[Session 18-19]

Session 20 - Chapter 7: The Killing Kind

Session 20 - Chapter 7: The Killing Kind

[Session 18-19]

Dear Brother, I wish I could write you more. Words on parchment flow better than words on the tongue. Written thoughts can not fall on deaf ears, and more so, I know yours are always listening. So, I know you have heard what was said, and I know yo...

06:53 pm - 03.12.2025

Session 19 - Chapter 6: Kindling pt. IV

Session 19 - Chapter 6: Kindling pt. IV

She’d hoped it would be a simple in-and-out exploration. She was starting to learn, however, that things were never that simple. “We’re under attack!” A shot rang out; her scream was a fraction of a second after, the small figure somehow smaller as the teenager cowered into herself with arms over her face and head. Arcane panic crackled from her fingers across her body, offering what little defenses she could to herself. Three agonizing seconds passed before Xhoya dared to open her eyes for a swift look around. Everyone had moved to the window, with the exception of - wait, two had left, but three were missing. “... Lux?” Her voice was hardly audible, her hands loosening the grip on her hood. There was really only one place she could have been, and after clumsily pulling herself up onto a crate, through the glass of the window she was able to see the final trail of smoke bend around the ruined alley. Her face filled with dread. She wouldn’t be able to keep up with her - none of them could at the rate she moved. It seemed that the pop star was fueled with such determination to eliminate the threat, the knowledge that she held what would keep the others safe may have slipped her mind. She grimaced. Perhaps Lux and Jaxion were more alike than she had originally thought. More of her companions began to drop out of the cab, and while she was able to offer a small bit of assistance to their mobility, within a minute they were all out of her sight. Her vision shifted observantly; frantically. There was nothing else she could do in here - nothing any of those within the Cindercleft could do. Gambit knew it too. She could see it on his face; how hard his brow had knit together, how he readily held a spectral card to embolden the first person he could see, how studiously he observed just as she did, and how stress began to pull a small frown at the edge of his lips. Pulled by the burden of care. Shackled in place by the weight in her stomach and her petrified feet. Gambit wasn’t afraid of the dangers outside, he just didn’t want *her* to be afraid. ‘I do not know how to be brave, Lux Silvers,’ her earlier thoughts replayed in her head, ‘but for you, I will try.’ Xhoya paused, and for a moment, the fear was pushed down. ‘I promise I will try.’ Promises were not made lightly, and breaking them, especially to herself, wasn’t even a possibility the teen had considered. She didn’t know how to be brave, that much was true. But she also knew above all else that you’d never learn anything… if you didn’t try. Shaky hands grabbed onto her cousin's arm with enough urgency to pull his attention. “I have to help her.” Through carefully spun winds and equally careful steps, the two hastily navigated the corridors, the girl occasionally burying her face into the others shoulder to avoid looking at the ‘handiwork’ of their party. Death would never get easier. She didn’t want it to. Shots were fired. Spells were slung across the ruined streets. Cries of pain echoed while the smell of blood and acid assaulted her nose. Eventually, all came together, and while the group took time to mend their wounds, the Cindercleft repositioned herself so the rest of their traveling companions could join them. Their exploration was rewarded with secrets long lost to all but the winged ones. Concentric sigils and ribbons of gold rippled throughout the excavated crater, and what was thought to be bedrock… was a hangar. It spoke to Ildri’s magic, opening at his touch, flooding the haze of fallout with a calm blue light. Two heads lifted, studying all before it as mechanical wings stretched for the first time this iteration. Driftwind, Ildris had called it. Xhoya’s eyes were wide, not with fear this time, but with awe. Only one word left her slackened jaw. “Hello.”

Session 18 - Chapter 6: Kindling pt. III

Session 18 - Chapter 6: Kindling pt. III

[Session 17]

[[The page is empty, the closed book being clutched tightly to the chest of a dismissed teenager]] https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C4U4uQDnc3UXYYKJqhezUm5SRgeKC6Pl/view...

03:48 pm - 12.11.2025

In silence, the youth fumed. (( https://tinyurl.com/y2neb23m ))

Session 17 - Chapter 6: Kindling pt. II

Session 17 - Chapter 6: Kindling pt. II

[Session 16]

The school is filled with secrets Brother. The boxes in the basement. The metals? I had made a guess that they were all from Paegor. Many I did not know, but some of them I did. I know the Rune Pebbles that Highness used in studies. I have seen the Sol...

04:55 pm - 28.10.2025

[Session 16]

The school is filled with secrets Brother. The boxes in the basement. The metals? I had made a guess that they were all from Paegor. Many I did not know, but some of them I did. I know the Rune Pebbles that Highness used in studies. I have seen the Sol...

11:17 pm - 27.10.2025

Session 16 - Chapter 6: Kindling

Session 16 - Chapter 6: Kindling

[Session 15]

Safe Descent Brother, Thank you for your eyes over the night. Full minds may have made rest fragmented for many of us, but rest was indeed found by tired bodies. We returned to the school at the request of Lux so that we could look further into bloodli...

04:36 am - 14.10.2025

Session 15 - Chapter 5: Blackout pt. VII

Session 15 - Chapter 5: Blackout pt. VII

[Session 14]

Brother of Mine, To say the day has been difficult would not begin to describe it. I have never, so deeply, wished that I had been having a nightmare. I feel helpless. I *am* helpless. The stranger took mercy on me; a woman with a gun, pitying the lost...

04:24 am - 08.10.2025

Session 14 - Chapter 5: Blackout pt. VI

Session 14 - Chapter 5: Blackout pt. VI

Never travel on Sentry. Brother’s eyes are wide and alert - why would you pull his attention away, when he so dedicatedly searches for the dangers hiding in the night? But what about the dangers creeping in the sol? The violent rattle of an abandoned doorknob made the youth’s blood run cold. With clumsy feet, ‘Cadet Nelira Duskwing’ dipped behind the unusual mana viewing contraption, only seconds before her body refused to move further. A strange conversation occurred with even stranger names being tossed around. There was hardly time for the teens brows to knit together in concern before the deafening *crack* of a firearm fractured both the air and her focus. ‘Stupid. Stupid girl.’ Even the high pitched tone of the tinnitus in Xhoya’s ears wasn’t enough to quiet the hammering of her own heart. The droids were of their own category; horrifying in their own right, because they were unknown. The cloaked visage of the Deremitru held the same kind of terror. But this? This was neither monster nor machine. These were fellow survivors; others who had witnessed and lived through the awful events of the past week, yet still held no remorse in their actions. And knowing that, somehow, terrified her more. And then, in an adrenaline fueled panic, there were no longer any surroundings. Her, the machine, and the hands of the Keeper working the contents of a discarded blastcan. Keep quiet. Keep down. ‘Focus. Don’t look.’ Glyphs and runes, both recognized and foreign, danced upon the enchanted surface. Her pupils dilated at the same rate that the pigment was leaving her skin. What was she even looking at anymore? Too many, too fast. Everything was too fast. She angrily rubbed her eyes. ’Focus.’ Another crack. Hard. Wet. Organic. Bone? Don’t look - don’t look. ‘Focus.’ Her finger rapidly tapped on the glass, behind a coiled ‘chain’ of exposed magical energy. “Th-that one. I-i-it is wrong - it is looping?” She’d have been able to help explain further, but the slowly tightening grip of dread around her throat made speech both short and challenging. Crack. A sharp gasp. Red. Lots of red. And feathers. At this point, Xhoya wasn’t sure if it was fear, bile or her actual heart that had bubbled up harshly into her throat. She swallowed. A scream. A howl? Don’t look don’t look don’t look don’t look don’t look don’t - Her hands hit the glass in frustration; desperation. “This would go faster if I knew what you were *looking at!*” If he’d just let her read what he can read, they’d have been done by now. They’d be safe. But no, she was a *child,* and thus his secrets were more important than the fate of the *confederacy.* It must have been nice to – No. No. This wasn’t Ildris’ fault. There wasn’t a single thing for her to stand on in that argument and she knew it. Horrified tears streaked down the girl’s cheeks, her forehead touching the glass with a muted thud. An almost inaudible bit of banter from her cousin was able to clear her vision in a literal sense, and while the glyphs may have become legible, the answers she sought were nowhere for her eyes to find. A metallic clank. A familiar whirring. She just wanted a reason. She just wanted someone to blame. It wasn’t his fault in any measurable way - Ildris just happened to be close enough to receive her ire. Everyone was doing everything they possibly could. Which meant: ‘I really am a burden.’ Everyone was putting their life on the line. Everyone but her. Her, hiding behind a machine, cowering in the shadow of a man who suffered for millennia, only to willingly do it again. Her, an anxious sobbing mess, while an idolized superstar who wouldn’t have even needed to put on her own shoes last month bled for people she’d only known for weeks. Her, paralyzed at the prospect of conflict, while those of opposing factions stood together at arms. The singing of a laser. A burning smell. Boiled leather. Cloth. Hair. Skin. ‘I am sorry Brother.’ If she’d been more brave, maybe she could have pulled their attention away. If she’d been stronger, maybe someone could have been incapacitated. If she’d been smarter, maybe this mana study would be done already. If she’d been more clever, maybe these fiends never would have gotten in at all. If she’d been more alert, perhaps there would be less red encompassing her peripheral vision. If only she’d done anything to make it feel like she wasn’t a liability. Pungent. Potent like hot iron. Thick like suffocating fog. She wanted to puke. ‘You should have picked someone else.’ An explosion, quickly replaced with the familiar buzz of tinnitus. But perhaps this was for the better. Now, at least, she wouldn’t be able to hear people begging for their lives while she hid. No more gunshot sounds, no unsettling ‘thuds’ that sounded like a pumpkin cracking open. Just her, her thoughts, and the knowledge that her new friends were suffering. And that there was nothing she could do about it.

Session 13 - Chapter 5: Blackout pt. V

Session 13 - Chapter 5: Blackout pt. V

[Session 12]

Dear Brother, The events of the past days have not become any easier to handle with time. Everything is still terrible, and the news that the telecaster brings only speaks of the grim truth. So what do we do, when we cannot listen to the pleasantries o...

04:29 pm - 13.09.2025

Session 12 - Chapter 5: Blackout pt. IV

Session 12 - Chapter 5: Blackout pt. IV

[A Removed Page]

[[A recently removed page is stuck in the front of the binding]] [[The text is unreadable]]...

02:41 am - 04.09.2025

[Session 11]

Safe Ascent Brother, Something is not right. The telecaster speaks of a city that found a bomb, likely left by these Watchers of Glass. But the Navy, they found it so easily, and the color was all wrong. It felt staged, like they wanted it to be found ...

02:36 am - 04.09.2025

Session 11 - Chapter 5: Blackout pt. III

Session 11 - Chapter 5: Blackout pt. III

[Session 9-10]

We are okay Brother, And by that I mean, we are alive. So many others were not as fortunate. I do not… I can not think of anything to say. I do not think there are words for it. It is… inhuman. Alien. This is not an act of war, Brother. There is...

09:25 pm - 27.08.2025

Session 10 - Chapter 5: Blackout pt. II

Session 10 - Chapter 5: Blackout pt. II

Purpose. Multiple conversations over the past few days have led back to that same topic. It was interesting, she thought, that so many people arguably in their prime age were already so certain what their ultimate destiny was. ‘She didn’t understand,’ they said; she was ‘too young’ to need to worry about such things. For a brief moment, the inquisitive eyes focused on her gifted arm. She understood sacrifice. Far more than she’d allowed others to know. What Xhoya also understood, was that sacrifices could be made without paying the ultimate one. People changed, situations changed - could *be* changed. Why then, when a specific word was used, did all problem solving get pushed off the table? Why did they stop trying to find change? Why… did they stop *trying?* Purpose. The youth scowled. She was starting to hate that word.

Session 9 - Chapter 5: Blackout

Session 9 - Chapter 5: Blackout

[Session 6 - 8]

For the first time in hundreds of entries, there is no writing. Instead, scattered across multiple pages are drawings. Specifically, drawings of arcane circles, but nothing that, in itself, is a spell. The composition of more simple, familiar spells se...

09:24 pm - 14.08.2025

Sessions 6-8 - Chapter 4: Finis (D&D Weekend)

Sessions 6-8 - Chapter 4: Finis (D&D Weekend)

‘Savior’ they called it. With the look of unadulterated panic in the youths eyes, you would think the city’s name was ‘Suicide.’ But to the pointed ears, the word truly was no different. Her hands squeezed, and for the first time this evening, she selfishly sought the comfort of the ailing elf beside her. She shrunk back into her seat, cowering like a scolded animal. The worst part about the proposed plan? There was no logical reason for her to disagree. She was horrified. Every warning that Andromika had given prior to their departure came stampeding back through her memory almost too fast to fully repeat. If she was trying to avoid being seen or overwhelmed by the BRN, this was absolutely the worst decision that could be made. Unfortunately, ‘I’m scared’ and ‘I don’t want to go’ were not objective counter-arguments. Ildris’s knowledge was their only clue, and with him also positive in the existence of a cult leader, it truly was the best place for them to start an investigation. She was certain that Kiíellièn would not go against the prompts of a fellow Keeper, especially one as ancient as the brightly colored elf claimed to be. All things considered, the bard was mostly safe, wherever she chose to go. Anyone that acted aggressively towards one such as herself would be immediately arrested, if not executed. Echo and Jaxion would have no problem comfortably existing within the walls of Savior, likely having spent time there before. Lux would likely get a welcoming party of some sort. Gidget may get a strange look or two, but it wasn’t against the law to be flamboyant. Silas, as long as he concealed any obvious Black Axel accessories, would likely go unnoticed. Gambit, if he was well enough, had a confidence about him that made others feel like he was supposed to be, wherever he happened to be. Getting into places was not an issue for him, and he’d made that clear before. Which just left her. She didn’t have the luxury of being out in the open. Was it *legal* to abduct a minor? On its own, no, certainly not. Surely the BRN had its own internal punishments for handling heinous crimes. But during a time of supposed war? When valuable information is basically delivered to your doorstep? In her mind, the reward was worth the risk and it was far easier for a superior to turn the other cheek. She was small, so yes, while it would be easier to hide in the crowd of her traveling companions, small also meant easily removed. Thousands upon thousands of BRN forces were on standby within the confines of Savior, but them? They were fewer than ten. If the military saw her and decided they were going to act… there was very little she’d be able to do about this. Likely, very little any of them could have done. Xhoya let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Logical. She had to be logical about this. There was still time to plan their internal route; still time to determine the best way to go unseen, when two of their party members were going to be impossible to miss. Her grip loosened, instead doing her best to offer a reassuring pat to Gambit’s wrist. “I think it is a good idea.” No amount of Polly’s cupcakes would be able to tame the sour taste of lies.

Some things were, and some things were not. It was a truth she had accepted. People simply did not recover from such advanced stages of the Blight. It was proven, time and again, that there was no cure. Documents upon documents, written by the Hands and the Queens that guided them, notating each and every attempt in excruciating details. Everyone wants to believe that ‘something was missed’ or ‘maybe it will work this time.’ It was never the case. Recovery from Mana Sickness was, irrevocably, something in the ‘was not’ category. And yet, here he was. Here they *both* were. With each notification that pinged on Lux’s phone, the bafflement on the teenager’s face grew. She had never questioned her piety, or the impact that faith could have. But… surely there was more to this? She didn’t lack gratitude. In fact the student likely would have been a blubbering mess, if she had said anything more than a word or two. But, just because she was grateful, did not mean that what occurred should be possible. Not only were both breathing, they were both improving. Another ‘ping’ came from the superstar’s device, followed by another, and another. If Xhoya hadn’t known better, the viral response to Lux’s sincere request seemed to be keeping a pulse for the two weakened hearts. At this point however, the Ip’lythi wasn’t sure. *Did* she know better? The hours of the evening filled her head with contradictions. If Mana Blight could be cured by faith alone, then why did the devout contract it at all? If it took a vast amount of people, then why were the voiceless left to suffer? If it required an Aspect to intervene, why would they allow it to happen at all? And if none of those things were true… then why were these two alive? She didn’t like variables - it made results unreliable. Yet, this encounter told her that, somehow, results could be achieved. Somehow, recovery could happen, and thus, somehow… it could be replicated. But where could she possibly start? How could she find something that not one single specialist had already theorized and attempted? While Ildri’s recovery was remarkable, Gambit remained stable. He was still, clearly, horribly sick, but a very basic examine showed only minor traces of the sickness in his eyes, and even less on his skin - clammy surface aside. For now, the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of it all would be pondered at a later time. An impossibility made possible, and caring for the weakened elf would be her primary thoughts for the evening. If Mana Sickness could be removed… She was going to find out how.

‘It’s like the cube’ was a good way to lead the conversation, she thought. ‘When the magick can’t disperse fast enough, it becomes a poison, and your own body feeds it.’ She’d followed behind the two Keepers not to offer hope, but to offer acceptance; an explanation. Peace, she thought, may come easier if the feathered elf knew why her elder was beyond help. If she knew, that even if she had all of the blastcans that her family could buy, it still wouldn’t be enough to remove this Blight. It isn’t for lack of trying - there’s simply nothing that can be done. But when the chrome-haired Gambit took the sickness as his own, every calculated word died on Xhoya’s tongue. Purpose. Apparently that was what he had said, according to Kiíellièn. Purpose? To what? Die? She swallowed hard, and while her crumbling composure quickly brought her to her knees at his bedside, the dust of optimism forced a reassuring smile on her face. Was his purpose to sacrifice himself for a stranger, simply because they were ancient? Was he more *deserving* of suffering? Playful chatter was offered to try to keep cardist’s spirits high, and his eyelids open outside anything more than a short catnap. ‘I do not mind,’ she thought, reaching across the bed to reassuringly place both chitinous claw and young hand on the dull pulse of the Gambit’s biomechanical arm, ‘if you need to keep it longer.’ Another forced smile. ‘It doesn’t hurt too badly.’ Then, are the young less deserving of life, because they do not have secrets or history that others may find worthy of keeping? Are second chances limited to those with ‘worldly knowledge?’ ’You can keep them both, if you need to,’ her thoughts continued; silent prayers and conversations for her Brother’s attuned ear. It might be difficult to write for a while, if she found herself short another arm, but she knew Ip would understand. ‘He needs you more than I do.’ Ildris’s recovery was noted, but the hushed tones were muted by the tinnitus of her shattering heart, and the certainty that soon, her cousin's would stop. ‘... Why would you do this?’

It was the first time since Drywind that the student had felt confidence within sleepless nights. Perhaps it was an eagerness to be under a non-manufactured sky. Or, perhaps, it was faith, knowing that whatever beasts stalked her when she shut her eyes would not be allowed to ‘crash his party’ - at least, that is what Brother said. And oh, what a party it was! Pain, both emotional and physical, left her body, replaced with the awe and admiration of the moment. Stories exchanged, and fables were confirmed facts, which ultimately left Xhoya with far more questions than answers. But for now, she was happy with the answers she had: 1) This wasn’t the first time she’d ‘danced’ with her cousin 2) Kiiellien was far less crazy than she first seemed The youth wrapped her arms around herself with a smile as bright as the freckles on her face 3) She’d never felt safer

[Session 5]

I by no means think I have seen everything, Brother, but each time I think our day to day life could not get any stranger, somehow it finds a way. Kiíellièn revealed another collectors item; a pocket home, owned by a small woman named Polly. We were ...

04:20 pm - 26.07.2025

Session 5 - Chapter 4: Finis

Session 5 - Chapter 4: Finis

[Session 4 - 2nd Entry]

Dear Brother, I am finding that Paegor’s secrets are rivaled only by their aggression. We followed a paved road wide enough for a whole colony of Blackback’s, leading to a city hidden from the Sculptors eyes and buildings taller than anything I...

12:00 am - 18.07.2025

[Session 4 - 1st Entry]

I’ve done it Brother!!! The cube - it makes sense! I do not quite know how to put it together, but how and why it does what it does, I do! Do you think Highness will be excited? I do not think a letter would reach him, but when we make it home I will...

06:12 pm - 17.07.2025

Chapter 4: Finis

Chapter 4: Finis

[Session 3]

Paegor is violent and unwelcoming. We made it to the ‘Scorpion Eye’ - that is what they keep calling it. There was supposed to be no one there, Jaxion said so. But he lied, Little Bug. The emptiness he said lingered in the mountainside smelled of s...

03:38 pm - 01.07.2025

Session 3 - Chapter 3: On Razor's Edge pt. III

Session 3 - Chapter 3: On Razor's Edge pt. III

'I wonder...' The eyes of the youth drifted to one of the many windows of the Cindercleft Xpress, watching the wasteland shift from one dead expanse to another. 'If one cube has been taken apart and put into the sharp fingered man... ' she blinked, '... then does that means there is a way to take him apart too?'

[Session 2] Preydrus, Day II - Part 2

Dear Brother, The day has given me many emotions so far. We are back within Gidgets machine, safe from the cold that nips at us while we scale the high rocks. Even so… I do not feel like we will remain safe for long. But I will start you with a s...

04:12 am - 18.06.2025

Session 2 - Chapter 3: On Razor's Edge pt. II

Session 2 - Chapter 3: On Razor's Edge pt. II

Irongut Xhoya!

This is not the first title I thought I would earn.

[Session 1] Preydrus, Day II

Dear Brother, Two of your cycles have passed since we've settled into this strange home, the last one I was not able to see you nor your work through. It unsettles me, almost as much as the rest of the world seems to be. Paegor is large, but words are...

04:19 pm - 04.06.2025

Preydrus, Day I

Blessed Hunt, Brother! I do not think I have ever been away from home for Preydrus. The mornings were always exciting, with every home smelling of cured meats and roasting root vegetables. It was a good breakfast to prepare for a long day of activities...

08:22 pm - 03.06.2025

A Fractured Paradise - Act I: A Normal Life

A Fractured Paradise - Act I: A Normal Life

Kiqueo - Preydrus

Kiqueo - Preydrus

[Session 0.75 - II]

Do you believe in ghosts, Brother? Of course you do. I do not feel threatened, but I do not like this place. The pathways are unforgiving, like they do not wish to be traveled, and there are old homes that whisper with restless spirits. I do not th...

07:07 pm - 13.05.2025

[Session 0.75 - I]

Dear Brother, This land - this continent - it is so much more hostile than I ever could have thought it to be. I thank you, for keeping me safe, and I am sorry I accused you of admonishing me. It was the only thing that made sense at the time; that I h...

06:05 pm - 13.05.2025

Kiqueo Session 0.5 pt. III

Kiqueo Session 0.5 pt. III

[Session 0.5]

Did I anger you, Brother? I am sorry. I am so sorry for whatever it was I did that has made you punish me so. I was so grateful for the the gentle light you provided in the lower levels of the boat. I thought that, maybe I am finally alright? Maybe...

03:29 pm - 26.04.2025

[Session 0]

Dear Brother, You are very clever in your guidance. I did not think to take one of the boats that travels in the sky; that is many eyes and many faces that may look this way. The water seemed easier... but Quentheri never said we would be sharing a roo...

02:56 pm - 26.04.2025

Kiqueo Session 0.5 pt. II

Kiqueo Session 0.5 pt. II

Kiqueo Session 0, Session 0.5 pt. I

Kiqueo Session 0, Session 0.5 pt. I

Runic Writing - [Pre-Session 0]

[The page is illegible...]...

09:53 pm - 18.03.2025

Eighth Entry

[Daily entries continue with mundane activities, but as short as they are at times, not a single day is missed. ] ___ Dear Brother, The Wings assured me that I was not sick. They told me that my use of Ambrosia was within the limits, especially for...

11:43 pm - 04.03.2024

First Entry

[The journal is well loved - the embellishments on the cover show signs of wear and frequent use. ] [While it is used daily, it is clear that not every entry is of significance, outside of the thoughts of the writer.] [The language within is both forei...

10:56 pm - 04.03.2024

I woke up this morning