashed
the others. A few minutes passed and the children
continued to play. Her
smile faded as a woman walked toward them and began to
scold them for
playing in the water. Etilyn sighed and wondered if she was
doomed to be a
overbearing wife and mother. 

She caught Railen flash her a
smile as he turned away to give orders to the
men with him. " Get the horses
in to the stables, You all know the
routine."

Her father stepped up behind
her as she again looked toward the children.
"Well Squire,  Your patron
has issued an order. Will you obey?" 

Etilyn turned to look up at him. His
eyes sparkled slightly and he wore a
crooked grin through his fiery beard. He
nodded as she started to question
him. He silenced her with a simple  "Aye".
He took her hand and lead him to
his horse. He took a rolled piece of parchment
from his saddlebags and
placed it in her hands. 

" Railen and I have
discussed everything and you will be his squire. Make me
proud Etilyn and show
these knights  the strength of my daughter, a true
lady in the making." She
reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Before she could say thank you
he added. "Now go on, before I change my 
mind" 

Etilyn di Delgaard
stepped back and gave a salute to her father and flashed
him a smile. She turned
and walked toward Railen then Saluting him, she
followed the others toward the
stables. 


Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Fri Sep 25
01:00:34 2009
Subject     Shameful Reflections

Two young squires lay
quietly waiting to be healed from their recent
injuries. Both beaten and
bruised, and having to admit the biggest wound was
to their pride. A first real
chance had come and gone for them to prove
themselves. Etilyn and Blaine had
both been left lying blackened and
bleeding after letting themselves become over
confident. 

Etilyn closed her eyes and tried to fight the tears burning in her
eyes. The
pain stung through out her body and he head was clouded. But she
could
remember the day before clearly. The longer she was lying in this
quiet
room, the more embarrassed she had come to feel.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

Alarms sounded through
out the practice yard. Shouts reporting that goblins
had been seen near
Palanthas close to the High Clerists Tower. Blaine and
Etilyn both sprang to
help the knights prepare to leave. They helped to
saddle horses and gather
equipment. Then they watched as the commotion died
down as the knights rode out.


It was then that Etilyn had noticed another squire in the yard. She was
unsure
of who the young mans patron was, but nodded politely to him,
thanking for his
help as well. When the dust had settled three squires stood
alone in the
courtyard of Railens keep. 

 "Well now what?"  The unknown squire asked,
being the first to break the
silence. Etilyn looked toward Blaine and shrugged.
He returned a sigh. 

 " I suppose we clean up and wait for them to return."


The newcomer introduced himself as Uther and then all three of them set
to
the task of cleaning the practice yard. The sun grew hotter and
climbed
higher in to the sky as the hours dragged on. They had still heard
nothing
when they had finally finished with their work. Evening came and they
were
still alone with in the walls of the keep. All three grew more anxious
to
hear of the action at the tower. 

With the chores done and nothing to do,
the three of them set to sparring
and practicing with one another. As Etilyn and
Blaine took a turn at
dueling, a rider appeared at the gate. The sound startled
Etilyn and she
caught Blaine in a unexpected bash to his side. 

She apologized
to him and helped him to stand, as Uther gave the rider
water. As the man drank
the three of them waited patiently to be told of any
news. As he swallowed the
last of the water, he sighed heavily and began to
speak. 

 "They have pushed
the goblins back from the tower and toward the river. I
have been sent to spread
word that temporary guards are needed at the tower.
Any volunteers I can gather
until the knights regroup."  Just as quickly as
he had brought word, he turned
and rode on to Palanthas. 

Etilyn had thought to herself it was a task the
three of them could handle.
They all agreed to go. Thinking back they would have
been better off aiding
in the search for volunteers. Pride fueled the three
young squires as they
found themselves riding toward the tower. The force of the
goblins, so they
had been told, where no longer a threat to the tower. They
would only be
there long enough for the towers normal guards to return. 

The
ogre loitering in the halls had taken them all unexpectedly. Etilyn felt
a sense
of shame about how unprepared they had been. It was a wonder that
all three
survived the attack. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ With a
heavy sigh she
turned to look at the cot next to hers. Blaine was there.
Straining through
the pain, she turned her head again but did not see Uther.
Another sigh and
she looked back to Blaine. His eyes were closed and she
wondered if he too
was reliving the memory of their mistakes. 

Soon the pain
became too much to bear and pushed her to sleep. But as she
closed her own eyes,
she had one other fearful thought. What would Railens
reaction be? And worse,
what would her fathers reaction be?


Author:    Etilyn        

Date:      Sun Oct  4 15:59:51 2009
Subject     Investigating
Tarsis

Etilyn stood before the council answering many questions about
what she
knew in regards to Lord Railens disappearance. She remained quiet when
they
paused to converse amongst themselves. She heard a few mentioned whispers
of
a murder and of the name Coria. She remembered a few times Railen
had
mentioned them as well. 

Etilyn was not sure she needed to hear all this
and finally spoke.  "Excuse
me Lords, I do not mean to interrupt, but I would
like to know what you
would have me do now." 

The acting High Warrior smiled
down at her fir a moment. She suddenly felt
almost afraid that he was going to
laugh at her. She was relieved when he
spoke instead.  "I think Segwarides can
handle another squire. He will be
leaving for Tarsis soon. When he returns we
will see to those
arrangements."

 "Again my Lord, I mean no disrespect. I
have heard some of the mission to
Tarsis and I would like to o as well." 


The men on the council became quiet for a moment. After the silence,
Etilyn
began to worry that she had overstepped her place. The High Warrior
again
spoke,  "After the incident at the High Clerists Tower we felt that it
would
be better if you remain in Palanthas."  Etilyn felt the knot in her
stomach
grow.  "Do you have anything else you would like to say?"  

Etilyn
felt a spark of confidence. She lifted her head and nodded.  "Yes, my
Lord, I
believe I should be allowed to join the others in going to Tarsis.
And Yes, I
understand my mistakes at the tower. How am I to learn from those
mistakes and
gain proper field training if I am not given the opportunity?
Besides, We would
not be unsupervised squires this time." Her voice trailed
off as she finished.
She was then dismissed without an answer from the
council on the matter.


Etilyn found herself pacing the almost empty barracks for over an hour.
She
almost missed seeing a muscular built knight enter the room. She
stopped
abruptly and saluted to him. 

 "I am Segwarides Torgh and you Etilyn
di Delgaard, are to come with me. Get
your things. We are going to Tarsis." 
''

Etilyn lost track of time as the group traveled to Tarsis. Her
companions,
Segwarides Torgh, Gaelehad di Luinstat, and Blaine di Caela had been
heading
south by boat and then crossing the Plains of Dust. The journey
itself
seemed to drag on forever. 

Entering in to the city quietly, the group
checked discreetly in to a local
inn. Orders were to keep their presence as
quiet as possible. After a chance
to freshen up, the group left following an
information trail about a man
named Supai. Evidence gathered showed he was the
man who had ordered Corias
death. 

The group tried to blend in amongst the
people in the city square. Etilyn
took note that none of them held the
appearance of an average Solamnic
Knight. Gaelehad and Segwarides wore no facial
hair and her being a woman
was rare indeed of a knight. Blaine and her both
followed the leads of the
other two. 

Etilyn casually browsed through the wares
of a small clothing shop as she
kept an eye on the others. She heard mention of
the name Supai and gave a
silent signal toward her comrades. Segwarides gave an
order for them to
return to the inn where they could make plans.



Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Sat Nov  7 19:22:35
2009
Subject     A way out of the Sand: Part One

Etilyn looked out
over the sand feeling tired and irritated. "Rats?!?"
She spoke to herself as
she made her way back in to the camp. She held a
hand up to block the sun from
her eyes and calmed herself as she finally
made out the camp, placed in a rare
shaded place. She pushed on through the
sand, glad to be so close to the others.


She stopped as she saw a tent fall and noticed the camp was being taken
down.
With a sigh she started walking again. It seemed as though Etilyn
would not have
the chance to rest that she had hoped. She only stopped again
once she reached
Lanfer. 

"Sir, I have returned,"  She nodded to him respectfully with a
smile. She
raised her hand for a moment dropping a large dead snake at his feet.
"It
was eating my rats" She explained simply. She glanced around the camp
again
and excused herself. "I will help finish breaking camp, excuse me
Sir." 

She heard Lanfer chuckle as she walked away. She was almost positive
that
the next hours spent on horseback would be spent with her reciting
and
explaining the meaning of parts of the Oath and Measure. She sighed
once
more seeing that the last details of packing left were to saddling
the
horses. Well if nothing else she would be allowed to ride. 

Surprisingly
the journey west was seeming to be uneventful and quiet. The
small group made
their way westward in hopes they would soon come to a
harbor. From there a boat
would hopefully lead them toward Palanthas. 

As they traveled, Etilyn tired to
keep her mind clear for any questions
Lanfer might ask. She found herself dozing
off in her saddle after the
decision to ride on through the night had been made.
Every time she felt
herself drifting off, a noise from the horses woke her
again. As the night
progressed, this happened several times. 

Her head tilted
forward as she began to drift off yet again. A sharp loud
squeal brought her
fully awake. She thought quickly to herself that was no
horse and sat straight
in her saddle. Lanfer was already signaling to them
to remain alert. What ever
had made the noise was just over the next hill of
sand. They moved slowly,
weapons drawn, toward the noise. Etilyn whispered a
prayer to Paladine as they
noise became a large figure. 

Author:    Etilyn         
Date: 
    Sat Nov  7 22:14:54 2009
Subject     A way out of the Sand: Part
Two

"What is that thing?" Etilyn whispered nervously. Lanfer
motioned for
them to dismount. They slowly tried to move around it. Aris, in a
hushed
tone, explained to her the beast in which they saw was called a Hatori.


She remembered having read of such creatures. What she had read did
not
prepare her for the rust colored monster in front of her. Parts of the
beast
moved under the surface of the sand while its head seemed to be
devouring
something. She could only guess, but she believed the creature to be
close
to 25 feet long. This was defiantly not a rat. It was more a cross
of
crocodile and dragon. 

If the sandwyrms appearance and size had not
surprised her enough, the
bloodbath that appeared to be its dinner, shocked her
even more. She turned
her head for a moment refusing to give in to the sick
feeling in her
stomach. As Lanfer seemed to continue to study the beast, Etilyn
found it
hard not to look at the blood covered sand. 

She noticed fallen
weapons scattered around and a trail of blood that left
away from the beast. She
motioned to Lanfer quietly.  "Sir Lanfer, I think
there may have been a battle
before the creature came to be here." She
pointed further away from them
toward the trail of blood leading away. 

Looking further up the trail, they
could not help but to recognize one of
their own supply wagons tipped.  "By
the Gods what has happened here." 
Lanfers voice seemed to echo her thoughts.
One of the horses let out a loud
whiney. The Hatoris head turned toward their
hiding place.  "We will have to
deal with this beast before we can find
out." 

Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Sun Nov  8
16:19:11 2009
Subject     A way out of the Sand: Part Three

Etilyn
watched Lnafers face, trying to understand the look upon it. It
was obvious that
her patron was in deep thought planning his next move. The
small group of
knights stood close together and remained alert. The beast
had disappeared from
sight only moments ago. 

The ground beneath them had begun to shift as the
Hatori swam through the
sand easily.  "Move back now!" Lanfer shouted to the
others as an immense
rock like hide began to rise quickly from the sand. They
all clambered away
as the horned head of the Hatori broke through the surface .
The knights
scattered as the beast chose its first target. 

One of the younger
knights stood motionless in front of the beast.  "Move
Henry!" Etilyn yelled
out to the man. Yet he continued to stand there. She
quickly scanned the area as
other knights began to charge toward the
sandwyrm. Lanfer called out to them to
fall back and wait. He too lent his
voice to calling out for the startled
knight. 

Looking at the sword in her hand, Etilyn felt helpless. The Hatori
began to
pull its whip like tail from the sand and moved quickly toward Henry.
As
this happened a group of rats sprang from holes in the ground and began
to
scurry.  "Rats!!!" Etilyn exclaimed quickly, an idea already forming in
her
head. 

She ran toward her horse and grabbed her bow and arrows, and
sheathed her
sword. She then ran along the edge of the dune looking for an
opening to her
target. The others continued to call to Henry to run. She could
feel Lanfers
gaze upon her. She only hoped that her plan worked. 

Taking aim at
the beast, Etilyn let an arrow fly. It hit the rock hide of
the beast and
bounced off without affect. With a sigh she raised her bow
again. The arrow
bounced off one of the horns. She wiped her brow as sweat
began to form. Once
more, she raised the bow and took a steady aim. This
time the arrow flew though
the beasts eye. 

The Hatori let out a monstrous wail and slunk back from the
knight in pain.
Henry seemed to come to his senses and ran. Etilyn again notched
an arrow
and aimed for the other eye. An arrow from another knight struck the
beast
instead. 

In pain and blinded, the outraged Hatori began to thrash wildly
about. 
"Careful now men! Watch the monsters tail teeth and claws." Lanfer
then
signaled the attack. Etilyn again drew her sword as the knights advanced
on
the sandwyrm. Dispatching the beast went smoothly enough, leaving only a
few
wounded men. 

As they stood catching their breath, Aris spoke.  "We will
need to go
quickly. These creatures travel in packs." 

 "We follow the
trail and find our fellow knights" As they rode in to
formation, Lanfer nodded
to her.  "Good Job Di Delgaard."  

The adrenaline running through out the
group kept them all awake as they
rode on. As the sun began to rise fully,
Etilyn found herself more and more
concerned for the missing Gaelehad,
Segwarides, and the other knights. And
if they had survived what ever had taken
them. 

Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Tue Nov 10
18:54:50 2009
Subject     Prayers for the lost.

Etilyn kept quite and
mostly to herself, continuing to pray silently. The
others also remained quiet
as their scout came and went with reports on the
various movements of the
Dragonarmys caravan. She wondered if the two
missing knights were part of the
cargo . She hoped that they still lived. 

The knights remained mounted, doing
their best to remain unseen. They only
had a plan to proceed as cautiously as
possible. Every knight was armed and
prepared to fight once more if need be.
Most of them, with tired and weary
looks, sat waiting for their next orders.
Etilyn thought of how grateful she
would be to get out of the desert. 

The wind
began to pick up, blowing sand everywhere, and adding another
challenge to their
goal. With visibility becoming an issue, they no longer
worried about being
seen. Would they be able to continue to follow the
caravans trail? 

Riders
approached through the moving sands causing unease. A sigh of relief
seemed to
echo from them all, when they were identified as returning scouts.
Aris returned
once again with news that Segwarides and Gaelehad were alive
and had been seen
when the caravan had stopped for water. And with the
escalating sand storm, they
would be unable to continue on until it died
down. It appeared that both Armies
would be stuck. 

No real effort was put in to a proper camp for the night.
Orders were given
to rest while they could and try to keep the horses and
themselves covered
by the abrasive sands. When the storm died down they would be
prepared to
move out immediately. 

As she tried to rest, Etilyn thought of
everyone she had come to know. She
prayed for the safety of Railen and Blaine,
hoping that they had made it
from Tarsis to Palanthas safely. She added again
Segwarides and Gaelehad to
those prayers, and hoped they 

Author:   
Etilyn         
Date:      Tue Nov 10 22:56:30 2009
Subject     Prayers
for the lost.

Etilyn kept quite and mostly to herself, continuing to
pray silently. The
others also remained quiet as their scout came and went with
reports on the
various movements of the Dragonarmys caravan. She wondered if the
two
missing knights were part of the cargo . She hoped that they still lived.


The knights remained mounted, doing their best to remain unseen. They only
had
a plan to proceed as cautiously as possible. Every knight was armed and
prepared
to fight once more if need be. Most of them, with tired and weary
looks, sat
waiting for their next orders. Etilyn thought of how grateful she
would be to
get out of the desert. 

The wind began to pick up, blowing sand everywhere, and
adding another
challenge to their goal. With visibility becoming an issue, they
no longer
worried about being seen. Would they be able to continue to follow
the
caravans trail? 

Riders approached through the moving sands causing unease.
A sigh of relief
seemed to echo from them all, when they were identified as
returning scouts.
Aris returned once again with news that Segwarides and
Gaelehad were alive
and had been seen when the caravan had stopped for water.
And with the
escalating sand storm, they would be unable to continue on until it
died
down. It appeared that both Armies would be stuck. 

No real effort was put
in to a proper camp for the night. Orders were given
to rest while they could
and try to keep the horses and themselves covered
by the abrasive sands. When
the storm died down they would be prepared to
move out immediately. 

As she
tried to rest, Etilyn thought of everyone she had come to know. She
prayed for
the safety of Railen and Blaine, hoping that they had made it
from Tarsis to
Palanthas safely. She added again Segwarides and Gaelehad to
those prayers, and
hoped they would all be safely home. 

Author:    Etilyn        

Date:      Mon Nov 16 20:22:17 2009
Subject     And then there as
War.

Etilyn stood counting out the few steel pieces she had left out,
and
handed them to the armor smith. She knew she had been over charged, but
let
the issue go. She had needed her belongings repaired quickly after the
long
journey back from Tarsis. It was this particular shop that had the
best
reputaiotn for its quality of work, and speed. Time was one thing she
had
little of.

With in hours of their return, she had barley the time to care
for the
horses before she was being called in to the war room. She had
witnessed
others coming and going and had known them it would be something
important.
The moment she entered the room, there was not much talking. She was
handed
a notice of her new orders, a map, and a satchel of other notices. 

Her
armor had been the most practical and appreciated gift she had received
from her
father when she had left home. She knew that what she paid for the
repairs, she
could have gotten it new. But as, she looked over her armor,
she was pleased at
what she saw, . She smiled at the man and left the small
amount of gold he had
counted back for change. She added a "Thank You", and
headed back to the keep to
finish her preparations. 

Her orders, like many others not yet knighted, were
to travel as far and as
quicky as possible. She was to deliver messages to the
surrounding nobles.
Each message asked that they would ally themselves with the
Knights in
preparing for war against the Dragon Armies. Once the messages
were
delivered, Etilyn was to await a messenger in a designated location at
the
end of her route, to receive further orders. 

Etilyn would be without the
guidance of her patron, Sir Lanfer for the
journey. She knew her actions would
be noted by the council. As she
completed her preperations, she took a deep
breathe and headed toward
Paladines temple. 

She took her time to pray for
protection and guidance. She prayed for the
safety of all the knights. Lastly,
she prayed for her fathers safety and to
those of Delgaard village. Her prayer
complete, she turned and watched the
sunrise turn full in to day. It was time to
leave Palanthas. 

Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Wed Nov
18 04:49:24 2009
Subject     Just a Little Black Rain Cloud

A heavy
rain began to fall at dawn as Etilyn and her companions had
broken camp. The
valley began to turn in to climbing hills soon after their
first day on the
road. It would not be much longer and they would be
traveling through a near by
mountain pass. The road was well traveled
though, and would for a while, be easy
enough to navigate, despite the
rain.

Now, comfortably seated in the saddle,
Etilyn spurred her charger on ward. 
"By the sun and stars, it is cold!",  A
young crown knight exclaimed from
behind her.  "And this rain only serves to
make it colder yet!"  His breath
formed in to visible vapor as he spoke. 


"Please do not complain. Think of something else perhaps?"  Etilyn said
in
hopes of warding off any bad morale ready to build up. 

 "What kind of
thoughts should I think?"  He asked sarcastically. When she
realized he meant
to go on complaining, she interrupted him, turning around
to face him with a
smile. 

cast bless  "Well Sir Nigel, think for me if you will, of the reason
you are
here now. What is it that urges you onward? Perhaps a wife and child,
some
noble and grand calling, or family honor?"  She then raised her voice
so
that they all heard her words.  "If you ever begin to feel weary or lost
in
hopelessness, remember what lead you to swear your oath and loyalty
to
Solamnia. Let that motivate you to change your sour moods."  As she
finished
her words she pictured her father giving the same speech to him men as
he
had done when she was a young child. 

Nigel smiled at her as the horses
plodded on along the puddle and mud filled
road.  "Well said, Lady."  She
smiled at him and turned back to the road as
he then began to sing. 

{I My
heart it waits in fields of green Near to the bluest of seas

There a maiden
with golden hair Is saving her love for me  

It was an old song Etilyn had
heard many a bard sing. It brought other
memories of home to her as they
listened. The rain seemed less noticeable
and less cold.. She prayed as he sang,
thankful for the memory of her
fathers words to help in the situation. Her
words, and Nigels song had eased
away some of the building anxieties. 

Her
attention still on the road ahead, she thought some about what lie
ahead. By
nightfall they should reach the walls of the first keep on her
list. She added
to her prayer the need for corporation of the noble lords
she would be meeting
with. When the time for gathering allies was complete
what would come next?


They had over come feeling down about a little rain. But what would
happen
when they had to face an adversary greater then water falling from the
sky?
War was brewing, and it would be a much more deadly storm.


Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Fri Nov 20 14:36:19
2009
Subject     A little help

The travel time through the mountains
had gone well for Etilyns small
band. Luckily, the rain had ceased. When they
had made it to one of the
keeps marked on the map, they were greeted with a warm
meal and dry place to
sleep. Although small, the lord of the land made room for
all of the
traveling knights. 

The Lord Calvius was an old fragile sort of man,
who had donated many funds
to aid in many charities around Solamnia through out
his long life. It was
no surprise that her remained true to that reputation when
Etilyn and Nigel
met with him the next morning. The surprise came when he also
donated his
sons.

Of his three sons, The oldest and part of the castle
garrison, would ride
out that afternoon joining Etilyns company. The other two
sons, whom Lord
Calvius proclaimed sneakier than any fox, would travel on to
Palanthas with
money, supplies, and a promise of more troops on the way to aid
in the
defense of the great city. 

They were escorted to a near by port in the
late afternoon and granted
passages on a locally owed vessel. Etilyn and Nigel
spent some time looking
at the map. The next stop would be only 2 days travel if
the sea remained
calm and there was a nice wind to carry them. 

Nigel laughed
when he realized who the next Lord with whom they would speak
with.  "Dear
Etilyn, let us hope our luck remains. The Lord of this land is
my wifes own
uncle."  He laughed. 

Etilyn smiled and nodded.  "It seems as though
Paladine has smiled on our
quest."  As they continued on, they had no idea yet
of how close the dragon
armies were. Nor did Etilyn know that the enemy lingered
on the very door
step of her childhood home. She did keep her family in her
prayers,
constantly wondering if Delgaard village and keep remained
safe.


Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Tue Nov 24
14:14:36 2009
Subject     Back on dry land

Etilyn handed a flask of
water to the panting messenger who had meet them
at the dock. She gave him a
moment to drink the cool water and to catch his
breath. The young squire had
apparently traveled non- stop from Palanthas to
meet them. He finished the water
off, and returned the flask to her and with
a heavy sigh spoke  "Palanthas has
been over run with the Dagon Armies
troops. You are to return with your squadron
as soon as possible to rally
with our knights there."  

Nigel and Etilyn both
stood in silent shock as the messenger slipped a
written notice in to her hands.
He then mounted his horse and left as
quickly as he had come. Etilyn looked at
the words on the paper in her hand.
It almost seemed unreal. 

"It is true,
Palanthas has fallen, our orders are to return to aid in the
fight to take it
back.  She handed Nigel the notice and turned and walked
away. She left him to
read the notice alone, knowing that questions of his
familys well being roamed
through his mind. 

She turned to the men on the docks behind her. "We need to
get our gear off
this ship, gentlemen, and as quickly as possible. Our home has
been taken,
and we will ride through the night to reach Palanthas. If we are
separated
for any reason, continue on to the rally point. Palanthas must be
retaken,
for the safety of our friends and families."  

The men all seemed as
shocked as her and Nigel had been, but all sprung in
to action. With in the hour
they were ready to ride. All took a moment of
silent prayer for their loved ones
. As they made the trek out of the small
port town another rider approached.
Looking at her with a somber expression
was Blaine di Caela. 

It was decided
they would ride together, though not many words were spoken
as they ventured on.
Uncertainty showed on many of the faces and with fear
for those in Palanthas.
Etilyn smiled toward Nigel. For miles the only
sounds were the heavy foot falls
of the horses. Etilyn again, found herself
praying for a way to raise their
spirits. 

Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Sat Dec 19
02:57:54 2009
Subject     Moving on to Rally

Even as the fog densely
lingered around the small cottage where a group
of Solamnic knights slept and
covered most of the floor, Etilyn Di Delgaard
paced back and forth unable to
sleep. A decision had to be made before
sunrise. No sooner then Tesnos had left
them had Nigel and herself sat and
talked through the details. The late hours of
the night had worn down and
they were running out of time.

The time spent in
the cottage, they had found a mere 17 survivors of the
battle lost to the dragon
armies. They had at first planned to return to
Palanthas and regroup with other
knights. But soon rumors after rumor came
that the Solamnic forces had suffered
greatly. Now they were forced to make
other plans. 

This entire war made Etilyn
anxious and had tested her skills and command as
well. She was unsure at how to
take the failure. As she continued to pace,
Nigel brought her a cup of hot tea.
She smiled warmly at him and thanked him
as she sat. He joined her at the small
table. Both remained quiet a moment
longer, knowing they had to do something.


She started to speak first. "When is the next merchant vessel scheduled
to
pass by." 

 "Middle of next week. Although our scouts have reported a ship
leaving a
harbor to the south at noon today."

She nodded again to him. She
then noticed the dark circles under her friends
eyes. Unfortunately they would
not be able to sleep much at all.  "How long
will it take us to reach that
harbor?"

"4-5 hours seeing that we have no horses and that is if we make no
stops.
Not bad considering we have all had much harder travels
recently.."

"So our risk lies in who can we trustto follow the elf in to
unknown forest.
Or do we take passage on a ship of unknown origins?"

"Aye,
if what this Tesnos says is true are we risking the chance for an
alliance not
helping him as well?

Etilyn looked out the window as both knights again grew
silent. She sipped
slowly on the tea, thankful for the relaxing brew. She held
the cup in both
hands helping to warm them. Her gaze fell to the knight outside
the window
on watch. 

"My duty is to the remaining men we have. We have
orders to make it to the
nearest rally point. We did that and now I intend to
make it to the next
till we are sure these knights have not been left for
dead."

A brisk breeze picked up outside, helping the first rays of the sun to
begin
to break the fog apart. Etilyn again sighed as she stood. She finished
off
the remainder of her tea and set the cup down. " Quickly wake the men.
I
will go and speak with our new elven friend. While I am gone give orders
that
all prepare to head to the harbor. We leave as soon as I return."

"Yes,
Maam Will do.

She walked to the door, opening it with a solitary thought. I
only hope and
pray that a friendly ship awaits us and not the dragon armies. She
kept this
to herself and walked out in to the morning. 

Author:   
Etilyn         
Date:      Sun Jan  3 21:13:40 2010
Subject     Thoughts
on the beach.

Although Etilyns men had settled in with the others on the
island, she
felt restless. She stood looking back at the beach and studied Sir
Lanfer.
Railen had apparently left the man to deep thoughts, for he just stared
in
to the fire. 

She approached quietly noticing the dark circles formed under
his eyes. She
sat down again at the fire but said nothing. As Lanfer continued
his
thinking, Etilyn found that her mind wandered in to thoughts of her own.


The news she had received after her arrival on the island fell heavy on
her.
Segwarides and Nathan were missing. Gaelehad was dead. Blaine had made it
to
the island, but their last exchange had left Etilyn concerned for the
man.
She would have to make a point to speak with him as soon as the
opportunity
arose. And now they were here, without a real plan and loosing hope.


Etilyn looked up and noticed that Lanfer had gone. She sat alone at the fire
a
while longer. Her thoughts overwhelming her. 

Taking back Palanthas would be
difficult indeed. And even then? It would not
be enough.. Merely driving the
dragon armies from Palanthas would never be
enough. They must be forced from
Solamnia, Ansalon.all of Kyrnn. Such vile
evilness and corruptness called for a
bit more. 

Etilyn felt a strong desire to do anything it took of her to bring
these
armies to proper justice. She knew what she needed to do next, and her
first
step would be to ask Lanfer for guidance on the issue. With a
lacking
council of proper knights, she knew obtaining a quest to join the
sword
knights would be a bit harder to do. It had to be done, for it was the
next
step to her goal. 

Her decision made she could not help but laugh lightly
in to the dying fire
."Ok Ettie, once more like your father?"  Her smile
remained as she stood
and doused the embers. She returned to the barracks in the
dark. 

She slept well that night and woke ready to speak with Lanfer. At
the
morning meal she was informed that Lanfer and Kailen had left the island
on
a scouting mission. Her questions would have to wait for the time
being.
Perhaps Kiyohime would need help with organizing the needs of the
refugees. 

Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Mon Jan 11
18:16:52 2010
Subject     Letter to Lord Railen and Lord Lanfer

{I
Dear Lords, 

In regards to the quest given to Etilyn di Delgaard, crown knight
of
Solamnia, and oath of my honor, I Nigel uth Bastion, swear this account to
be
true as witnessed by myself. 

8 days ago, her quest began shortly after Etilyn
came asking me to serve as
her witness. When I accepted, I met her prepared to
leave camp on the Island
of Sancrist, near the refugee settlement there. Lord
Railen Revon was there
with Etilyn handing her a leather map case with the
details of her quest as
I approached. 

Saluting each other, he walked away and
Etilyn began to read the outline of
the mission to me. I was informed she was to
scout a suspicious ship that
had landed to the south of our encampment. She
showed reports to me from the
scouts that steady traffic had been seen coming
and going from the ship. I
was to merely observe as she investigated. I had
orders from Lord Railen to
interfer only if Etilyn found herself in a dire dire
threatening situation,
with her life at risk. 

Already accepting these terms
before hand. We set out right away. Etilyn
lead us south along the shoreline.
Her eagerness was apparent, as she rode
on through the evening without stopping
to rest. The weather was pleasant
and we stopped to rest finally sometime in the
night. We slept under the
cover of the trees, and then rode out again in the
early morning. 

By the end of the next day, Etilyn had found where the trail of
her quest
really began. The large ship came in to view in the early afternoon.
From
there I will give copy of my journal kept of those days. I have started
with
our third day, seeing as it is where things began to happen.



Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Mon Jan 11 18:23:22
2010
Subject     the Journal Day 3

Day 3

Etilyn and I have come to
what appears, for all intense purposes, and
abandoned ship. She has told me a
fresh trail of foot prints is clear just
further south of the vessel. I have
remained on the beach while Etilyn has
gone to make an attempt to sneak aboard.


Yesterday while still riding to this place, Etilyn looked at her map so
often,
I was sure we would find this place soon. Although the reports state
of constant
traffic to the ship, there is no sign of any creature about. I
have been here
for about an hour alone and already, I can see Etilyn
returning to our concealed
place beyond the beach. I will write more when I
have gathered more information.


Day 3 continued. 

Returning safely and after taking a drink and sitting on
the ground, Etilyn
pulled out the map case again and looked it over. She started
talking mostly
to herself but I was able to make out most of what she said. The
boat was
empty, completely cleaned out. She said there had been not even an
empty
barrel left aboard. 

There had to be a reason the ship was left stripped
down to nothing. Etilyn
said she felt that someone was on board still and had
hurried back for that
reason. But she questioned why someone would be on an
empty ship. 

Our answer came very shortly after. Apparently someone had been on
the
vessel even while Etilyn herself had been on board. The ship had been set
on
fire and was let loose to drift away from the shore. We watched the
vessel
drift further away for a time before Lady Etilyn pointed toward a
dark
figure running south along the beach away from us. 

We have eaten quickly
and I have little time to write my thoughts on this.
The sun is setting now
Etilyn plans to follow the trail left by the figure
with the cover of night. I
can only hope to keep up with her as she is
already prepared to leave.


Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Mon Jan 11 18:31:07
2010
Subject     the Journal Day 4

Day 4

Etilyns tracking abilities
leave much to be desired. Although, the figure we
are following seems to be
making it easy on her. It is obvious that he, the
young lady is sure she is
following a human man by his boot shape, does not
know he is being followed or
knows and is leading us on a wild chase. 

Etilyn has remained quiet most of
today and seems set to find out who this
man is. She has kept us following close
and it appears that he has stopped
for the night, as have we. I am curious as to
who it is exactly, we are
following and why. 

Etilyn has discussed with me
certain facts about the vessel she searched
yesterday. There was only one
identifying mark. Upon the doors she found
symbol she said looked much like a
dragon claw. But not the same as other
emblems we had seen before fighting the
dragon armies. And she believes
either way, the ship had been stolen. It would
explain the fire and being
set adrift. 

Etilyn has also mentioned that her
suspicions have been peaked, that we are
being deliberately lead away from
something. She has figured the man knows
he is being followed. She wants us to
remain awake and pull back to the
beach where the ship was first seen. As she is
now dousing our fire and w
have eaten, We are prepared to leave once again.



Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Mon Jan 11 18:32:47
2010
Subject     the Journal Day 5

Day 5

Etilyn was right. After
backtracking in the night, we have witnessed a small
group of men camping west
of the beach and in to a wooded area. One man
standing watch and four others
sleeping. Etilyn calls the count at six,
knowing it likely the other man will
return with us no longer following. 

We have moved in to the woods as well
staying off the beach. The tide has
washed away much of our own trail. Etilyn
has said it is a blessing, when
the man we followed returns, we may remain
unseen.

She has spent some time resting and now is looking for a better
suited
location to observe these men. There is something familiar in the way
they
move. I have seen it before but can not place it. It will be interesting
to
hear what Etilyn finds. 

Author:    Etilyn         
Date:   
  Mon Jan 11 18:37:13 2010
Subject     the Journal Day 6

Day 6

It is
important that I get as much of this information down. Yesterday was a
very
interesting day. I have already written about us coming up off of the
beach so I
will start in the mid day. 

Etilyn returned from her search for information
with her jaw set in
determination. She pointed out that all 6 men were now
together in this
camp

She said to me then, that all of this group were wanted
men. She recognized
all but one of them from arrest warrants issued in Palanthas
before our
struggle with the dragon armies. She is sure they have been hired. We
sat
discussing the identities of all of them. 

The hirelings as identified by
Etilyn are thus, 

Addison uth Fallon: Young man with noble lines known through
out Solmnia. A
rebellious streak in him that turned nasty. Dishonored both the
knight and
his family with his illegal actions and gambling habits before
being
dischanrged from the knights as a squire. 

A man known only as Harmod,
wanted for helping Jesup Mason escaping trial
for murder. 

Jesup Mason, wanted
for murdering several young squires several years ago. 

The fourth man, Xanto
Willowflame, actually a half-elven thief, is wanted
for questioning in many
unsolved thefts in Palanthas and a botched attempt
to poison a visiting
ambassador. 

The last of the men we know of is Ormond Thane. I will be honest
Neither
Etilyn or I could remember much of him other then the issue of his
warrant
was more recent then the other men. He is the one we had been
initially
following. 

Etilyn believes that the man leading this group is a
warrior of some skill
by his stance. Tonight she plans to try again to get
closer to them to
investigate. 

Author:    Etilyn        

Date:      Mon Jan 11 18:38:45 2010
Subject     the Journal Day
7

I followed Etilyn on her surveillance of the small camp and have
stayed
back and am writing from up in a tree. Ormond has been left on watch and
is
talking to himself. The leaders name is apparently Wallace. I wonder if it
is
the same Wallace uth Varen, also wanted for murder in Thelgaard and
Palanthas.


I can see Etilyn from here now, she has come around behind Ormond,
easily
covering his mouth with a gloved hand is dragging him toward the tree
where
I am hiding. I will write more after I watch what will happen.



Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Mon Jan 11 18:46:14
2010
Subject     the Journal Day 8

We have stopped to camp and here I
will fill in the details I have been
able to write from yesterdays action.
Etilyn had pulled Ormond toward my
hiding place, and quietly questioned him. He
confirmed that they were in
fact working for Wallace uth Varen, before he yelled
for help. 

Etilyn quickly gagged him and knocked him upside the head. She
quickly bound
his hands and tied him to the tree below me. She nodded and smiled
to me as
she headed back in to the camp. 

Addison soon joined Ormond at the
persuasion of Etilyns sword point.
Repeating the same ritual, soon both men were
tied unconscious below. I
believe Jesup is where things became a challenge. It
seems the man had come
to relieve Ormond of watch. 

Etilyn was easily spotted
by him in her armor and a scuffle broke out. They
fought without weapons for a
time but Etilyn came out of that with only a
blackened eye. Soon Jesup was
thrown toward where the others were tied. I
had to work to stifle a laugh That
little lady has power to her punch. 

Unfortunately the scuffle woke the rest of
the camp. I continued to stay
unseen as the sound of blades being drawn. I moved
up the tree to get a
better view at that point. Etilyn stood with Wallace,
Xanto, and Harmod
surrounding her. Her mouth moved and I recognized it right
away as her
praying as she always does. 

Soon after she was caught in a
whirlwind of parrying and countering the
attacks of Xanto and Harmod. Wallace
stood back from them, assessing Etilyn,
as if trying to learn something more
about her. As the fray continued,
Etilyn turned to counted an attack of Xantos.
The flat of her blade hit the
side of his head, knocking him to the ground. 

It
was then, Wallace seemed to have had enough. He threw Harmod, to the
ground
himself and turned to face Etilyn. I heard him shout to her that she
was not the
woman he was looking for and she would pay for interfering.
Etilyns head tilted
slightly, questioning him. I could tell she was trying
to keep him talking. His
mouth moved speaking in some form of response. What
they were saying I could not
tell. 

His anger in to a boiling rage, and he swung at her. Etilyn struggled
to
dodge the sudden strike. There was no talking after this. Etilyn at first
was
able to match him, strike for strike. Eventually she began to look tired
and
stumbled. His sword caught her in the under arm and she jumped back. 

Her lips
began to move, another of her prayers. She stood upright a bit more
and advanced
on him. Never relenting, Etilyn soon had him stumbling in
return. He fell. Lying
looking up at Etilyn, her sword pointed at his
throat, I recognized her warning.
She was asking him to yield. Quickly
trying to swing again at her, Etilyn,
easily countered. Wallaces head fell
from his shoulders. 

Etilyn stood a while
catching her breath and taking a moment for prayer
again. I climbed down and
gathered the bound men. Giving her a moment of
peace, I pulled the fugitives to
our own camp and prepared for our return to
the refugee settlement. 

Etilyn
took time to search each of the tents, spending the longest in the
one where
Wallace had been. She returned to our camp, her head low but still
looking at
me. It was then she explained what she found. 

They were searching for a woman
who came here recently. She handed me
documents that showed a drawing of a
woman. Etilyn explained it to be the
woman Tanari who had recently joined our
ranks. Etilyn said the name did not
match, and that Lord Lanfer would want to
see the documents. What other
things in the documents, Etilyn only added, were
not her business unless
Lanfer or Tanari wished it to be. 

Author:   
Etilyn         
Date:      Mon Jan 11 18:47:48 2010
Subject     The end
of Nigel's letter

With the testimony of the men captured, and Etilyns
own accounting as
well, I leave the rest for your decision lords. I would like
to add in
closing it was an honor to serve with the Lady Etilyn, She is a noble
woman
of rare faith and a solid belief that that justice will always have
the
final say in all. 

Signed, Nigel uth Bastion, Knight of the Crown


Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Wed Jan 20 17:41:41
2010
Subject     New Order, Refreshed Outlook

"Est Sularus oth
Mithas."  Etilyn had said the words of the familiar oath
as the formalities of
her promotion closed. She had remained respectful and
humble through out the
rite, but a small part of her was glad it was over.
Now, on the beach alone, she
sat watching the sun set along the coast. 

Suddenly she shouted out, releasing
pent up energy that had left her feeling
suffocated. She prayed then, to help
her anxieties fade. She smiled to
herself feeling somewhat calmer in that
moment. 

Etilyn knew full well this promotion meant new challenges to face.
The
knights of the Sword were known for more bold fighting tactics away from
the
home front. With the constant threat of war now lingering in the
surrounding
lands, a new truth surfaced. She would have her chance to gain much
more
battle experience to come. The thought both excited and frightened her.


She was one step closer to her own goal. Although she followed a path
much
like her fathers, this was Etilyns calling. Being part of the order of
the
sword, she was on the necessary path to that goal. She vowed to herself
and
to Paladine, there in that private moment, to continue to give her all.
Not
just for future promotions, but for the promises she had made. 

That night
as she made her way back to the camp, she felt refreshed.
Entering her tent with
a confident smile, she repeated quietly to herself, 
"My honor is my life".


Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Mon Jan 25 00:03:17
2010
Subject     Mages on Sancrist

Etilyn had spent most of her
morning on the beach, sitting and quietly
waiting for a meeting that she was
asked to join. Although she was unsure of
the details, she would not ignore the
summons from the new Grand Master. She
was grateful that there perhaps was
something important for her to do. As
much as she had enjoyed being given a day
to rest, her moment of relaxation
was quickly becoming boredom.

Just as the
thought occurred to her. A young page came to her on the beach.
He smiled and
saluted her. She politely smiled back at the young boy . 

 "Lady Etilyn, I
have been sent to tell you it is time.  He smiled again as
he hurried away, to
carry his message to the next knight. 

Etilyn looked out along the dock once
more with a soft sigh.  "Well Quiet
time is over, I suppose."  She stood and
made her way back in to the camp to
find Lord Lanfer. She found him standing and
talking to Lord Segwarides,
apparently catching him up on the situation in the
camp. 

She saluted them after giving a polite greeting. For the most part
standing
back until she was addressed. The two superior knights exchanged a few
more
words and Lanfer turned to acknowledge her before continuing on
with
Segwarides. 

Lanfer chose then to bring her in to the conversation, 
What do you think
about the mages helping Etilyn? 

 If it gains us a
foothold back in to Palanthas, I see no reason not to try,
my lord.  

The
talking ceased and in the next few moment things seemed to
happen
simultaneously. A bright portal opened, Lanfer drew his weapon, and the
most
shocking to Etilyn at that moment was that Segwarides had grabbed
Lanfers
wrist to restrain his action. Lanfer jerked away as Etilyn then noticed
from
the portal an envoy of mages appeared before them. 

Following the lead of
the others, Etilyn greeted the newcomer with a warm
smile. She listened to the
brief exchanges of introduction calmly enough . A
man in red robes appeared
through a gate of his own. Etilyn felt
uncomfortable as the man sneered in her
direction. 

She stood back and anxiously whispered to Lanfer, asking if she
should go
and find Lord Railen. That permission granted, she sighed deeply
relieved to
be able to walk away. She headed o the training yard hoping to find
him
there. Meeting Railen on her way, she quickly explained they had
visitors,
and they both returned to the group. 

Author:    Etilyn    
    
Date:      Mon Jan 25 00:10:54 2010
Subject     The Lady Knight and
Barbarian Mage.

Conversations of preparations carried on, and soon the
group was
exploring areas of the encampment. Railen left with the larger group
winking
at her. She returned a smile and turned to see a scantly dressed mage
near
by. The woman did not appear as the rest of the mages, wearing no robes,
and
skin showing in ways very unbecoming of Etilyns upbringing, certainly
no
knight would dress as such. 

She looked like a plains barbarian, but spoke
like a well educated person.
Etilyn was not quite sure what to make of her. She
seemed to notice Etilyn
as well, for she walked over to her and they began
talking. 

' The supplies have been stored and categorized, the squire that
was sent
with me has things in there under control, least for the time being.


Etilyn nodded politely to the woman.  Very well, I have been working
closely
in the hospital we have set up with the clerics. Would you like to see
that
as well for your reports?  

 'Would be nice to see how things are ran
around here. Lead the way.' Etilyn
tried to cover the fact that the way the
woman was dressed made her blush as
they made their way across the camp. 

 We
do not have many patients at the moment, but everything should be ready
for the
wounded all battles are bound to bring. The woman followed her
closely in the
hospital tent. She seemed to know Etilyn was uncomfortable so
Etilyn added,  I
thought all mages wore robes. 

 'They do, but I refuse to wear something
that hampering. I grew up in the
plains of dust. We do not wear too much out
there, you never know when
restricted movement could cause your death.


Etilyn nodded, hoping to appear that she understood.  'I suppose I
am
accustomed to armor Guiding the women through the tent,  I hope this
all
meets your approvl. She was glad to be able to change the subject. 

The
plains woman had begun to look over the cots. She smiled to Etilyn as
she said.
 It will do quite well, the Solamnic are lucky to have a woman in
their
numbers to keep things tidy.  

Etilyn stopped and had to bite her tongue. Had
this woman just said what she
heard? Pushing it to the back of her mind, she
realized she did not know
this womans name.  I apologize my manners seem a bit
delayed. I am lady
Etilyn di Delgaard, may I have your name?' She turned to
face her.

'I am Kah'rihn. I do not use my surname and to be honest I forgot
it many
years ago. 

Etilyn thought a moment before adding,  'As for being a
woman, I hold my own
I suppose. I guess the one benefit is having my own tent
without the rank
most men must have for that privilege. ' Etilyn could not
understand such a
comment coming from anyone of the knights around her, so she
hoped the
subject would close with that. 

 'Might as well, they might get
into trouble without us.'

Etilyn exhaled deciding it would be a good time to go
join the others.
'Shall we return to our superiors' She heard the woman
snicker. She seemed
to know she was getting to Etilyn. Praying a silent prayer
for patience,
Etilyn lead them back.

Everyone was preparing to say good byes as
they approached. Etilyn
remembered to stay back from the man in red leering at
her. The woman,
Kah'rihn, said her own Farwell and left through a magical gate.


Etilyn felt relived to see her go and smiled to see that she was not the
only
one. As the portal closed, the last of the departing mages, vanished.
Lanfer
took a deep breath and she heard him say, Well that was interesting.
Damn
mages always make me uneasy'.

Each of the knights then returned to their own
orders. Etilyn looked back
toward the beach. Knowing she still had most of the
evening still off duty,
she sighed. Off duty or not, she would find something to
do. She headed
toward the training yard. Perhaps Railen would like the company.


Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Thu Jan 28 00:08:40
2010
Subject     Scouting for safety

Sunrise had not yet come to the
island of Sancrist. Etilyn had been awake
for a few hours already preparing. She
smiled as she brought her hand across
the neck of her destrier. The honey
colored stallion stamped his front
hooves and whinnied. 

 "Anxious to head
out there, Arturo?" The proud beast stamped once again as
Etilyn patted him.
"Just a while longer. I promise."

She handed the reins to her new squire,
Toma and walked back in to her tent.
She reached for the pack of her belongings
and hefted it over her shoulder.
The last thing she did before leaving was to
kill the flame of her lantern.
Toma stood waiting and took her pack from her.


 "I will be only a moment longer. Go and see that we have suitable
rations
for the journey."  She again turned away from him and smiled at the
few
other men that would be joining them. Most of them familiar faces, but
this
would be the first time Etilyn would ride with this group of knights.
She
made her way across the camp and found her self standing at Railens
tent.
Not surprised when she was told he was already gone, she headed toward
the
beach were he was training alone. 

The conversation was brief and her
orders given. With a scroll case filled
with a map and vital information to her
mission, she wasted no time. Etilyn,
her squire Toma, and eight other knights
rode north away from the
encampment. 

Two weeks was all the time she had been
given to survey the surrounding
island. Luckily, the elves had granted them with
what they knew of the land.
It was with that information, Etilyn had chosen to
ride north. By mid
afternoon she would head inland more to the west,
occasionally stopping to
check and mark along the map she had been given. There
were refugees
counting on her succeeding and with war once again on the horizon,
those
innocent citizens needed more now then ever, a safe haven.


Author:    Etilyn         
Date:      Fri Feb 12 18:24:46
2010
Subject     A rest stop?

Etilyns eyes flew open at the metallic
chink of a sword nearby. The small
party of knights had stopped to rest for the
evening. That moment of rest
was now being interrupted. 

Whispering voices in a
foreign language came from a wooded area not far to
the west. The eyes of her
companions scanned through the trees while she
signaled to one of them. A
linguist of some notability, she hoped that the
young knight may understand
something in the hushed voices surrounding them.
He mouthed a single word toward
her and drew his own blade. 

The whispers became louder as Etilyns group drew
weapons and stood ready for
what ever company had found them here. The next few
minutes seemed to drag
out as the voices stopped suddenly. Etilyns sword seemed
to fly to her hand
where she had not remembered drawing the weapon. And then the
silence
broke.

Goblins flew from behind trees and steel flashed around them.
Etilyn drew up
her shield, instinctively, as she swung to block a coming blow.
The men
around her were doing much the same. 

One swore under his breath while
another seemed to find pleasure in the
moment.  "By the gods! We wont have to
go back in to camp with only tales of
saddle sores this night." 

 "Focus and
you will have your time to celebrate later."  Etilyn called out
as she caught
an arm-numbing blow from the club of her attacker. The small
beast attacked
again, this time glancing the edge of her shield. She
muttered to herself as
light sweat broke on her forehead. 

Dust filled the air and began to sting at
Etilyns eyes as she worked to
focus on the vermin in front of her. She forced
her mind to block out he
extra noise of battle around her. Her arm throbbed from
the hit it had
taken, causing her to drop her shield. 

Moving quickly she
thrust at the goblin, she side stepped his next swing,
cutting in to his arm. {I
There now we are even.  she thought to herself. Time
seemed to stand still as
they each exchanged blows, {I Now to finish this. 
She stepped again, toward
him this time, swinging toward his. The blade hit,
leaving a bleeding gash at
the goblins throat. 

Etilyn scanned the battle in time to see two more of the
quick beasts
lunging toward her. She easily dodged the attacks. This seemed to
surprise
her new foes and they stopped a moment. 

She tried to pace her
breathing as she stood ready for them. They stared at
her with such deep hatred,
it made her stop a moment to study them. They
circled around her trying to gauge
her skill. Etilyn took the moment to
swing at the taller of the two. A vivid cut
bled along his side. He held
tight to his dagger as his other hand held to his
wounded side. Etilyn
turned and held her sword up defensively. 

Her attention
was split between the two and was not prepared for the goblin
behind her. The
beast attacked, smacking a club in to Etilyns back . Etilyn
pitched forward, off
balance. Her sword fell from her hands as she fell. 

The wounded goblin saw
opportunity and advanced on her. Grabbing her fallen
shield, she rolled, sitting
up quickly. She bashed quickly at the wounded
goblin while looking around for
her sword. Finally, she spotted it, and
lunged for it. 

The wounded goblin had
staggered back, falling back to the ground. Now able
to focus on only the one,
for the moment, Etilyn swung around wildly. The
goblin struggled but was able to
dodge her blow. The next time she swung,
she forced more practice in to the
swing. Her sword thrust through the
goblins shoulder. 

She left the beast to
his death, turning to find that another knight had
finished off the wounded one
she had left. Looking around, Etilyn noticed
her young squire, Toma, standing
over one of the fallen goblins, a proud
smile on his face. With, the last of the
attacking goblins lie dead and all
of the knights accounted for, they took a
moment to reflect and search the
dead. 

" Unusually organized for simple
minded marauders. Do we have any idea where
they came from?"  

When no answer
came, Etilyn decided to make a point of speaking with some of
the elven
Wildrunners on her return to the beach camp. They would burn the
corpses,
justice had been dealt to the evil beasts. Unfortunately, there
were some
unanswered questions. She motioned for her squire to join her. 

 "Toma, I
have a task for you.," 

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